أكثَرتَ عذلكَ لوْ وجدْتَ مُطيعَا

أكثَرتَ عذلكَ لوْ وجدْتَ مُطيعَا

ونصحْتَ جهدَكَ لَو وجدتَ سَميعا

ونصحْتَ جهدَكَ لَو وجدتَ سَميعا

You have lavished your reproaches—if only you had found someone obedient!

You blame me more, had you found me obedient,

And offered counsel with all your might—if only you had found someone who would listen!

And you advise me, had you found me listening,

هَيّجتَ في قلبي الجريحِ بَلاَ بِلاً

هَيّجتَ في قلبي الجريحِ بَلاَ بِلاً

وأَفَضْتَ من جفني القريح دموعا

وأَفَضْتَ من جفني القريح دموعا

You stirred turmoil in my wounded heart,

You provoke wounds in my broken heart without cause,

And made tears stream from my sore eyelid.

And you make tears flow from my eyelids.

وقرعتَ منِّي بالملامة مسمعاً

وقرعتَ منِّي بالملامة مسمعاً

لا يسمع التأنيبَ والتقريعا

لا يسمع التأنيبَ والتقريعا

And hammered at my ear with reproach,

You knock on me with reproach, on unhearing ears,

An ear that hears neither rebuke nor scolding.

That do not hear rebuke and reprimand.

قُلْ لِلّذي هجر المنازل والرُّبى

قُلْ لِلّذي هجر المنازل والرُّبى

واختطّ أفئدةً لنا وضلوعا

واختطّ أفئدةً لنا وضلوعا

Say to the one who forsook the dwellings and hills,

Say to the one who deserted homes and meadows,

And marked out our hearts and ribs as his abode:

And intended hearts for us and ribs.

أدَرَى العواذلُ أنّني بملامِهم

أدَرَى العواذلُ أنّني بملامِهم

أزداد فيكَ صبابةً وولُوعا

أزداد فيكَ صبابةً وولُوعا

Do the reproachers know that, through their blame,

The censurers know that by reproaching me,

I grow in longing and ardor for you?

I only increase in love and yearning for you.

دعهم فلو نظروك أوَّل نظرةٍ

دعهم فلو نظروك أوَّل نظرةٍ

كُنا اشتركنا في هواك جميعا

كُنا اشتركنا في هواك جميعا

Leave them be—for had they cast their first glance at you,

Leave them be, for if they saw you once,

We would all have shared in loving you.

We would have all shared love for you.