اغفري لي إِذا اِتَهَمتُك بِالغَد

اغفري لي إِذا اِتَهَمتُك بِالغَد

رِ فَقَد كُنتُ غائِباً عَن صَوابي

رِ فَقَد كُنتُ غائِباً عَن صَوابي

Forgive me if I accused you of betrayal;

Forgive me if I accused you of fickleness

for I was out of my senses.

For I was absent from my senses

اِغفري لي لَعل ما كانَ مني

اِغفري لي لَعل ما كانَ مني

صَرخة الهَول عِندَ مَرأى عَذابي

صَرخة الهَول عِندَ مَرأى عَذابي

Forgive me; perhaps what came from me

Forgive me, perhaps my actions

was a cry of horror at the sight of my torment,

Were screams of horror at the sight of my torment

وَصَدى اليَأس رَجّعته ضُلوعي

وَصَدى اليَأس رَجّعته ضُلوعي

أَو بُكائي عَلى أَمان الشَبابِ

أَو بُكائي عَلى أَمان الشَبابِ

and an echo of despair my ribs sent back,

And the echo of despair my ribs returned

or my weeping over the safety of youth.

Or my weeping over the safety of youth

لَم تَكوني كَما زَعَمتُ وَلَكن

لَم تَكوني كَما زَعَمتُ وَلَكن

هالَني ما قَرَأتهُ في الكِتابِ

هالَني ما قَرَأتهُ في الكِتابِ

You were not as I claimed, but

You were not as I claimed, but

what I read in the letter appalled me.

What I read in the book distraught me

وَلعمري رَأَيتُ مِنك وَفاءً

وَلعمري رَأَيتُ مِنك وَفاءً

لَم يَكُن فيهِ ذَرّة لارتيابي

لَم يَكُن فيهِ ذَرّة لارتيابي

And by my life, I saw faithfulness in you

And by my life, I saw loyalty in you

with not a speck in it to justify my doubt.

In which there was not a speck of my doubt

اِغفري لي ما قلته في جُنوني

اِغفري لي ما قلته في جُنوني

وَتَعالي أَشرح إِلَيك مصابي

وَتَعالي أَشرح إِلَيك مصابي

Forgive me for what I said in my madness,

Forgive me what I said in my madness

and come; let me explain my affliction to you.

And come, let me explain my plight to you

رُبَّ صَرحٍ مَمرَّد مِن أَماني

رُبَّ صَرحٍ مَمرَّد مِن أَماني

ي أَظَلَّ النُجوم تَحتَ جَناحِهِ

ي أَظَلَّ النُجوم تَحتَ جَناحِهِ

Many a smooth-walled palace built of my hopes

Many a lofty palace of fantasies

sheltered the stars beneath its wing.

Whose stars shaded beneath its wings

قَد نَمَت حَولَهُ الأَزاهيرُ شَتّى

قَد نَمَت حَولَهُ الأَزاهيرُ شَتّى

وَسَقاها الهَوى عَلالَةَ راحِه

وَسَقاها الهَوى عَلالَةَ راحِه

Flowers of every kind had grown around it,

All kinds of flowers grew around it

and love watered them with the last draught of its wine.

And passion watered them with the breath of its comfort

فَنَزلناه آمنين زَماناً

فَنَزلناه آمنين زَماناً

نَجتَني مِن وَرودِهِ وَأَقاحِه

نَجتَني مِن وَرودِهِ وَأَقاحِه

So we dwelt in it safely for a time,

We dwelled in it safely for a time

gathering its roses and daisies.

Its roses and thorns protected me

لَم تُحرِّك مِنهُ العَواصف رُكناً

لَم تُحرِّك مِنهُ العَواصف رُكناً

وَلَكن خابَ مثلها في كِفاحِه

وَلَكن خابَ مثلها في كِفاحِه

The storms did not shake a single pillar of it,

No storms shook its pillars

but their like failed in battling it.

Yet it failed in its struggle like them

ثُم كانَت يَدٌ سَأَسكتُ عَنها

ثُم كانَت يَدٌ سَأَسكتُ عَنها

هَدَّمته إِلى سَواء الترابِ

هَدَّمته إِلى سَواء الترابِ

Then there was a hand—I shall not speak of it—

Then there was a hand, I shall stay silent about

that razed it level with the dust.

That demolished it to the level of dust

أَينَ تِلكَ السَماء هَل كانَ ذاك

أَينَ تِلكَ السَماء هَل كانَ ذاك

الصرح فيها مشيّداً مِن سَحابِ

الصرح فيها مشيّداً مِن سَحابِ

Where is that sky? Was that

Where is that sky, was that palace

palace built within it out of clouds?

Really built of clouds?

إِغفري لي فَإِن أَشقى المحبّين

إِغفري لي فَإِن أَشقى المحبّين

محبٌّ حَياتُهُ ذكرياتُ

محبٌّ حَياتُهُ ذكرياتُ

Forgive me, for the most wretched of lovers

Forgive me, for the most wretched lover

is a lover whose life is memories.

Is a lover whose life is memories

أَينَما كُنتُ هيّج القَلب ذكرى

أَينَما كُنتُ هيّج القَلب ذكرى

صَوَّرتها آثارُنا الباقياتُ

صَوَّرتها آثارُنا الباقياتُ

Wherever I was, a memory stirred my heart,

Wherever I was, the heart was stirred by memories

painted by the traces of us that remain.

Depicted by our lasting vestiges

ما هُنا إِنَّها رُسومُ دُموعٍ

ما هُنا إِنَّها رُسومُ دُموعٍ

وَهُنا آه آنها قبلاتُ

وَهُنا آه آنها قبلاتُ

What is here? These are traces of tears;

And here, ah, they are kisses

and here—ah!—they are kisses.

And here a bird repeats a conversation

وَهُنا طائِرٌ يُعيد حَديثاً

وَهُنا طائِرٌ يُعيد حَديثاً

لَم تَغب عَنهُ هَذِهِ الكَلِماتُ

لَم تَغب عَنهُ هَذِهِ الكَلِماتُ

And here a bird repeats a conversation;

From which these words have not been absent

these words have not left it:

Oh my life, do not get angry and come

يا حَياتي لا تَغضَبي وَتعالي

يا حَياتي لا تَغضَبي وَتعالي

عانِقيني وَأَقصري مِن عِتابي

عانِقيني وَأَقصري مِن عِتابي

O my life, do not be angry, and come;

Embrace me and shorten your reproach

embrace me, and lessen your reproach of me.

According to my heart, its torment, so forgive me

حسب قَلبي عَذابه فَاِغفِري لي

حسب قَلبي عَذابه فَاِغفِري لي

يا حَياتي فَقَد لَقيتُ عِقابي

يا حَياتي فَقَد لَقيتُ عِقابي

My heart’s torment is enough, so forgive me,

Oh my life, for I have met my punishment

O my life, for I have received my punishment.