مَنْ مُنْصفي من حُبِّ ظالمْ

مَنْ مُنْصفي من حُبِّ ظالمْ

والحبُّ فيه الخصمُ حاكمْ

والحبُّ فيه الخصمُ حاكمْ

Who will do me justice against my love for my oppressor,

Who will do me justice against my love for a tyrant?

when, in love, my adversary is my judge?

And in love, the adversary is the judge.

ما كنتُ أَدري ما الهوى

ما كنتُ أَدري ما الهوى

حتى بُليتُ بغير راحم

حتى بُليتُ بغير راحم

I never knew what passion was

I did not know what passion was

until I was afflicted by one without mercy.

until I was afflicted with one without mercy.

قاسي الفؤادِ يبيتُ في

قاسي الفؤادِ يبيتُ في

رَغَدِ الكَرى وأَبيتُ هائم

رَغَدِ الكَرى وأَبيتُ هائم

The hard-hearted one sleeps amid

Hard of heart, he spends the night in

the ease of slumber, while I pass the night love-lost.

the ease of slumber, while I spend mine distraught with love.

ومن العجائب أَن يرى

ومن العجائب أَن يرى

مُتَيَقِّظاً في أَسْر نائم

مُتَيَقِّظاً في أَسْر نائم

And among the wonders is to see

And it is a wonder to see

one wide awake, captive to one asleep.

one awake held captive by one asleep.

يا صارمي أَوَ ما كفى

يا صارمي أَوَ ما كفى

ما في جُفونك من صوارم

ما في جُفونك من صوارم

O my slayer—were they not enough,

O you who cut me off, were they not enough—

the swords within your eyelids?

the keen swords in your eyelids?

لامُوا عليك وليس لي

لامُوا عليك وليس لي

سمعٌ يعنّ على اللوائم

سمعٌ يعنّ على اللوائم

They reproached me for you, yet I have no

They reproached me for you, but I have

ear for what reproachers say.

no ear that heeds reproaches—

لومَ الحسُود على مُظا

لومَ الحسُود على مُظا

هرة العميد أَبي الغنائم

هرة العميد أَبي الغنائم

The envier’s blame for sup—

like the envious one's reproach for supporting

porting al-ʿAmīd Abū al-Ghanāʾim.

the chief, Abu al-Ghana'im.