لِي مَلِيكٌ أُحِبُّهُ

لِي مَلِيكٌ أُحِبُّهُ

وَهْوَ بِالكَاشِحِ افْتَنَنْ

وَهْوَ بِالكَاشِحِ افْتَنَنْ

I have a king whom I love,

And he is enamored of the foe.

جَدِّي العَاثِرُ ابْتَلا

جَدِّي العَاثِرُ ابْتَلا

نِي مِنْهُ بِسُوءِ ظَنّْ

نِي مِنْهُ بِسُوءِ ظَنّْ

My stumbling fortune has afflicted

me with his mistrust.

خَالَ عِيَّ اللِّسَانِ ضَنّاً

خَالَ عِيَّ اللِّسَانِ ضَنّاً

أَعْيَّ اللِّسَانِ ضَنّْ

أَعْيَّ اللِّسَانِ ضَنّْ

He mistook the tongue's faltering for stinginess;

Is the tongue's faltering stinginess?

فَابْتَغَى لِي عُقُوبَةً

فَابْتَغَى لِي عُقُوبَةً

بِنْتُ فَنِّ مِنَ ابْنِ فَنّْ

بِنْتُ فَنِّ مِنَ ابْنِ فَنّْ

So he sought a punishment for me:

A daughter of art, from a son of art.

أَمْرُكَ الأَمْرُ يَا مَلِيكِي

أَمْرُكَ الأَمْرُ يَا مَلِيكِي

وَلَكِنْ رَفَعْتَ مَنْ

وَلَكِنْ رَفَعْتَ مَنْ

Yours is the command, O my king,

And yet, whom have you exalted?