فَوا عَقلاهُ قَد ذَهَبا

فَوا عَقلاهُ قَد ذَهَبا

وَوا جِسماهُ قَد عُطِبا

وَوا جِسماهُ قَد عُطِبا

So alas for my reason—it has gone!

Alas for my mind, it has departed,

And alas for my body—it is ruined!

And alas for my body, it has perished.

أَحَقُّ الصارِخينَ أَنا

أَحَقُّ الصارِخينَ أَنا

بِواحَربا وَواسَلَبا

بِواحَربا وَواسَلَبا

Of all who cry out, I have most cause

I am the most deserving of those who cry out,

to cry, 'Alas, I am ruined! Alas, I am robbed!'

Wailing, "Oh, my ruin!" and "Oh, my loss!"

أَميرٌ لي رَأَيتُ لَهُ

أَميرٌ لي رَأَيتُ لَهُ

بِفيهِ حَلاوَةً عَجَبا

بِفيهِ حَلاوَةً عَجَبا

I have a prince; I have found in him

I have a prince in whom I have observed

a wondrous sweetness in his mouth.

A wondrous sweetness in his mouth,

كَأَنَّ عَدُوَّهُ نَعَمَ

كَأَنَّ عَدُوَّهُ نَعَمَ

فَإِن هُوَ قالَها قَطَبا

فَإِن هُوَ قالَها قَطَبا

As though 'yes' were his enemy:

As though his enemy were the word "Yes,"

for if he says it, he frowns.

For were he to speak it, he would scowl.

وَلَيسَ بِمانِعي هَذا

وَلَيسَ بِمانِعي هَذا

كَ مِن إِدمانِيَ الطَلَبا

كَ مِن إِدمانِيَ الطَلَبا

And that does not prevent me

Yet this does not prevent me

from persistently asking.

From my addiction to the pursuit.

إِذا ما مَرَّ مُلتَفِتاً

إِذا ما مَرَّ مُلتَفِتاً

رَآني خَلفَهُ ذَنَبا

رَآني خَلفَهُ ذَنَبا

Whenever he passes, looking back,

Whenever he passes by and turns to look,

he sees me behind him—a tail.

He sees me trailing him like a tail.

بِجِسمي سَوفَ أَتبَعُهُ

بِجِسمي سَوفَ أَتبَعُهُ

وَقَلبي حَيثُما ذَهَبا

وَقَلبي حَيثُما ذَهَبا

I shall follow him with my body

With my body, I shall follow him,

and my heart, wherever he goes.

And my heart follows wherever he goes.