وقفت أبكي وراحت وهي باكية – البهاء زهير

Poem Translation:

She came to bid adieu, with tearful grace,
As parting’s cruel whip began its chase.
She stepped in fear, in awe, with darting eyes—
A startled fawn from snares that swiftly flies.
She could not bear the gossips’ spiteful sting—
Alas, the spiteful tongues, their venomous ring!
I wept; she wept, and turned to go away,
Then paused, looked back, with sorrow in dismay.
O heart, how much of pain you’ve had to keep!
O time, you bring no peace, but wounds too deep.

Poem Explanation:

The poem portrays a moment of painful separation between lovers. The beloved arrives tearfully to say goodbye, visibly shaken and afraid—compared to a gazelle escaping a trap, a powerful image of vulnerability. She cannot endure the judgment of onlookers and gossips, whose interference has only brought sorrow. Both lovers cry, and as she walks away, she looks back again and again—a silent expression of lingering love. The poet ends with a lament about his heart and the cruelty of time, underscoring how deeply the pain has cut. It’s a deeply emotional poem blending private sorrow with poetic elegance.