قالوا غدا العيد ماذا أنت لابسه

فقلت قد حاكت الأسقام لي بدنا

They said, “Tomorrow is Eid—what will you wear?”

So I said, “Illnesses have woven me a tunic.”

وهل يسر بعيد من أحبته

عنه نأوا وبهم حادي السرى ظعنا

And can one rejoice at Eid when his loved ones

Have gone far from him, and the night caravan's driver has departed with them?

ودارهم منهم قد اقفرت وخلت

ولم اجد بعدهم ربعا ولا سكنا

And their dwelling has become desolate and empty of them,

And after them I found neither a home nor solace.

وخلفوني وقد سارت حمولهم

طليق دمع اسير القلب مرتهنا

They left me behind as their laden camels journeyed on,

My tears unfettered, my heart a captive held in pledge.

وقد رموا جمرات الشوق في كبدي

لما تولوا ومنهم ما بلغت مني

And they cast the live coals of longing into my liver

When they turned away, with none of my wishes fulfilled through them.

كأنما لهم الاجداث قد شغلت

عنا وانستهم الاهلين والوطنا

As though the graves had distracted them

From us, and made them forget their kin and homeland.

وبعد تلك الربوع المشرقات بهم

تبدلوا غيرها واستوطنوا الدمنا

And after those dwellings that shone with their presence,

They exchanged them for others and made the ruins their home.

ترى يجود زماني بالرجوع وهل

بالشمل يسمح لي الدهر المشت بنا

Will my time bestow a return, I wonder—and will

Time, which scattered us, grant me reunion?

هيهات هيهات ما بعد الفراق لنا

حتى اللقاء يعود الحي يجمعنا

Far, far from it! After parting, we shall not have

Even a meeting where the encampment gathers us again.

يا طائرا بات يبكي الفه شجنا

قد هيج اليوم عندي نوحك الشجنا

O bird that spent the night weeping for its mate in sorrow,

Today your lament has stirred sorrow within me.

تبكي على غصن ابكي عليه لقد

اشبهتني فكلانا يندب الغصنا

You weep on a branch; I weep for it. Indeed,

You resemble me, for we both lament the branch.

لكن ما بك ما بي يا حمام فخذ

في النوح اولا تعلم مني الحزنا

But you do not bear what I bear, O dove; so begin

To lament; first learn sorrow from me.

هل من لطرفي يعير النوم لي سنة

فان لي مقلة لا تعرف الوسنا

Is there anyone to lend my eye sleep for a year?

For I have an eye that knows no drowsiness.

ما لي ومال زمان في تكدره

اصفو له وهو يسعى في تفرقنا

What is it with me and time in its clouded state?

I remain clear-hearted toward it, while it strives to part us.