تفرّد ذلك الطلل

وطاف بركنهِ الوجل

That ruin stood alone,

and dread circled its corner.

يغشّي اليأس صفحتهُ

ويبرق تحته الأملُ

Despair veils its face,

while hope flashes beneath it.

وتهمس حوله الذكرى

فتلمع بينها الشعلُ

Memories whisper around it,

and flames flare among them.

جفاه أهله مللاً

فخيم فوقه الملل

Its people forsook it, weary,

so weariness pitched its tent above it.

عزيز عهدهم فيهِ

عزيز أنت يا طللُ

Dear is the time they shared within it;

and dear are you, O ruin.

بناه خير بنّاءٍ

بناه الحب مبتدعاً

The finest builder built it;

love built it, creating anew,

وبث على جوانبهِ

مفاتن تفتن الورعا

and scattered along its sides

charms that tempt the devout.

وأطلق حوله سحراً

يبث الشوق والولعا

It loosed an enchantment around it,

breathing out longing and ardor,

وأنشد باسمهِ شعراً

من الآمال منتزعا

and recited poetry in its name,

wrested from hopes.

وظلل أهله الأملُ

فماذا جدّ يا طلل ؟

Hope cast its shade over its people—

so what has come to pass, O ruin?

خريف باكر حلا

خريف الحب والعمر

An early autumn alighted:

the autumn of love and life.

فحطم كل شامخة

على الأحداث والدهر

It shattered every lofty thing

that towered above vicissitude and time;

وعطل كل فاتنة

من الإغراء والسحر

it disarmed every temptress

of allure and enchantment;

وأبطل كل ساحرة

وأسكت نغمة الشعر

it rendered every sorceress powerless

and silenced poetry’s melody.

فعاد بناؤه طللا

فويحك أيها الطلل !

Thus its edifice became a ruin again—

alas for you, O ruin!

دلفت إليه ملهوفاً

تحث حنيني الذكرى

I made my way to it, distraught,

memory urging on my yearning.

فأطرق لا يحدثني

وأرسل زفرة حرى

It bowed its head and would not speak to me,

then released a scorching sigh.

وجدت لوقدها لذعاً

كأني ألمس الجمرا

I felt the sting of its blaze,

as though I touched live coals.

وتاهت نفسي الولهى

وأسرت روحي السكرى

My love-distraught soul lost its way,

and my drunken spirit was taken captive.

وقلت وقد نزا ألمي

" فداك الكون يا طلل " !

And I said, as my pain surged:

“May the universe be your ransom, O ruin!”