يا مَلاكَ الماضي وَرَمزَ فُؤادي

يا مَلاكَ الماضي وَرَمزَ فُؤادي

كَيفَ أَمسَيتَ مُسكِناً لِلفَسادِ

كَيفَ أَمسَيتَ مُسكِناً لِلفَسادِ

O angel of the past and symbol of my heart,

O angel of the past and symbol of my heart

How have you become a dwelling for corruption?

How did you become a dwelling of corruption?

طالَما قَد بَحَثتُ عَن شَطر نَفسي

طالَما قَد بَحَثتُ عَن شَطر نَفسي

باكِياً فيكَ مُهجَتي وَوُدادي

باكِياً فيكَ مُهجَتي وَوُدادي

Long have I searched for half my soul,

I've long searched for the other half of myself

Lamenting in you my soul and my love.

Weeping in you, my passion and affection

أَنتَ تحيا أَوّاهُ أَيَّ حياةٍ

أَنتَ تحيا أَوّاهُ أَيَّ حياةٍ

لَم يَكُن ما نَظَرتُه بِاِعتِقادي

لَم يَكُن ما نَظَرتُه بِاِعتِقادي

You live—alas, what a life!

You live, alas, what a life it is

What I saw was not what I had believed.

It was not what I believed with conviction

سَكب الطهرُ في فُؤادِك نَفساً

سَكب الطهرُ في فُؤادِك نَفساً

لَيسَ حَتّى تَبيعَها بِالمَزادِ

لَيسَ حَتّى تَبيعَها بِالمَزادِ

Purity poured a soul into your heart,

Purity poured into your heart a soul

Not so that you might sell it at auction.

That would not even sell itself at auction

أَتُرى أَنتَ ذاكِرٌ يَوم كُنّا

أَتُرى أَنتَ ذاكِرٌ يَوم كُنّا

نَتَلَهّى بِنَغمَةِ الأَعوادِ

نَتَلَهّى بِنَغمَةِ الأَعوادِ

Do you remember, I wonder, the day when we

Do you remember when we

Amused ourselves with the melody of the lutes?

Were entertained by the melody of the lute?

وَنَشيد الغَديرِ في اللَيلِ شِعرٌ

وَنَشيد الغَديرِ في اللَيلِ شِعرٌ

مَزج الحُبُّ وحَيَه بِمدادي

مَزج الحُبُّ وحَيَه بِمدادي

And the brook's song in the night was poetry,

And the song of the feast at night was a poem

Whose inspiration love mingled with my ink.

Where love mixed its ink into my pen

عُد إِلى اللَهِ يا مُسَبِّبَ تَعسي

عُد إِلى اللَهِ يا مُسَبِّبَ تَعسي

لا تَخضِّب مُستَقبَلي بِالسَوادِ

لا تَخضِّب مُستَقبَلي بِالسَوادِ

Return to God, O cause of my misery;

Return to God, o cause of my misery

Do not stain my future with blackness.

Do not darken my future with blackness

رَبِّ ما كُنتُ حافِظاً غَيرَ رَسمٍ

رَبِّ ما كُنتُ حافِظاً غَيرَ رَسمٍ

لا تَكدّر أَلوانَه في فُؤادي

لا تَكدّر أَلوانَه في فُؤادي

My Lord, I had kept nothing but an image;

Lord, I was not a preserver except of a form

Do not cloud its colors in my heart.

Do not muddy its colors in my heart

عُد إِلى الحُبِّ لا تَظلَّ بَعيداً

عُد إِلى الحُبِّ لا تَظلَّ بَعيداً

كَيفَ يُهني لَكَ الحَياةَ بُعادي

كَيفَ يُهني لَكَ الحَياةَ بُعادي

Return to love; do not remain far away.

Return to love, do not remain far

How can my absence make life sweet for you?

How can life delight you without me?

وَإِن اِختَرتَ أَن تَعمَّدَ أَيضاً

وَإِن اِختَرتَ أَن تَعمَّدَ أَيضاً

فَدُموعي وَقفٌ لِهذا العِمادِ

فَدُموعي وَقفٌ لِهذا العِمادِ

And if you choose to be baptized as well,

And if you choose also

Then my tears are consecrated for this baptism.

My tears will stand for this pillar

آهِ لورانس كم رَأَيتك في حلم

آهِ لورانس كم رَأَيتك في حلم

ليالِيَّ مِثل زَهرِ الوادي

ليالِيَّ مِثل زَهرِ الوادي

Ah, Laurence, how often I saw you in the dream

Oh Lawrence, how often I saw you in a dream

Of my nights, like the valley's flowers,

Nights like the blossoms of the valley

قُربُك الزوج باسِماً بِهَناءٍ

قُربُك الزوج باسِماً بِهَناءٍ

وَحَواليك أَجمَلُ الأَولادِ

وَحَواليك أَجمَلُ الأَولادِ

Beside you, your husband, smiling in happiness,

Your closeness adorns me with bliss

And around you the loveliest children.

With the most beautiful children around you