أَتَظُنُّ صَبرَكَ مُنجِداً إِن أَنْجدُوا

هيهاتَ ليس لِمُستهامٍ مُسعِدُ

Do you think your patience a rescuer, if they ascend into Najd?

Far from it—no one can aid a lover mad with longing.

إِنّي لَأَحسَبُ أَنَّ قَلبَكَ ذَاهِلٌ

عمّا سَيلقَى في غدٍ أَو جَلْمَدُ

Indeed, I can only think your heart is heedless

of what it will meet tomorrow—or else made of rock.

هذا الفِراقُ فإِن تُطِقْ

جَلَداً فَمِيعادُ اللقاءِ المَوعِدُ

This is the parting; so if you can bear it

with fortitude, reunion’s tryst is the appointed day.

قالوا غَداً لِنَوى الأَحِبَّةِ موعدٌ

والدّهرُ أجمَعُ بعدَ لَيلَتِنَا غدُ

They said: tomorrow is appointed for the beloveds’ departure—

yet all of time after this night of ours is “tomorrow.”

فإلامَ تَحتَبسُ الدّموعَ وللنّوى

ذُخِرَتْ وأيُّ ذخيرةٍ لا تَنفَدُ

How long will you hold back tears, when for separation

they were stored—and what store does not run dry?

حمّلتَ نفسَك يا ضعيفُ مِنَ الهوَى

ما لَيسَ للجَلْدِ الخَلِيِّ بهِ يدُ

You burdened yourself, poor weakling, with a measure of love

that even the hardy heart, untouched by passion, cannot bear.

وورَدْتَ جَهلاً مورداً لا مَصدَرٌ

عنهُ فقد ألْهاكَ ذَاكَ المورِدُ

In ignorance you came to a watering place with no departure

from it, for that watering place has utterly engrossed you.

أَنَّى جَسَرْتَ عَلى الفِراقِ وأَنتَ في

قُربِ الدّيارِ بهم معنىًّ مُكمَدُ

How did you dare to brave separation, when even

near their dwellings you were love-stricken and grief-crushed?

فارقَتَهُم ثِقَةً بِصَبرِكَ عنهُمُ

فاصبرْ لِنيرانِ الأَسَى يا مُوقَدُ

You left them, trusting your patience to endure their absence;

then endure the fires of sorrow, O you who kindled them!

لو رُضتَ قَلبَكَ في الدٌّنُوِّ بِهَجرِهِم

لعلِمتَ بعدَ البَينِ هل تَتَجلَّدُ

Had you disciplined your heart, while they were near, by shunning them,

you would have known, once parted, whether you could stand firm.