1. لَقَد سَقاني الرُعاف فيهِ

    كُلَّ ذُعافٍ مِنَ السِمامِ

    The hemorrhage that struck him made me drink

    every deadly draught of poison.

  2. ماتَ شَهيداً وَمُتُّ ثكلاً

    ثمَّتَ أنشرتُ لِلسّقامِ

    He died a martyr, and I died of bereavement,

    then was raised again only to suffer sickness.

  3. مَتى يَهِجني اِسمُهُ يَجِدني

    غَصّان بِالأَدمُعِ السِجامِ

    Whenever his name stirs me, it finds me

    choking on streaming tears.

  4. ما قيلَ عَبدُ الغَنِيِّ إِلّا

    ذُقتُ بِهِ غُصَّةَ الحِمامِ

    Whenever ʿAbd al-Ghani is mentioned,

    through him I taste the choking pang of death.

  5. مَرَّ خَيالاً عَلَيَّ لَيلاً

    فَبَدَّلَ السُهدَ بِالمَنامِ

    His phantom passed over me one night

    and exchanged my sleeplessness for sleep.

  6. مَثَّلتهُ في الحَشا فَمَن لي

    بِلَذَّةِ الأُنسِ وَالكَلامِ

    I pictured him within my breast—but who will grant me

    the delight of companionship and conversation?

  7. مَثواهُ في القَلبِ غَيرَ أَنّي

    في حُرَقٍ وَهوَ في سَلامِ

    His dwelling is in my heart, except that I

    am amid burning anguish, while he is at peace.

  8. من مُسعِدي بِالبُكا عَلَيهِ

    فَيَقضِيَ الكلَّ مِن ذِمامي

    Who will join me in weeping for him

    and so discharge all that I owe him?

  9. مَنِيَّتي مُنيَتي وَإِلّا

    فَعَيشُ حَرّانَ مُستَهامِ

    Death is my desire; otherwise,

    mine is the life of one fevered and distraught with longing.

  10. مِثلي إِذا ما الحَمامُ ناحَت

    بَكى وَيَشكو مَعَ الحَمامِ

    One like me, whenever the doves lament,

    weeps and laments along with the doves.

  11. مِلتُ فَعانَقتُكَ اِشتِياقاً

    وَلَم أُعانِق سِوى العِظامِ

    I leaned toward you and embraced you longingly,

    yet embraced nothing but bones.

  12. ما لي رَأَيتُ الَّذي شجاني

    مِنكَ وَما مُتُّ في المَقامِ

    How could I see what grieved me

    in you and not die upon the spot?

  13. ماقُكَ دامَ بِلا بُكاء

    وَالثَغرُ بادٍ بِلا اِبتِسامِ

    Your eye remained without tears,

    and your mouth lay visible without a smile.

  14. مِن أَطيَبِ الطَيِّبينَ خيماً

    كُنتَ وَمِن أَكرَمِ الكِرامِ

    Among the finest of good men in character

    you were, and among the noblest of the noble—

  15. مِن شُهُبِ المَجدِ وَالمَعالي

    بَثَّقتَ مُحلَولِكَ الظَلامِ

    one of the blazing stars of glory and exalted rank;

    at your coming, you pierced the darkness.