أَيا مَن كُنتُ بِالبَصرَ

أَيا مَن كُنتُ بِالبَصرَ

ةِ أُصفي لَهُمُ الوُدّا

ةِ أُصفي لَهُمُ الوُدّا

O you to whom, while I was in Basra,

O you whom I once held dear in Basra

O you to whom, while I was in Basra,

I gave sincere affection,

To whom I showed only affection

I dedicated my purest affection,

وَمَن كانوا مَوالِيَّ

وَمَن كانوا مَوالِيَّ

وَمَن كُنتُ لَهُم عَبدا

وَمَن كُنتُ لَهُم عَبدا

and those who were my masters,

And those who were my intimates

And those who were once my masters,

and those to whom I was a slave,

And those to whom I was a servant

And to whom I was but a servant,

وَمَن قَد كُنتُ أَرعاهُ

وَمَن قَد كُنتُ أَرعاهُ

وَإِن مَلَّ وَإِن صَدّا

وَإِن مَلَّ وَإِن صَدّا

and the one I used to care for,

And those whose flocks I tended

And the one I used to tend with care,

even if he grew weary, even if he turned away:

Be they intimate or aloof

Even as he grew bored and turned away,

شَرِبنا ماءَ بَغدادَ

شَرِبنا ماءَ بَغدادَ

فَأَنساناكُم جِدّا

فَأَنساناكُم جِدّا

We drank the water of Baghdad,

We drank the waters of Baghdad

We have drunk the water of Baghdad,

so it made us forget you utterly.

And forgot you completely

And it made us forget you completely,

تَبَدَّلنا بِها حوراً

تَبَدَّلنا بِها حوراً

لِأَلحانِ الغِنا إِدّا

لِأَلحانِ الغِنا إِدّا

We replaced you there with fair, dark-eyed beauties,

We swapped you for maidens

We replaced you there with celestial maidens,

marvels in the melodies of song,

To the tunes of singing and merriment

Mighty in the melodies of song,

وَأَبهى مِنكُمُ شَكلاً

وَأَبهى مِنكُمُ شَكلاً

وَأَحلى مِنكُمُ قَدّا

وَأَحلى مِنكُمُ قَدّا

and more splendid than you in form,

More beautiful of form than you

More splendid than you in their beauty,

and sweeter than you in figure.

And sweeter of figure

And sweeter than you in their form,

فَلا تَرعوا لَنا عَهداً

فَلا تَرعوا لَنا عَهداً

فَما نَرعى لَكُم عَهدا

فَما نَرعى لَكُم عَهدا

So keep no pledge to us,

So do not expect loyalty from us

So do not keep any covenant for us,

for we keep no pledge to you.

As we expect no loyalty from you

For we keep no covenant for you,

وَلَمّا لَم يَكُن بُدٌّ

وَلَمّا لَم يَكُن بُدٌّ

وَجَدنا مِنكُمُ بُدّا

وَجَدنا مِنكُمُ بُدّا

And when there was no alternative,

And when there was no other choice

And when there was no avoiding the end,

we found an alternative to you.

We found replacements for you

We found our independence from you,

وَلا تَشكوا لَنا فَقدا

وَلا تَشكوا لَنا فَقدا

فَما نَشكو لَكُم فَقدا

فَما نَشكو لَكُم فَقدا

And do not complain to us of loss,

Do not complain to us of loss

And do not complain to us of absence,

for we do not complain to you of loss.

For we have no complaints of loss

For we complain of no absence to you,

كِلانا واجِدٌ في النا

كِلانا واجِدٌ في النا

سِ مِمَّن مَلَّهُ نِدّا

سِ مِمَّن مَلَّهُ نِدّا

Each of us finds among the people

Both of us have found among people

For both of us find among the people,

a match to replace whoever grew weary of him.

One to replace the lost intimacy

A peer for the one who grew weary,

قَطَعنا حَبلَكُم عَمدا

قَطَعنا حَبلَكُم عَمدا

كَما أَعرَضتُمُ صَدّا

كَما أَعرَضتُمُ صَدّا

We severed your cord deliberately,

We have cut your ties intentionally

We severed your rope with intent,

just as you turned away in rejection.

Just as you turned away indifferently

Just as you turned away in rejection,

قَطَعنا بَردَكُم بِالحَر

قَطَعنا بَردَكُم بِالحَر

رِ حَتّى قَطَعَ البَردا

رِ حَتّى قَطَعَ البَردا

We cut through your coldness with heat,

We have cut short your affection with separation

We cut through your coldness with heat,

until it dispelled the cold,

Until separation cut off affection

Until the cold was severed through,

كَما يَنهَزِمُ القُربُ

كَما يَنهَزِمُ القُربُ

إِذا ما عايَنَ البُعدا

إِذا ما عايَنَ البُعدا

just as nearness is routed

As a tribe retreats

Just as nearness is vanquished,

when it beholds distance.

When it sees the distance

When it looks upon the distance.