أَلا تَعجَبونَ كَما أَعجَبُ

أَلا تَعجَبونَ كَما أَعجَبُ

حَبيبي يُسيءُ وَلا يُعتِبُ

حَبيبي يُسيءُ وَلا يُعتِبُ

Will you not marvel as I marvel?

How strange that you're astonished as I'm astonished

My beloved wrongs me and makes no amends.

My beloved does wrong and is not blamed

وَأَبغي رِضاهُ عَلى جَورِهِ

وَأَبغي رِضاهُ عَلى جَورِهِ

فَيَأبى عَلَيَّ وَيَستَصعِبُ

فَيَأبى عَلَيَّ وَيَستَصعِبُ

And I seek his favor despite his injustice,

And I want his approval despite his tyranny

but he refuses me and remains unyielding.

But he refuses me and is unmoved

عَتَبتَ فَدَيتُكَ يا مُذنِبُ

عَتَبتَ فَدَيتُكَ يا مُذنِبُ

فَجِئتُكَ أَبكي وَأَستَعتِبُ

فَجِئتُكَ أَبكي وَأَستَعتِبُ

You reproached me—may I be your ransom, O guilty one—

You blamed me, and I ransomed you, O sinner

so I came to you weeping and seeking forgiveness.

So I came to you weeping and pleading forgiveness

تَحَمَّلتُ عَنكَ وَفيكَ الذُنو

تَحَمَّلتُ عَنكَ وَفيكَ الذُنو

بَ وَأَيقَنتُ أَنّي أَنا المُذنِبُ

بَ وَأَيقَنتُ أَنّي أَنا المُذنِبُ

I bore the sins in your stead, though they were yours,

I took on myself your sins and faults

and became certain that I myself was the guilty one.

And knew that it was I who was the sinner

أَذَلفاءُ إِن كانَ يُرضيكُمُ

أَذَلفاءُ إِن كانَ يُرضيكُمُ

عَذابي فَدونَكُمُ عَذِّبوا

عَذابي فَدونَكُمُ عَذِّبوا

O Dhalfāʾ, if what pleases you

O tormentors, if my torment pleases you

is my torment, then go ahead—torment me!

Then torment me, it's up to you

أَلا رُبَّ طالِبَةٍ وَصلَنا

أَلا رُبَّ طالِبَةٍ وَصلَنا

أَبَينا عَلَيها الَّذي تَطلُبُ

أَبَينا عَلَيها الَّذي تَطلُبُ

Ah, many a woman seeking union with us—

Oh, many are those seeking connection, but

we denied her what she sought.

We refused them what they sought

أَرَدنا رِضاكُم بِإِسخاطِها

أَرَدنا رِضاكُم بِإِسخاطِها

وَبُخلُكَ مِن جودِها أَطيَبُ

وَبُخلُكَ مِن جودِها أَطيَبُ

We sought your favor by angering her,

We wanted your approval by displeasing them

and your stinginess is sweeter than her generosity.

And your frugality from their generosity is sweeter