طافَ الخَيالُ وَلاتَ حينَ تَطَرُّبِ

طافَ الخَيالُ وَلاتَ حينَ تَطَرُّبِ

أَن زارَ طَيفٌ موهِناً مِن زَينَبِ

أَن زارَ طَيفٌ موهِناً مِن زَينَبِ

A vision passed by—though it was no time for rapture—

The vision came by, though it was no time for yearning,

when a phantom from Zaynab visited in the dead of night.

for a phantom of Zaynab visited late at night.

طَرَقَت فَنَفَّرَتِ الكَرى عَن نائِمٍ

طَرَقَت فَنَفَّرَتِ الكَرى عَن نائِمٍ

كانَت وِسادَتُهُ ذِراعَ الأَرحَبي

كانَت وِسادَتُهُ ذِراعَ الأَرحَبي

She came by night and startled slumber away from a sleeper

She came by night and drove sleep away from a sleeper

whose pillow was the foreleg of al-Arhab.

whose pillow was the foreleg of the Arhabi camel.

فَبَكى الشبابَ وَعَهدَهُ وَزَمانَهُ

فَبَكى الشبابَ وَعَهدَهُ وَزَمانَهُ

بَعدَ المَشيبِ وَما بُكاءُ الأَشيَبِ

بَعدَ المَشيبِ وَما بُكاءُ الأَشيَبِ

So he wept for youth, for its days and its season,

So he wept for youth, its days, and its time,

after gray hairs came—but what avail are an old man's tears?

after his hair had grayed—but what use is a gray-haired man's weeping?