لست من همي وَلا من كمدي

بعد ما أسلمت جفناً للكرى

I am not of those who forget their sorrows,

Nor of those who forget their vows,

أُخِذَ العهدُ عَلى أعينِنا

أَنْ تعاني دمعَها والسهرا

After I surrendered my eyelids to anguish -

We pledged our eyes to enduring its tears and wakefulness.

أَنا ممن بايعوا الحزنَ عَلَى

أَنْ يريق الجفنُ دمعاً أَحمرا

I am of those who pledged grief

That the eyelids would shed red tears.

إِنَّما النّارُ التي في أضلعي

تتلظّى للأَسى نار قرى

The fire blazing in my ribs

Is stoked by the flames of sorrow from past vows.

تَرِبَتْ كفُّ امرئٍ ينفضها

من عهودٍ أحكمتْ منها العرى

The palm withers of one who shakes it off -

Of covenants whose bonds had been tightened.

لست بالنّاقض ميثاقَ الأَسى

بفمِ الناقضِ يا سعد البرى

I am not one to break the pact of sorrow -

With the mouth of one violating pacts, O Saad of the open country!

لا تلمْ عيني إذا جدَّ البكا

فلقدْ جدَّ بلمياءَ السُرى

Do not blame my eye if it weeps profusely -

For great was the flowing of tears from ardent passion.

مدَّةُ العيشِ عناءٌ بعدها

كيف أُقضيها وأَنىّ يا ترى

The duration of life is hardship, after which -

How can I spend it, and where, I wonder?

أَنا لولا غايةٌ أَسعى لها

ضمنَّني من بعد لمياءَ الثرى

If not for a purpose I strive toward -

The earth would have buried me after the copious flowing tears.