ولَمّا دَعانِي داعِي الهَوى

ولَمّا دَعانِي داعِي الهَوى

وأخْلَفَ ما كُنْتُ أمّلْتُهُ

وأخْلَفَ ما كُنْتُ أمّلْتُهُ

And when love’s summons called me,

When the caller of passion called me

And what I had hoped for went unfulfilled,

And failed to fulfill what I had hoped

ولَمْ يَبْقَ غيْرُ البُكا حِيلَةٌ

ولَمْ يَبْقَ غيْرُ البُكا حِيلَةٌ

بَكَيْتُ بمِقْدارِ ما نِلْتُهُ

بَكَيْتُ بمِقْدارِ ما نِلْتُهُ

And no recourse remained but weeping,

With nothing left but weeping as recourse

I wept in proportion to what I had received.

I wept according to what I attained