أَيا مُلينَ الحَديدِ

لِعَبدِهِ داوُودِ

O You who made the iron yielding

For Your servant, David,

أَلِن فُؤادَ جِنانٍ

لِعاشِقٍ مَعمودِ

Make soft the heart of Jinan

Towards a lover consumed by pain.

قَد صارَتِ النَفسُ مِنهُ

بَينَ الحَشا وَالوَريدِ

His soul has arrived, because of her,

To the brink between the vitals and the jugular vein.

جِنانُ جودي وَإِن عَز

زَكِ الهَوى أَن تَجودي

Jinan, be generous, even if—in its might—

Pride makes it hard for you to be kind.

أَلا اِقتُليني فَفي ذا

كَ راحَةٌ لِلعَميدِ

Or else kill me, for in that act

Lies a respite for the lovesick wretch.

أَما رَحِمتِ اِشتِياقي

أَما رَحِمتِ سُهودي

Have you no mercy for my longing?

Have you no mercy for my sleeplessness?

أَما رَأَيتِ بُكائي

في كُلِّ يَومٍ جَديدِ

Have you not witnessed my weeping

In every new day that dawns?

فَقَرِّبي لِمُحِبٍّ

مَحضَ الوِدادِ وَجودي

So bring close to a lover

Pure affection, and be bountiful.

صَبٍّ حَريضٍ مَهيضٍ

ناءٍ طَريدٍ شَريدِ

To one lovesick, wasted, and broken,

Far from home, an outcast, a fugitive,

حَرّانَ يَدعو بِلَيلٍ

يا لَلوَحيدِ الفَريدِ

Burning with fever, calling out by night:

"Oh, help the lonely, the solitary one!"

قومي فَقَد كانَ مِنكُم

فُديتِ طولُ الرُقودِ

Arise—for indeed, from your side—

May you be ransomed, the slumber has been long.

فَأَنجِزي لِيَ وَعدي

وَأَقصِري مِن وَعيدي

Fulfill the promise you made to me,

And cease your threatening,

فَقَد وَعَدتِ مَواعي

دَ كَالسَرابِ بِبيدِ

For you have given me promises

Like a mirage in the desert wastes.