فَدَتكَ نَفسي يا أَبا جَعفَرِ

فَدَتكَ نَفسي يا أَبا جَعفَرِ

جارِيَةٌ كَالقَمَرِ الأَزهَرِ

جارِيَةٌ كَالقَمَرِ الأَزهَرِ

May my soul be your ransom, O Abu Ja'far!

My soul is ransomed for you, O Abu Ja'far

May my soul be your ransom, O Abu Ja'far,

A girl like the radiant moon

A maiden like the brightest moon

For the sake of a maiden fair as the blooming moon.

تَعَلَّقَتني وَتَعَلَّقتُها

تَعَلَّقَتني وَتَعَلَّقتُها

طِفلَينِ في المَهدِ إِلى المَحشَرِ

طِفلَينِ في المَهدِ إِلى المَحشَرِ

Loved me, and I loved her,

She clung to me and I clung to her

She clung to me, and I to her,

From our infancy in the cradle until the Last Gathering.

Two infants in the cradle until the Day of Resurrection

Two children from the cradle until the Resurrection.

كُنتُ وَكانَت نَتَهادى الهَوى

كُنتُ وَكانَت نَتَهادى الهَوى

بِخاتَمَينا غَيرَ مُستَنكَرِ

بِخاتَمَينا غَيرَ مُستَنكَرِ

She and I used to exchange love,

I was, and she was, exchanging love

She and I would exchange tokens of our passion

With our two rings, without reproach.

With our two rings, without shame

Through our rings, openly and without shame.

حَبَستَ لي الخاتَمَ مِنّي وَقَد

حَبَستَ لي الخاتَمَ مِنّي وَقَد

سَلَبتَني إِيّاهُ مُذ أَشهُرِ

سَلَبتَني إِيّاهُ مُذ أَشهُرِ

You have withheld my ring from me, and

You withheld from me my ring, and

But you detained my ring from me, and indeed,

Have deprived me of it for months.

You took it from me months ago

You snatched it away some months ago.

فَأَرسَلَت فيهِ فَغالَطتُها

فَأَرسَلَت فيهِ فَغالَطتُها

بِخاتَمٍ مِن فِضَّةٍ أَخضَرِ

بِخاتَمٍ مِن فِضَّةٍ أَخضَرِ

So she sent word about it, and I misled her

So she sent her ring, and I deceived her

When she sent word regarding it, I tried to mislead her

With a green silver ring.

With a ring of green silver

With a silver ring set with a green stone.

قالَت لَقَد كانَ لَنا خاتَمٌ

قالَت لَقَد كانَ لَنا خاتَمٌ

أَحمَرُ يُهديهِ إِلَينا سَري

أَحمَرُ يُهديهِ إِلَينا سَري

She said, "We had a ring,

She said we had a red ring

She said, "Surely we possessed a ring,"

A red one, which a nobleman would give us.

That would bring us together in secret

"A red one, which my noble lover gifted us."

لَكِنَّهُ عُلِّقَ غَيري فَقَد

لَكِنَّهُ عُلِّقَ غَيري فَقَد

أَهدى لَها الخاتَمُ لا أَمتَري

أَهدى لَها الخاتَمُ لا أَمتَري

But he has fallen for another woman, and has

But he has given it to someone else

"But he has become attached to another,"

Given her the ring—I have no doubt.

So he gave her the ring, I have no doubt

"And gifted her the ring; of this I have no doubt."

كَفَرتُ بِاللَهِ وَآياتِهِ

كَفَرتُ بِاللَهِ وَآياتِهِ

إِن أَنا لَم أَهجُرهُ فَليُبصِرِ

إِن أَنا لَم أَهجُرهُ فَليُبصِرِ

May I disbelieve in God and His signs

I disbelieve in God and His signs

"I renounce God and His holy verses,"

If I do not forsake him—let him beware—

If I do not leave him, let him see

"If I do not abandon him—so let him see!"

أَو باتَ بِالمَخرَجِ مِن تُهمَتي

أَو باتَ بِالمَخرَجِ مِن تُهمَتي

إِيّاهُ في خاتَمِهِ الأَحمَرِ

إِيّاهُ في خاتَمِهِ الأَحمَرِ

Or if he spends the night free of my suspicion

Or spend the night finding a way out

"Unless he finds a way to clear himself"

Of him concerning his red ring."

Of my accusation, with his red ring

"Of the charge concerning his red ring."

فَاِردُدهُ تَردُد وَصلَها إِنَّها

فَاِردُدهُ تَردُد وَصلَها إِنَّها

قُرَّةُ عَيني يا أَبا جَعفَرِ

قُرَّةُ عَيني يا أَبا جَعفَرِ

So return it, and you will restore her love; she is

Return it, return her affection, she is

So return it, and you will restore her love, for she is

The delight of my eye, O Abu Ja'far.

The delight of my eye, O Abu Ja'far

The delight of my eye, O Abu Ja'far.

فَإِنَّني مُتَّهَمٌ عِندَها

فَإِنَّني مُتَّهَمٌ عِندَها

وَأَنتَ تَعلَمُ أَنّي بَري

وَأَنتَ تَعلَمُ أَنّي بَري

For I stand accused in her eyes,

For I am accused by her

For truly I stand accused in her eyes,

And you know that I am innocent.

And you know I am innocent

While you know well that I am innocent.