أَيقَنتُ حينَ نَتَفتَ أَن سَتُكابِرُ

أَيقَنتُ حينَ نَتَفتَ أَن سَتُكابِرُ

وَعَلِمتُ إِذ بادَلتَ أَن سَتُؤاجِرُ

وَعَلِمتُ إِذ بادَلتَ أَن سَتُؤاجِرُ

I knew for certain, when you plucked, that you would persist in denial;

When you turned away, I knew you'd act aloof

and I knew, when you bartered, that you would hire yourself out.

When you changed, I knew you'd start to keep your distance

أَمّا النَهارُ فَأَنتَ فيهِ كاتِبٌ

أَمّا النَهارُ فَأَنتَ فيهِ كاتِبٌ

وَاللَيلُ أَجمَعُ أَنتَ فيهِ تاجِرُ

وَاللَيلُ أَجمَعُ أَنتَ فيهِ تاجِرُ

As for the day, you are a scribe;

By day you're a writer

and all night long, you are a merchant.

By night, all together, you're a merchant

إِن كُنتَ تَطمَعُ أَنَّ قَلبي هائِمٌ

إِن كُنتَ تَطمَعُ أَنَّ قَلبي هائِمٌ

بِكَ أَو تُؤَمِّلُ أَنَّني لَكَ ذاكِرُ

بِكَ أَو تُؤَمِّلُ أَنَّني لَكَ ذاكِرُ

If you hope that my heart is infatuated

If you hope that my heart is captivated by you

with you, or expect that I remember you,

Or expect that I'll keep remembering you

فَأَنا الَّذي يُعطى اِستَهُ مِن حاجَةٍ

فَأَنا الَّذي يُعطى اِستَهُ مِن حاجَةٍ

وَأَبوكَ قَوّادي وَأَنتَ الشاعِرُ

وَأَبوكَ قَوّادي وَأَنتَ الشاعِرُ

then I am the one whose arse is offered out of need,

Then I'm the one who gives whatever he wants when he needs

and your father is my pimp, and you are the poet.

While your father's my pimp and you're the poet