فَلَو كُنتُ أَدرِى أَنَّ ما كانَ كائنٌ

فَلَو كُنتُ أَدرِى أَنَّ ما كانَ كائنٌ

حَذِرتُكِ أَيّامَ الفُؤَادُ سَليمُ

حَذِرتُكِ أَيّامَ الفُؤَادُ سَليمُ

So, had I known that what happened was going to happen,

If I had known what was going to happen

I would have avoided you while my heart was unharmed.

I would have warned you in days when my heart was healthy,

ولكن حَسِبتُ الصُّرمَ شَيئاً أُطِيقُهُ

ولكن حَسِبتُ الصُّرمَ شَيئاً أُطِيقُهُ

إِذَا رُمتُ أَو حاوَلتُ أَمَّ عَزِيمُ

إِذَا رُمتُ أَو حاوَلتُ أَمَّ عَزِيمُ

But I thought parting was something I could endure,

But I thought I could handle firmness

if I wished or tried, intent on it as a man of resolve.

Whenever I was thrown or tried, unwavering.

أَخا الجِنِّ بلِّغهَا السَّلاَمَ فإِنّنى

أَخا الجِنِّ بلِّغهَا السَّلاَمَ فإِنّنى

مِنَ الإِنسٍ مُزوَرُّ الجناحِ كَتُومُ

مِنَ الإِنسٍ مُزوَرُّ الجناحِ كَتُومُ

O brother of the jinn, convey greetings to her, for I

O brother jinn, convey my greetings as I

turn my wing away from humankind, keeping my secrets.

Am a human who frequents the jinn's land rarely.

أخا الجِنِّ لاَ نَدري إِذَا لم يُدِم لنا

أخا الجِنِّ لاَ نَدري إِذَا لم يُدِم لنا

خَليلٌ صفاءَ الوُدِّ كيفَ نُدِيمُ

خَليلٌ صفاءَ الوُدِّ كيفَ نُدِيمُ

O brother of the jinn, we do not know—if there does not endure for us

O brother jinn, we do not know, if a friend does not stay

a friend's pure affection—how we can make it endure,

Preserving the purity of affection, how we can have it remain

وَلا كيفَ بالهِجرَانِ وَالقَلبُ آلفٌ

وَلا كيفَ بالهِجرَانِ وَالقَلبُ آلفٌ

وَلاَ كيفَ يَرضَى بالهَوَانِ كَرِيمُ

وَلاَ كيفَ يَرضَى بالهَوَانِ كَرِيمُ

nor how to bear estrangement when the heart is attached,

Nor how with estrangement and a heart accustomed

nor how a noble person can accept humiliation.

To intimacy, one can be pleased by ignominy, however noble

وأَنتِ التى كلَّفتِنى دَلجَ السُّرَى

وأَنتِ التى كلَّفتِنى دَلجَ السُّرَى

وَجُونُ القَطا بالجَلهَتَينِ جُثومُ

وَجُونُ القَطا بالجَلهَتَينِ جُثومُ

And you are the one who made me journey through the night,

It was you who tasked me to tread the paths of love

while the dusky sandgrouse crouched on the two valley sides.

And the cheeks of the slender with both gathered garments.

وَأنتِ الَّتى قَطَّعتِ قلبى حَزَازَةً

وَأنتِ الَّتى قَطَّعتِ قلبى حَزَازَةً

وَقَرَّفتِ قَرحَ القَلبِ فَهوَ سَقِيمُ

وَقَرَّفتِ قَرحَ القَلبِ فَهوَ سَقِيمُ

And you are the one who tore my heart apart with anguish,

It was you who cut up my heart cruelly

and scraped my heart's wound raw, so it is ailing.

And grazed the wound of the heart, so it is sick

فَلَو أنَّ قَولاً يَكلَمُ الجِسمَ قَد بدَا

فَلَو أنَّ قَولاً يَكلَمُ الجِسمَ قَد بدَا

بِجِسميَ مِن قَولِ الوُشَاةِ كُلومُ

بِجِسميَ مِن قَولِ الوُشَاةِ كُلومُ

So if words could wound the body, there would have appeared

If only speech could speak to the body

wounds on my body from the slanderers' words.

My body would speak of the defamers’ talk glumly