ما كان أَغناكَ يا قَلبي عَن القَلَقِ

ما كان أَغناكَ يا قَلبي عَن القَلَقِ

وَعَن خفوقك يا مَظلوم وَالحرقِ

وَعَن خفوقك يا مَظلوم وَالحرقِ

How much better off you would have been, my heart, without anxiety,

My heart, your unease and throbbing could not console you,

and without your fluttering, O wronged one, and burning anguish!

Nor my eyes, from looking at what afflicted you with tears and insomnia.

ما كانَ أَغناكَ يا عَيني عَن النَظَرِ

ما كانَ أَغناكَ يا عَيني عَن النَظَرِ

عَما اِبتَلاكِ بِهَذا الدَمع وَالأَرَق

عَما اِبتَلاكِ بِهَذا الدَمع وَالأَرَق

How much better off you would have been, my eye, without gazing

Malik was ashamed when I said to him,

at what afflicted you with these tears and sleeplessness!

"Do you see my angry, embracing beloved?"

أَخجَلت مالك رَقي حينَ قُلت لَهُ

أَخجَلت مالك رَقي حينَ قُلت لَهُ

تَرى أَري هاجِري الغَضبان مُعتَنِقي

تَرى أَري هاجِري الغَضبان مُعتَنِقي

I made the master of my bondage blush when I said to him:

"My lord, I know my virtue,

“Do you think I shall see my angry forsaker embracing me?”

For chastity and protection are part of my manners."

وَسَيدي بي أَدرى ما حكت شيمي

وَسَيدي بي أَدرى ما حكت شيمي

إِن العَفاف وَإِن الصَون مِن خُلُقي

إِن العَفاف وَإِن الصَون مِن خُلُقي

And my master knows best what my character has revealed about me:

He blushed with shyness and his cheeks turned red,

indeed, chastity and modest reserve are part of my nature.

His sweat appeared like strung pearls,

فَراحَ يَندى حَياءً وَرَد وَجنَتِهِ

فَراحَ يَندى حَياءً وَرَد وَجنَتِهِ

وَأَطلعت عرقاً كَاللُؤلوءِ النَسق

وَأَطلعت عرقاً كَاللُؤلوءِ النَسق

Then the rose of his cheek grew moist with bashfulness,

And his veins reddened on his face out of shyness,

and brought forth sweat like pearls strung in a row.

So my tears flowed like pouring rain.

وَدَبَّ تَوريدها في وَجهِهِ خَجَلاً

وَدَبَّ تَوريدها في وَجهِهِ خَجَلاً

فَراحَ دَمعِيَ مثل العارض الغَدق

فَراحَ دَمعِيَ مثل العارض الغَدق

And its rosy blush crept across his face in embarrassment,

O you who saw the dawn break through the horizon,

then my tears became like a cloud pouring rain.

Not covered by the darkness of the temples,

يا مَن رَأى شَفَقاً يَبدو مِن الفَلَق

يا مَن رَأى شَفَقاً يَبدو مِن الفَلَق

وَلا يغطى مِن الأَصداغ بِالغَسَق

وَلا يغطى مِن الأَصداغ بِالغَسَق

O you who have seen a twilight glow emerge from dawn,

And who reproached me, but when he saw

and not be veiled by dusk from the temple-locks!

The stream of tears, he pitied me for fear of drowning.

وَعاذل كُلُ يَلحاني فَحينَ رَأَى

وَعاذل كُلُ يَلحاني فَحينَ رَأَى

فَيض الدُموع ارعوى مِن خِشية الغَرَق

فَيض الدُموع ارعوى مِن خِشية الغَرَق

And every reproacher blamed me; then, when he saw

Perhaps you, the enchanter of eyelids and pupils,

the flood of tears, he drew back for fear of drowning.

Will mourn me and catch my last breath.

عَساكَ يا ساحر الأَجفان وَالحدق

عَساكَ يا ساحر الأَجفان وَالحدق

تَرثي فَتُدرك مني آخر الرَمَق

تَرثي فَتُدرك مني آخر الرَمَق

May you, whose eyelids and pupils are bewitching,

I am a stranger, even if I spend the night in my homeland,

take pity and save the last remnant of life in me.

For my estrangement is like the isolation of a mole on the neck.

أَنا الغَريب وَلَو أَمسَيتُ في وَطَني

أَنا الغَريب وَلَو أَمسَيتُ في وَطَني

فَغُربَتي كَاِغتِراب الخال في العُنق

فَغُربَتي كَاِغتِراب الخال في العُنق

I am a stranger, even if I spend the evening in my homeland;

The doctor was confused by my illness, just as

for my estrangement is like a beauty spot's isolation upon the neck.

My eyes were confused between magic and pupils.

قَد حارَ في عِلَتي عَقل الطَبيب كَما

قَد حارَ في عِلَتي عَقل الطَبيب كَما

قَد حارَ طَرفيَ بَينَ السحر وَالحَدَق

قَد حارَ طَرفيَ بَينَ السحر وَالحَدَق

The physician's mind has been baffled by my ailment, just as

I fear pigeons, because if

my gaze has been bewildered between enchantment and the pupils.

Longing kills me, I won’t see you, and that I don’t fear separation.

أَخشى الحمام لِأَني لا أَراكِ إِذا

أَخشى الحمام لِأَني لا أَراكِ إِذا

أَماتَني الشَوق لا أَخشاهُ مِن فَرق

أَماتَني الشَوق لا أَخشاهُ مِن فَرق

I fear death because I shall not see you if

longing kills me; I do not fear it out of dread.