عَشِقتُ ولا أقولُ بمن لأني

عَشِقتُ ولا أقولُ بمن لأني

أخاف عليهِ من ألمِ العذابِ

أخاف عليهِ من ألمِ العذابِ

I fell in love, but will not say with whom, for I

I loved, but I won't say whom, for I fear

fear for him the pain of torment.

The anguish of torment would be too severe

وكُنتُ أظنُّ أن يُشفى فُؤادي

وكُنتُ أظنُّ أن يُشفى فُؤادي

بريقٍ من ثناياهُ العِذابِ

بريقٍ من ثناياهُ العِذابِ

And I thought my heart would be healed

I thought that the sight of his grace would appease

by saliva from his sweet front teeth.

The turmoil within me, my suffering cease

فأشقاني هواهُ وما شَفاني

فأشقاني هواهُ وما شَفاني

وعذّبني بأنواعِ العَذابِ

وعذّبني بأنواعِ العَذابِ

So love for him made me wretched and did not heal me,

But his love brought me only more heartache and pain

and tormented me with various kinds of torment.

And tortured me with every torment and bane

وغادَرَ أدمعي من فَوقِ خدّي

وغادَرَ أدمعي من فَوقِ خدّي

تسيلُ لغدره سيلَ الربابِ

تسيلُ لغدره سيلَ الربابِ

And left my tears upon my cheek,

My tears flowed freely down my cheeks

flowing because of his betrayal like rain from clouds.

As he betrayed me, like rain when it leaks

وما ذَنبي سوى أن همتُ فيهِ

وما ذَنبي سوى أن همتُ فيهِ

كمن قد هام قدماً في الرباب

كمن قد هام قدماً في الرباب

And my only sin is that I was madly in love with him,

My only crime was to yearn for his love

like one who long ago was madly in love with al-Rabab.

Like a moth drawn unto the flame from above

بِذِكراه أرى طرَبي ارتياحاً

بِذِكراه أرى طرَبي ارتياحاً

وما طرَبي برناتِ الربابِ

وما طرَبي برناتِ الربابِ

In remembering him, I find my rapture a comfort;

Thoughts of him bring me comfort and cheer

my rapture is not in the notes of the rabab.

Not the strumming rhythms my ears used to hear