لا خلَّص اللَّهُ قَلبي من يَديكَ فكم

لا خلَّص اللَّهُ قَلبي من يَديكَ فكم

عذلته في الهَوى جَهدي فَما سَمِعا

عذلته في الهَوى جَهدي فَما سَمِعا

May God never spare my heart from your hands—for how often

May God never free my heart from your hands, for how often

I reproached it for loving, with all my might, yet it would not heed.

I have reproached it over love with all my might, yet it would not listen!

ما غرَّهُ منكَ إلا ما سُميتَ بِه

ما غرَّهُ منكَ إلا ما سُميتَ بِه

فحينَ خالفتَ ما تُسمى بهِ وَقَعا

فحينَ خالفتَ ما تُسمى بهِ وَقَعا

Nothing in you beguiled it except what you were named for;

Nothing about you beguiled it except the name you were given;

but when you belied the name you bear, it fell.

so when you belied that name, it fell.

لا زلتُ أسعَى به سَعيَ الوُشاةِ بِنا

لا زلتُ أسعَى به سَعيَ الوُشاةِ بِنا

لأنَّه بكرى عَيني إليكَ سَعى

لأنَّه بكرى عَيني إليكَ سَعى

May I never cease plotting against it as tale-bearers plot against us,

May I never cease to tell tales against it, as talebearers do against us,

because, against my will, it hastened toward you.

because it hastened to you with my eye’s slumber.

لا قلبَ إلا كَقَلبي ليسَ يأيسُ إن

لا قلبَ إلا كَقَلبي ليسَ يأيسُ إن

آيَستُه فَإذا أطمَعتُه طَمِعا

آيَستُه فَإذا أطمَعتُه طَمِعا

No heart is like mine: it does not despair, even when

There is no heart but one like mine: it does not despair if

I make it despair; but when I raise its hopes, it grows covetous.

I deprive it of hope; yet when I give it hope, it hopes.