ما لي عَلى الحُبِّ مِن ثَباتِ

ما لي عَلى الحُبِّ مِن ثَباتِ

إِن كانَ مَولايَ لا يُواتي

إِن كانَ مَولايَ لا يُواتي

I have no strength to endure love

I have no constancy in love,

I possess no steadfastness in love,

if my master will not favor me.

If my beloved does not visit me.

If my beloved grants no favor.

كَيفَ مُواتاتُ مَن عَلَيهِ

كَيفَ مُواتاتُ مَن عَلَيهِ

أَهوَنُ مِن ذَرَّةٍ حَياتي

أَهوَنُ مِن ذَرَّةٍ حَياتي

How could one favor me when, to him,

How can I reciprocate one for whom

How can there be accord with one

my life is worth less than a mote?

My life is less than a speck of dust?

To whom my life is lighter than a speck of dust?

إِن قُلتُ كُذِّبتُ أَو شَكَوتُ

إِن قُلتُ كُذِّبتُ أَو شَكَوتُ

هانَت عَلى نَفسِهِ شَكاتي

هانَت عَلى نَفسِهِ شَكاتي

If I speak, I am called a liar; or if I complain,

If I complain I am called a liar,

If I speak, I am called a liar; or if I complain,

my complaint means little to him.

Or if I complain my complaints are disdained.

My grievance counts for nothing in his soul.

يا عَبدَ أَصبَحتُ فَاِعلَميني

يا عَبدَ أَصبَحتُ فَاِعلَميني

غَيرَ حَريصٍ عَلى وَفاتي

غَيرَ حَريصٍ عَلى وَفاتي

O Abda, know that I have become

Oh servant I am done, so let me be,

O Abda, know that I have become

not eager for my death.

Unconcerned if we never meet again.

In no hurry to meet my death;

إِن قُلتِ مُت مِتُّ في مَكاني

إِن قُلتِ مُت مِتُّ في مَكاني

أَو قُلتِ عِش عِشتُ مِن مَماتي

أَو قُلتِ عِش عِشتُ مِن مَماتي

If you say, "Die," I die where I stand;

If you say, die in your place, I die,

If you say "Die," I die upon the spot,

or if you say, "Live," I live again from my death.

Or if you say, live on, I live on in my death.

Or say "Live," and I rise from my grave.

عاقَبتِني ظالِماً بِذَنبٍ

عاقَبتِني ظالِماً بِذَنبٍ

فَسُرَّ مَن سُرَّ مِن عُداتي

فَسُرَّ مَن سُرَّ مِن عُداتي

You punished me as a wrongdoer for a sin,

You have punished me unjustly for a sin,

You punished me unjustly for a sin,

so those among my enemies who rejoiced were gladdened.

So my enemies rejoice at my misfortune.

And so my enemies rejoiced in their glee.

إِنّي عَلى ما اِرتَكَبتِ مِنّي

إِنّي عَلى ما اِرتَكَبتِ مِنّي

أَدعو لَكِ اللَهَ في صَلاتي

أَدعو لَكِ اللَهَ في صَلاتي

Indeed I, despite what you have done to me,

For what I have inflicted upon myself

Yet I, despite the wrongs you wrought against me,

pray to God for you in my prayers.

I pray to God for you in my prayers.

Pray for you to God within my prayers.

وَيلي عَلى شادِنٍ سَباني

وَيلي عَلى شادِنٍ سَباني

أَحسَنُ مِن جُؤذَرِ الفَلاةِ

أَحسَنُ مِن جُؤذَرِ الفَلاةِ

Woe to me for a young gazelle who took me captive,

Woe to me for a companion who berated me!

Woe is me for a fawn that took me captive,

lovelier than an oryx calf of the wilderness.

Better than the barrenness of the desert,

More beautiful than the wild calf of the desert;

نِصفَينِ نِصفٌ نَقاً وَنِصفٌ

نِصفَينِ نِصفٌ نَقاً وَنِصفٌ

أَحلى اِستِواءً مِنَ القَناةِ

أَحلى اِستِواءً مِنَ القَناةِ

Two halves: one half a sand dune, and the other

Half sweet as honey and half

Split in two: one half a sand dune,

lovelier in its straightness than a spear-shaft.

As sweet as spring water.

And the other more perfectly poised than a spear.