جَعلتكَ بالسويدا من فؤادي

جَعلتكَ بالسويدا من فؤادي

ومن حدقي فَدَيتُكَ بالسوادِ

ومن حدقي فَدَيتُكَ بالسوادِ

I placed you in the innermost core of my heart,

I made you the apple of my eye

And ransomed you with the black of my pupils.

And ransomed you with the blackness of my eyes

هوَيتكَ واِصطفيتكَ دون رهطي

هوَيتكَ واِصطفيتكَ دون رهطي

وأولادي فكنت من الأعادي

وأولادي فكنت من الأعادي

I loved you and chose you above my kin,

I became enamored with you and chose you over my peers

And my children, yet you became one of my enemies.

And children, so I was hostile towards them

جهلت أبوَّتي وجحدت حقّي

جهلت أبوَّتي وجحدت حقّي

وقابلتَ المودَّة بالعنادِ

وقابلتَ المودَّة بالعنادِ

You disregarded my fatherhood and denied my due,

I was ignorant of my fatherhood and denied my rights

And met affection with defiance.

And you met affection with stubbornness

أتنسي حسنَ تربيتي ولطفي

أتنسي حسنَ تربيتي ولطفي

وما سيقت إليكَ من الأيادي

وما سيقت إليكَ من الأيادي

Do you forget how well I raised you, and my kindness,

Do you forget my good upbringing and kindness

And the favors that were bestowed upon you?

And all the favors I bestowed upon you

رجوتكَ كالعصا لأوان شيبي

رجوتكَ كالعصا لأوان شيبي

ومُعتمدي إِذا مالَت عمادي

ومُعتمدي إِذا مالَت عمادي

I hoped you would be like a staff when my hair turned gray,

I hoped in you as a staff for my old age

And my support when my pillars lean.

And mainstay if my pillars gave way

وإن كَسرت يدُ الحدثان عظمي

وإن كَسرت يدُ الحدثان عظمي

ترى منهُ بِمنزلةِ الضمادِ

ترى منهُ بِمنزلةِ الضمادِ

And if the hand of misfortune breaks my bones,

And if the hands of youth break my bones

You would be seen as a bandage for them.

You would be to me like a bandage

ولستُ إخال فيكَ يخيبُ ظنّي

ولستُ إخال فيكَ يخيبُ ظنّي

وَيُخطي سهمُ حَدسي واِجتهادي

وَيُخطي سهمُ حَدسي واِجتهادي

And I do not think my hope in you will fail,

And I had not lost hope in you disappointing me

Or that the arrow of my intuition and considered judgment will miss its mark.

And missing my guess and deduction

عساكَ عليَّ تعطفُ يا حبيبي

عساكَ عليَّ تعطفُ يا حبيبي

وتهجرُ ما تروم من البعادِ

وتهجرُ ما تروم من البعادِ

May you turn kindly toward me, O my beloved,

May you show me affection, O my beloved

And abandon the separation you seek.

And abandon your intention to be distant