جاءَ الرَسولُ بِبُشرى منك تطمعني

جاءَ الرَسولُ بِبُشرى منك تطمعني

فَكانَ أَكبَرُ وَهمي إِنَّهُ وَهما

فَكانَ أَكبَرُ وَهمي إِنَّهُ وَهما

The messenger came with glad tidings from you, raising my hopes.

The messenger came with glad tidings from you, raising my hopes.

The messenger brought me good tidings from you that I yearn for

Yet my strongest supposition was that it was an illusion.

So my strongest suspicion was that he had been mistaken.

Yet my greatest worry was that it was merely a delusion

فَما فرِحتُ وَلَكن زادَني حَزَناً

فَما فرِحتُ وَلَكن زادَني حَزَناً

عِلمي بأنَّ رَسولي لَم يَكُن فَهِما

عِلمي بأنَّ رَسولي لَم يَكُن فَهِما

So I did not rejoice; instead, it deepened my sorrow—

So I did not rejoice; rather, my sorrow grew

I was not happy, but it only increased my sorrow

knowing that my messenger had failed to understand.

From knowing that my messenger lacked understanding.

For I knew my messenger did not understand

كَم مِن سَريرة حُبّ قَد خَلوت بِها

كَم مِن سَريرة حُبّ قَد خَلوت بِها

وَدمعَةٍ تَملأ القِرطاس والقَلَما

وَدمعَةٍ تَملأ القِرطاس والقَلَما

How many a secret of love I have kept to myself,

How many a secret of love I have been alone with,

How many intimate moments of love I have had

and how many a tear has filled the parchment and the pen.

And how many a tear that fills the paper and the pen!

And tears that could fill parchment and pen