ما أقول أنا لبيه .. وما أقول سمّى

ما أقول أنا لبيه .. وما أقول سمّى

ياعيونه اللي ما صفت لي وتكدّرت

ياعيونه اللي ما صفت لي وتكدّرت

I won't say 'At your service,' nor will I say 'Name your wish.'

What shall I say, my father, and what shall I name

Oh, those eyes of his that never cleared for me, but grew clouded.

O eyes that did not describe to me and turned gloomy

يا صاحبي بكفيك مدحي وذمّي

يا صاحبي بكفيك مدحي وذمّي

كان الجفا تقصير يا زين قصرت

كان الجفا تقصير يا زين قصرت

My friend, my praise and blame lie in your hands.

O my companion with your palms my praise and blame

If estrangement is a failing, O beautiful one, you have fallen short.

If being aloof was remiss, you did good to distance

يا من نثر برماح الأهداب دمي

يا من نثر برماح الأهداب دمي

لو للجروح ضماد وصلٍ تصبّرت

لو للجروح ضماد وصلٍ تصبّرت

O you who scattered my blood with the spears of your lashes.

O you who strewed with eyelash arrows my blood

If these wounds had reunion for a bandage, I would endure patiently.

If wounds have a balm, you would have been patient

لا شك ما انته يا دعج العين يمّي

لا شك ما انته يا دعج العين يمّي

لا والذي اطغاك زين وَتكَبّرت

لا والذي اطغاك زين وَتكَبّرت

But you are not beside me, O dark-eyed one.

No doubt you are the pupil of the eye, my lord

No, by Him who made you overbearing with beauty—and you grew proud.

No, by Him who made you good and you grew arrogant

ظامي هوى وشربت من فيض همّي

ظامي هوى وشربت من فيض همّي

ويوم ارتوت روحي من الدمع صدرت

ويوم ارتوت روحي من الدمع صدرت

Thirsty for love, I drank from the overflow of my sorrow.

My dark night is passion and I drank from the abundance of my worries

And when my soul had drunk its fill of tears, I departed.

And the day my soul was sated from tears, I repelled