حَبيبي ظَلومٌ عَلَيَّ ضَنينُ

بِرَبّي عَلى ظُلمِهِ أَستَعينُ

My beloved is unjustly harsh towards me,

My beloved is a tyrant, stingy with his grace,

By my Lord, against his injustice I seek aid,

I seek the help of my Lord against his cruelty.

يَعِزُّ عَلَيَّ وَلَكِنَّني

بِحَمدِ إِلَهي عَلَيهِ أَهونُ

It is hard on me yet I,

He is precious to me, yet I remain,

With the praise of my God, find him easy.

By the praise of God, of little worth to him.

فَيا لَيتَ شِعري أَمِن صَخرَةٍ

فُؤادُكَ هَذا الَّذي لا يَلينُ

If only I knew, was your heart made,

Oh, how I wish I knew: was it hewn from rock,

Of rock that cannot bend or soften?

This heart of yours that never softens?

يَقولُ إِذا ما اِشتَكَيتُ الهَوى

كَما يَشتَكي البائِسُ المُستَكينُ

You say when I complain of passion’s pain,

He says, whenever I complain of my passion,

Like the wretched destitute complains.

Lamenting like a wretched, humbled soul:

أَفي النَومِ أَبصَرتَ ذا كُلَّهُ

فَخَيراً رَأَيتَ وَخَيراً يَكونُ

Did you see this in a dream by any chance?

"Did you perceive all of this in your sleep?

If so then good you saw and good shall come.

Then good is what you saw, and good it shall be."