أَوزارُ حَربي أَلسُنُ العُذّالِ

أَوزارُ حَربي أَلسُنُ العُذّالِ

وَالقَطعُ عِندَ تَقاطُعِ الأَقوالِ

وَالقَطعُ عِندَ تَقاطُعِ الأَقوالِ

The weapons of my war are the reproachers’ tongues;

My weapons of war are the tongues of the slanderers,

And cutting comes when words clash.

And my cutting remarks at the clash of arguments.

فَإِذا جَرى دَمعي فَذَلِكَ مِن دَمي

فَإِذا جَرى دَمعي فَذَلِكَ مِن دَمي

ماءٌ جَرى مِنّي لَكُم وَجَرى لي

ماءٌ جَرى مِنّي لَكُم وَجَرى لي

So when my tears flow, that is from my blood:

So when my tears flow, that is my blood,

Water that flowed from me for you, and flowed for me.

Water that ran from me for you and ran for me.

وَبي العُيونُ وَإِنَّها لَصَوارِمُ

وَبي العُيونُ وَإِنَّها لَصَوارِمُ

وِبِيَ القُدودُ وَإِنَّها لَعَوالِ

وِبِيَ القُدودُ وَإِنَّها لَعَوالِ

And I am smitten by eyes, and they are indeed keen swords;

In me are sharp eyes, and they are unsheathed swords,

And I am smitten by figures, and they are indeed long spears.

In me are firm principles, and they are high goals.

فَمَتى أَقولُ بِسَلمِ مِن أَهوى وَما اِس

فَمَتى أَقولُ بِسَلمِ مِن أَهوى وَما اِس

تحسَنتُ مِنهُ آلَةً لِقِتالي

تحسَنتُ مِنهُ آلَةً لِقِتالي

So when can I speak of peace with the one I love, when what I have

So when can I say peace to what I passionately love,

Admired in him is a weapon for fighting me?

When have I perfected from it a tool for my struggle?