الله يعلم أنني ما خلتُه

الله يعلم أنني ما خلتُه

يصبو الى الهجرانِ حين وصَلْتُهُ

يصبو الى الهجرانِ حين وصَلْتُهُ

God knows I did not think he would

God knows I did not leave Him

yearn for estrangement when I joined him.

When affection turned to estrangement

لا ذَنبَ لي إلا هواهُ لأنني

لا ذَنبَ لي إلا هواهُ لأنني

لما دعاني للغرامِ أجبتُهُ

لما دعاني للغرامِ أجبتُهُ

I have no fault but love for him, for I

I am not to blame save loving Him

answered him when he called me to passion.

When He called me unto passion, I obeyed

أحبابَنا أنفقتُ عُمري عندَكُم

أحبابَنا أنفقتُ عُمري عندَكُم

ومتى أعوَّضُ بعضَ ما أنفقْتُه

ومتى أعوَّضُ بعضَ ما أنفقْتُه

Our beloveds, I have spent my life with you;

Our loved ones, my life I spent with you

and when shall I be repaid for some of what I spent?

When will I be repaid some I have spent?

ولمن أسيرُ الى سواكُم في الهوى

ولمن أسيرُ الى سواكُم في الهوى

والقلبُ في عرَصاتِكُم خلّفتُه

والقلبُ في عرَصاتِكُم خلّفتُه

And for whom should I journey to anyone but you in love,

To whom shall I wander in love but you

when I have left my heart in your courtyards?

While my heart in your meadows I left

أأرومُ بعدَكُم محبّاً صادقاً

أأرومُ بعدَكُم محبّاً صادقاً

هيهاتَ ضاقَ العمرُ عما رمتُهُ

هيهاتَ ضاقَ العمرُ عما رمتُهُ

Should I seek a true lover after you?

Shall I, after you, love true?

Far from it! Life is too short for what I sought.

Nay, too short is life for my hopes

وحياتِه قسَماً أعظِّم ذكرَهُ

وحياتِه قسَماً أعظِّم ذكرَهُ

وهو العليمُ بصِدْقِ ما قد قلتُهُ

وهو العليمُ بصِدْقِ ما قد قلتُهُ

And by his life—an oath whose mention I revere—

By his life the greatest of glories

and he knows full well the truth of what I have said:

He knows the truth of what I have said

إن لامَني لا لُمْتُه أو كادَني

إن لامَني لا لُمْتُه أو كادَني

لا كِدْتُه أو خانني لا خنتُه

لا كِدْتُه أو خانني لا خنتُه

If he blames me, I will not blame him; or if he plots against me,

If He blames me, I am not to blame

I will not plot against him; or if he betrays me, I will not betray him.

Nor if He tries me, I have not tried Him

ولأصبِرَنّ على تغيّرِ حالِه

ولأصبِرَنّ على تغيّرِ حالِه

صبرَ الكرامِ وإن تزايَدَ عَنتُه

صبرَ الكرامِ وإن تزايَدَ عَنتُه

And I shall surely endure his change of disposition

I will be patient with His changing tide

with the patience of the noble, even if his harshness grows,

With the patience of nobles, though great His disdain

حتى يُليّنَ لي قساوةَ قلبِه

حتى يُليّنَ لي قساوةَ قلبِه

ويُتمّ لي بالصّبرِ ما أمّلتُه

ويُتمّ لي بالصّبرِ ما أمّلتُه

until he softens his heart's hardness toward me

Till He softens the hardness of His heart

and, through patience, fulfills for me what I hoped for.

And patience brings me what I wish