تذكر عهد ماضيه فحن

تذكر عهد ماضيه فحن

فؤاد فيك مفتون معنى

فؤاد فيك مفتون معنى

It recalled the days of its past and yearned—

Remember a past covenant so we

a heart enamored of you, tormented.

A heart in you is infatuated with meaning

يحن لذكريات غاليات

يحن لذكريات غاليات

ولولا ذكرياتك ما تغنى

ولولا ذكرياتك ما تغنى

It yearns for cherished memories,

Yearning for precious memories

and without memories of you, it would not sing.

And were it not for your memories I wouldn't have sung

متى صفو الزمان يعود يوم

متى صفو الزمان يعود يوم

فيخبركم بصدق الود عنا

فيخبركم بصدق الود عنا

When, one day, will time's serenity return

When will the days of purity return a day

and tell you of our sincere affection,

To inform you with the sincerity of affection from us

وكيف أساءت الأيام فين

وكيف أساءت الأيام فين

وكيف تشفت الحساد منا

وكيف تشفت الحساد منا

and how the days mistreated us,

And how the days did evil separating us

and how the envious gloated over us,

And how the envious healed from us

وكيف تركت خلك في عناء

وكيف تركت خلك في عناء

وباشرت السعادة مطمئنا

وباشرت السعادة مطمئنا

and how you left your beloved in anguish,

And how you left your people in misery

and enjoyed happiness, at ease?

And sought out happiness reassured

ألم تشعر بمن وفى وضحى

ألم تشعر بمن وفى وضحى

ألم يخطر ببالك كيف كنا

ألم يخطر ببالك كيف كنا

Did you not feel for the one who was faithful and sacrificed?

Didn't you feel who was loyal and made sacrifices

Did it not cross your mind how we used to be?

Didn't it occur to you how we were

أمثلك من تنسيه الليالي

أمثلك من تنسيه الليالي

محبّا كم بكى وجدا وأنا

محبّا كم بكى وجدا وأنا

Can the nights make someone like you forget

Are you like me whom the nights make forget

a lover who so often wept with longing and moaned,

A lover who cried, was passionate, and I

وقضى ليله سهرا وفكر

وقضى ليله سهرا وفكر

فإن عصفت به الأشجان حنا

فإن عصفت به الأشجان حنا

and spent his night in sleeplessness and thought,

And spent his night awake and thinking

and, if sorrows buffeted him, yearned?

So if passions have swept him he yearned

فيا من لا أسميه احترام

فيا من لا أسميه احترام

ويا من في الحياة به فتنا

ويا من في الحياة به فتنا

So, O you whom I do not name out of respect,

So O you whom I don't name out of respect

and O you by whom we were enchanted in life,

And O you whom in life fascinated me

تملك حبه قسرا فؤادي

تملك حبه قسرا فؤادي

وعجل بالقضاء وما تأنى

وعجل بالقضاء وما تأنى

love for him seized my heart by force,

You possess his heart forcibly my heart

and rushed to judgment without deliberation.

And hasten the decree and do not hesitate

بلا ذنب جنيت ولا جناح

بلا ذنب جنيت ولا جناح

أتيت ومن جننت به تجنى

أتيت ومن جننت به تجنى

I had committed no sin, nor any offense

Without sin you reaped and without fault

had I perpetrated—yet the one I was mad about wronged me.

You came and the one you drove insane pays the price

وفارقني فراق السهم قوس

وفارقني فراق السهم قوس

فكيف يرد من ولى وأنى

فكيف يرد من ولى وأنى

And he left me as an arrow leaves a bow;

And left me leaving like an arrow from its bow

how, then, can one who has turned away be brought back—and from where?

So how can one who turned away return