حَبيبي ظَلومٌ عَلَيَّ ضَنينُ

حَبيبي ظَلومٌ عَلَيَّ ضَنينُ

بِرَبّي عَلى ظُلمِهِ أَستَعينُ

بِرَبّي عَلى ظُلمِهِ أَستَعينُ

My beloved is cruel to me and grudging.

My beloved is unjustly harsh towards me,

My beloved is a tyrant, stingy with his grace,

I seek my Lord's help against his cruelty.

By my Lord, against his injustice I seek aid,

I seek the help of my Lord against his cruelty.

يَعِزُّ عَلَيَّ وَلَكِنَّني

يَعِزُّ عَلَيَّ وَلَكِنَّني

بِحَمدِ إِلَهي عَلَيهِ أَهونُ

بِحَمدِ إِلَهي عَلَيهِ أَهونُ

He is dear to me, and yet I,

It is hard on me yet I,

He is precious to me, yet I remain,

praise be to my God, mean little to him.

With the praise of my God, find him easy.

By the praise of God, of little worth to him.

فَيا لَيتَ شِعري أَمِن صَخرَةٍ

فَيا لَيتَ شِعري أَمِن صَخرَةٍ

فُؤادُكَ هَذا الَّذي لا يَلينُ

فُؤادُكَ هَذا الَّذي لا يَلينُ

Oh, if only I knew: is it made of rock,

If only I knew, was your heart made,

Oh, how I wish I knew: was it hewn from rock,

this heart of yours that will not soften?

Of rock that cannot bend or soften?

This heart of yours that never softens?

يَقولُ إِذا ما اِشتَكَيتُ الهَوى

يَقولُ إِذا ما اِشتَكَيتُ الهَوى

كَما يَشتَكي البائِسُ المُستَكينُ

كَما يَشتَكي البائِسُ المُستَكينُ

He says, whenever I complain of love,

You say when I complain of passion’s pain,

He says, whenever I complain of my passion,

as a wretched, submissive man complains:

Like the wretched destitute complains.

Lamenting like a wretched, humbled soul:

أَفي النَومِ أَبصَرتَ ذا كُلَّهُ

أَفي النَومِ أَبصَرتَ ذا كُلَّهُ

فَخَيراً رَأَيتَ وَخَيراً يَكونُ

فَخَيراً رَأَيتَ وَخَيراً يَكونُ

"Was it in sleep that you saw all this?

Did you see this in a dream by any chance?

"Did you perceive all of this in your sleep?

Then may what you saw be good, and may good come to pass."

If so then good you saw and good shall come.

Then good is what you saw, and good it shall be."