يَا ذُكْرَةً أَبْصَرْتُ فِي

مِرْآتِهَا صُوَرَ التَّمَنِّي

O memories, in whose mirror

I saw images of longing

خَطَرَتْ عَلَيَّ فَنَفَّرَتْ

طَيْرَ الْكَرَى مِنْ وَكْرِ جَفْنِي

Passing by, startling

The bird of sorrow from the nest of my eyelids

عَلِقَتْ حِبَالَةُ خَاطِرِي

مِنْهَا بِمَكْحُولٍ أَغَنِّ

My thoughts attached themselves

To it with strong rope of song

كَانَتْ مِثَالاً خَطَّهُ

بِمَخِيلَتِي نَقَّاشُ ذِهْنِي

It was an image drawn

By my imagination, painter of my mind

هِيَ لُقْيَةٌ وَهْمِيَّةٌ

سَمَحَتْ بِهَا خَطَرَاتُ ظَنِّي

It is an imagined encounter

Allowed by the whims of my supposition