عَلَيَّ أَلِيَّةٌ وَعَلَيَّ نَذرٌ

عَلَيَّ أَلِيَّةٌ وَعَلَيَّ نَذرٌ

أَمَسُّكِ طائِعاً إِلّا بِعودِ

أَمَسُّكِ طائِعاً إِلّا بِعودِ

I am bound by an oath, and bound by a vow:

I am bound by oath and vow

I will touch you willingly only with a stick.

To clasp your hand submissively, or not at all.

أَتَيتُكَ زائِراً فَوَضَمتِ كَفّي

أَتَيتُكَ زائِراً فَوَضَمتِ كَفّي

عَلى أَيرٍ أَشَدَّ مِنَ الحَديدِ

عَلى أَيرٍ أَشَدَّ مِنَ الحَديدِ

I came to visit you, and you laid my palm

I came to you a visitor; then you pressed

On a cock harder than iron.

My hand as if it were harder than iron.

فَخَيرٌ مِنكِ مَن لا خَيرَ فيهِ

فَخَيرٌ مِنكِ مَن لا خَيرَ فيهِ

وَخَيرٌ مِن زِيارَتِكُم قُعودي

وَخَيرٌ مِن زِيارَتِكُم قُعودي

So one with no good in him is better than you,

Better than you is one in whom no good resides,

And my staying put is better than visiting you.

And better than visiting you is my sitting far from you.