عَتَبَ الحَبيبُ وَلَم أَجِد

عَتَبَ الحَبيبُ وَلَم أَجِد

سَبَباً لِذاكَ العَتبِ حادِث

سَبَباً لِذاكَ العَتبِ حادِث

My beloved reproached me, and I found no

The beloved reproached though I found no reason for that reproof happening

new cause for that reproach.

And today makes two days I did not see him and this is the third

وَاليَومَ لي يَومانِ لَم

وَاليَومَ لي يَومانِ لَم

أَرَهُ وَهَذا اليَومُ ثالِث

أَرَهُ وَهَذا اليَومُ ثالِث

And for two days now I have not

So I wondered how his gentle manners changed

seen him, and today is the third.

I did not expect he would be one whom events make change

فَعَجِبتُ كَيفَ تَغَيَّرَت

فَعَجِبتُ كَيفَ تَغَيَّرَت

مِنهُ خَلائِقُهُ الدَمائِث

مِنهُ خَلائِقُهُ الدَمائِث

So I was amazed at how they had changed—

And I find pleasure in the reproof which the sincerity of love incites

his gentle ways.

The reproof of a beloved is sweeter than the melody of lutes and harpsichords

ما كُنتُ أَحسَبُ أَنَّهُ

ما كُنتُ أَحسَبُ أَنَّهُ

مِمَّن تُغَيّرُهُ الحَوادِث

مِمَّن تُغَيّرُهُ الحَوادِث

I had not thought that he

My master, you were frivolous from the inebriation of intimacy

was one whom events could change.

And the drunkard is frivolous

وَيَلَذُّ لِيَ العَتبُ الَّذي

وَيَلَذُّ لِيَ العَتبُ الَّذي

صِدقُ الوَدادِ عَلَيهِ باعِث

صِدقُ الوَدادِ عَلَيهِ باعِث

And sweet to me is the reproach that

You broke a pact of love that I did not expect you would break

sincere affection prompts.

You have an issue I’m sure, about which I’m questioning and searching

عَتبُ الحَبيبِ أَلَذُّ مِن

عَتبُ الحَبيبِ أَلَذُّ مِن

نَغَمِ المثاني وَالمَثالِث

نَغَمِ المثاني وَالمَثالِث

The beloved's reproach is sweeter than

the melodies of the second and third strings.

مَولايَ مِن سُكرِ الدَلا

مَولايَ مِن سُكرِ الدَلا

لِ عَبِثتَ وَالسَكرانُ عابِث

لِ عَبِثتَ وَالسَكرانُ عابِث

My lord, drunk on coquetry,

you trifled—and a drunkard is a trifler.

وَنَكَثتَ عَهداً في الهَوى

وَنَكَثتَ عَهداً في الهَوى

ما خِلتُ أَنَّكَ فيهِ ناكِث

ما خِلتُ أَنَّكَ فيهِ ناكِث

And you broke a pledge of love

that I had not thought you would break.

لَكَ لا أَشُكُّ قَضِيَّةٌ

لَكَ لا أَشُكُّ قَضِيَّةٌ

أَنا سائِلٌ عَنها وَباحِث

أَنا سائِلٌ عَنها وَباحِث

You have some matter of your own, I do not doubt;

I am asking about it and looking into it.