يا قَصرَ جَعفَرَ مالي عَنكَ إِقصارُ

يا قَصرَ جَعفَرَ مالي عَنكَ إِقصارُ

لي فيكَ إِلفٌ وَأَشجانٌ وَأَوطارُ

لي فيكَ إِلفٌ وَأَشجانٌ وَأَوطارُ

O Ja'far's palace, I cannot turn away from you.

O Ja'far's palace, why do I shun you

Within you I have a beloved, sorrows, and desires.

When friendship, love and memories bind me to you

مازِلتُ أَبكي إِلى سُكّانِ دارِكُمُ

مازِلتُ أَبكي إِلى سُكّانِ دارِكُمُ

حَتّى بَكى لِيَ جِنٌّ فيهِ عُمّارُ

حَتّى بَكى لِيَ جِنٌّ فيهِ عُمّارُ

I kept weeping to the dwellers of your house,

I cry to your inhabitants till a jinn weeps with me

Until the jinn inhabiting it wept for me.

And the builder within sheds tears anew

وَالدارُ تَملِكُني وَيحي وَساكِنُها

وَالدارُ تَملِكُني وَيحي وَساكِنُها

فَلي مَليكانِ رَبُّ الدارِ وَالدارُ

فَلي مَليكانِ رَبُّ الدارِ وَالدارُ

And the house owns me—woe to me—and so does its inhabitant.

This house possesses me, it owns my soul

So I have two sovereigns: the lord of the house and the house.

So two masters claim me - the house and its holder

ما كُنتُ أَحسِبُني أَحيا وَتَملِكُني

ما كُنتُ أَحسِبُني أَحيا وَتَملِكُني

مِن بَعدِ حُرِّيَّةِ لِبنٌ وَأَحجارُ

مِن بَعدِ حُرِّيَّةِ لِبنٌ وَأَحجارُ

I never thought I would live to be owned,

Never did I dream that after freedom's rule

After freedom, by mud bricks and stones.

Milk bricks and stone would reign over this soldier