1. أمَا وخَيالٍ في المَنامِ يزورُ

    وإنْ كان عنْدي أنّ ذلكَ زُورُ

    Indeed, by a phantom that visits in sleep,

    though, in my view, this is a deception,

  2. لقدْ ضِقْتُ ذرْعاً بالنّوى بعْدَ بُعْدِكُمْ

    على أنّني للنّائِباتِ صَبورُ

    I can no longer bear separation since you went away,

    though I am patient in the face of calamities.

  3. أدافِعُ منْ شوْقي ووجْدي كَتائِباً

    يُزلْزَلُ رضْوَى عنْدَها وثَبيرُ

    I ward off battalions of my longing and passion,

    before which Radwa and Thabir are shaken;

  4. سَراباً إذا ما اللّيلُ مدَّ رِواقَهُ

    على ساحةِ الصّبْرِ الجَميلِ تُغيرُ

    mirage-like, when night spreads its canopy,

    they raid the field of beautiful patience.

  5. بَرى جسَدي فيكُمْ غَرامٌ ولوْعَةٌ

    إذا سكَنَ الليْلُ البَهيمُ تَثورُ

    Passion and burning anguish for you have wasted my body;

    when the pitch-black night grows still, the anguish flares up.

  6. فلوْلا أنيني ما اهْتَدى نحْوَ مضْجَعي

    خَيالُكُمُ باللّيلِ حينَ تَزورُ

    But for my moaning, it would not find its way toward my bed—

    your phantom, when you visit in the night.

  7. ولوْ شِئْتُ في طيِّ الكِتابِ لزُرْتُكُمْ

    ولمْ تدْرِ عنّي أحْرُفٌ وسُطورُ

    Were I to wish it, I would visit you within the letter's folds,

    and neither letters nor lines would know of me.

  8. تذكّرْتُ عهْداً طالَ بعْدَ انْصِرامِهِ

    عليْهِ الأسى وانجابَ وهْوَ قصيرُ

    I recalled a time: after it ended, long endured

    the sorrow for it, though it had slipped away so soon.

  9. وقد طلَعَتْ للرّاحِ في ظُلُماتِهِ

    نُجومٌ تُوالي حثّهُنّ بُدورُ

    And in its darkness, for the wine, there had risen

    stars that full moons kept urging onward.

  10. وهبّ نسيمُ الوصْلِ في روضَةِ الرِّضا

    بَليلاً وأكْواسُ السّرورِ تَدورُ

    And the breeze of union blew in the garden of contentment,

    moist, while the cups of joy went round.

  11. وعهْداً بعيْنِ الدّمْعِ للدّمْعِ بعْدَهُ

    مَوارِدُ في آماقِنا وبُحورُ

    And a time at Ayn al-Damʿ—the Spring of Tears—after which tears

    had wellsprings and seas in the corners of our eyes.

  12. عُهودُ مُنىً غصَّ الزّمانُ بحُسْنها

    فغارَ عليْها والزّمانُ غَيورُ

    Seasons of wishes, whose beauty made Time choke;

    so it grew jealous of them, and Time is jealous.

  13. فَها أنا أسْتَقْري الرّياحَ إذا سرَتْ

    ليُخْبِرَني بالظّاعِنينَ خَبيرُ

    So here I am, questioning the winds when they pass by night,

    so that one who knows may tell me of those who departed.

  14. وإنْ خطّ وجْدي منْ دُموعي رِسالَةً

    على صفْحِ خدّي فالنّسيمُ سَفيرُ

    And if my passion pens a letter from my tears

    upon the surface of my cheek, then the breeze is its envoy.

  15. فَيا رحلةَ الصّيْفِ التي بجوانِحي

    لَها لهَبٌ لا ينْقَضي وسَعيرُ

    O summer journey, which within my breast

    has a flame that never dies and a raging blaze!

  16. أحوِّلُ منْكِ الشّهْرَ حوْلاً على الوَرى

    وأصْبَحَتِ الأيّامُ وهْيَ شُهورُ

    Because of you, I turn a month into a year for all mankind,

    and the days have become months.

  17. ويا قلْبُ لا تطْرَحْ سِلاحَكَ رهْبَةً

    فهَلْ هيَ إلا أنّةٌ وزَفيرُ

    And, O heart, do not throw down your weapon in fear;

    for what is it but a groan and a sigh?

  18. جَنَيْتُ النّوى لا عنْ مَلالٍ ولا قِلىً

    فمِثْلي بمَوْصولِ المَلامِ جَديرُ

    I brought separation upon myself, not out of boredom or aversion;

    so one like me deserves unceasing blame.

  19. وجرّدْتُ عنّي لِبسَة الوصْلِ طائِعاً

    وكمْ شَرِقِ بالماءِ وهوَ نَميرُ

    And I willingly stripped myself of the garment of union;

    and how many have choked on water, though it was pure and sweet!

  20. أأحْمَدُ إنْ جلَّ الذي بي مِن الجَوى

    وأصبَحْتُ ما لي في هَواكَ نصيرُ

    O Ahmad, though the anguish within me has grown great,

    and I have come to have no champion in loving you,

  21. فلَسْتُ منَ اللّطْفِ الخَفيّ بيائِسٍ

    فكمْ منْ بُكاءٍ كانَ عنْهُ سُرورُ

    still I do not despair of hidden grace;

    for many a bout of weeping has given rise to joy.

  22. أتاني كتابٌ منْكَ لا بلْ حديقَةٌ

    تفيّأتُها والهَجْرُ منْكَ هَجيرُ

    A letter came to me from you—no, rather, a garden,

    in whose shade I sheltered, while your estrangement was noonday heat.

  23. وأرْسَلْتُ دمْعَ العينِ حينَ قرأتُها

    فمِنْها أمامي روْضَةٌ وغَديرُ

    And I let tears flow from my eyes when I read it,

    so from it lay before me a garden and a pool.

  24. تكلّفْتُ فيكَ الصّبْرَ والصّبْرُ مُعْوزٌ

    وهوّنْتُ فيكَ الخَطْبَ وهْوَ عسيرُ

    I forced myself to be patient for your sake, though patience was lacking;

    and I made light of the ordeal for your sake, though it was hard.

  25. ولُذْتُ الى الآمالِ وهْيَ سَفاهَةٌ

    ومِلْتُ الى الأطْماعِ وهْيَ غُرورُ

    And I sought refuge in hopes, though they were folly,

    and turned to desires, though they were delusion.

  26. سألْقي الى أيْدي الزّمانِ مَقادَتي

    فيَعْدِلُ في أحْكامِهِ ويَجورُ

    I shall cast my reins into the hands of Time,

    and it will be just in its judgments, and unjust.

  27. وإنّ الذي بالبُعْدِ أجْرى قضاءَهُ

    على جمْعِ شمْلي كيفَ شاءَ قَديرُ

    And He who carried out His decree through separation

    can bring my scattered life together however He wills.

  28. فتُدْرَكُ آمالٌ وتُقْضى مآرِبٌ

    لديّ وتُشْفى باللّقاءِ صُدورُ

    Thus hopes will be attained and wishes fulfilled

    for me, and breasts will be healed through reunion.