غرامٌ ولا شكْوى وعَتْبٌ ولا عُتْبى

غرامٌ ولا شكْوى وعَتْبٌ ولا عُتْبى

وشوقٌ ولا لُقْيا وصبرٌ ولا عُقْبى

وشوقٌ ولا لُقْيا وصبرٌ ولا عُقْبى

Passion, but no complaint; reproach, but no amends.

A passion, and no complaining, reproach or blame

And longing, but no meeting; patience, but no reward.

A longing, and no meeting, patience but no torment

وكم حَنَّ معشوقٌ وأَعْتَبَ عاشِقٌ

وكم حَنَّ معشوقٌ وأَعْتَبَ عاشِقٌ

وقلبُكَ مَا أَقْسى وقَلْبِيَ مَا أَصْبى

وقلبُكَ مَا أَقْسى وقَلْبِيَ مَا أَصْبى

And how often has a beloved yearned, and a lover made amends!

How often the beloved complains, the lover laments

And how hard your heart is, and how enamored mine!

Your heart is so harsh, mine is so smitten

سأَصْدَعُ أَحناءَ الضُّلوعِ بِزَفْرَةٍ

سأَصْدَعُ أَحناءَ الضُّلوعِ بِزَفْرَةٍ

تُطيرُ إِلَيْكِ القلبَ لَوْ أَنَّ لي قَلْبا

تُطيرُ إِلَيْكِ القلبَ لَوْ أَنَّ لي قَلْبا

I shall cleave my curving ribs with a sigh,

I will burst my ribs with a sigh

That would send my heart flying to you—if I had a heart.

That would send my heart flying to you, if I had a heart

وأُسْبِلُ آماقَ الجفونِ بِعَبْرَةٍ

وأُسْبِلُ آماقَ الجفونِ بِعَبْرَةٍ

وإِنْ حُرِمَتْ منكِ المودَّةَ فِي القُرْبى

وإِنْ حُرِمَتْ منكِ المودَّةَ فِي القُرْبى

And I shall bathe my eyelids’ inner corners with a tear,

And shed tears to soak the depths of my eyelids

Even if they are denied your affection despite our kinship,

Though denied your love and kindness as a relative

بِنِسْبَتِنا فِي رِقِّ مولىً أَضافَنا

بِنِسْبَتِنا فِي رِقِّ مولىً أَضافَنا

فَبَوَّأَنا الإِكرامَ والمنزِلَ الرَّحْبا

فَبَوَّأَنا الإِكرامَ والمنزِلَ الرَّحْبا

Through our shared bond of servitude to a lord who welcomed us,

Our relation to the Lord who brought us together

And so granted us honor and a spacious dwelling.

Gave us honor and a spacious dwelling

وحسبُكِ و المَنْصُورُ جامِعُ شَمْلِنا

وحسبُكِ و المَنْصُورُ جامِعُ شَمْلِنا

وكُنْتِ لَهُ شَرْقاً وكُنتُ لَهُ غَرْبا

وكُنْتِ لَهُ شَرْقاً وكُنتُ لَهُ غَرْبا

And let it suffice you that al-Mansur brings us together:

You suffice, O Mansur, who gathered our clan

And you were his East, and I was his West.

You were his east, and I his west

فَجَهَّزَ فِيَّ العلمَ والحلمَ والنُّهى

فَجَهَّزَ فِيَّ العلمَ والحلمَ والنُّهى

وجَهَّزَ فيكِ الخيلَ والطعنَ والحربا

وجَهَّزَ فيكِ الخيلَ والطعنَ والحربا

So in me he mustered knowledge, forbearance, and reason,

He equipped me with knowledge, wisdom and guidance

And in you he mustered horses, spear-thrusts, and war.

And equipped you with horses, spears and war

فَلَبَّيْتِهِ سَيْباً ولَبَّيْتُهُ مُنىً

فَلَبَّيْتِهِ سَيْباً ولَبَّيْتُهُ مُنىً

ودِنْتُ لَهُ سلْماً ودِنْتِ لَهُ حَرْبا

ودِنْتُ لَهُ سلْماً ودِنْتِ لَهُ حَرْبا

So you answered him with bounty, and I answered him with hopes;

I answered his call to peace, you to battle

And I served him in peace, and you served him in war.

I submitted to him in peace, you in war

فلا عَدِمَ الإِسلامُ من عَزَمَاتِهِ

فلا عَدِمَ الإِسلامُ من عَزَمَاتِهِ

سيوفاً بِهَا نَسْبِي وُجُوهاً بِهَا نُسْبى

سيوفاً بِهَا نَسْبِي وُجُوهاً بِهَا نُسْبى

So may Islam never lack, through his resolute endeavors,

So Islam will never lack his determination

Swords with which we capture faces by which we are captivated.

Swords in it our lineage, faces in it our honor