كانَ له من يحبُّ سلما

كانَ له من يحبُّ سلما

لم يجترم في الوصالِ جرما

لم يجترم في الوصالِ جرما

The one he loved was at peace with him;

He had someone he loved peacefully

He had committed no offense in their union.

Who did no wrong in their union

فلم يدَعهُ الوشاةُ حتَّى

فلم يدَعهُ الوشاةُ حتَّى

جاهرَهُ بالصدودِ ظُلما

جاهرَهُ بالصدودِ ظُلما

Then the slanderers would not leave him alone until

But the slanderers would not leave him be

His beloved openly spurned him, unjustly.

Until oppressively they spurned him openly

فغرَّهُ الوجدُ والتصابي

فغرَّهُ الوجدُ والتصابي

فهام حزناً وذابَ سقما

فهام حزناً وذابَ سقما

Then passion and youthful dalliance beguiled him;

So passion and yearning overcame him

So he wandered in grief and melted away with sickness.

And he pined in sorrow, melting in anguish

واشتاقَ حتَّى له أنينٌ

واشتاقَ حتَّى له أنينٌ

من كبدٍ لا تزالُ تدمى

من كبدٍ لا تزالُ تدمى

And he yearned until he moaned

And longed so intensely he moaned

From a liver that never stops bleeding.

From a liver that kept on bleeding