أَمُخَلِّفي يا فَتحُ أَنتَ وَظاعِنٌ

أَمُخَلِّفي يا فَتحُ أَنتَ وَظاعِنٌ

في الظاعِنينَ وَشاهِدٌ وَمُغَيِّبي

في الظاعِنينَ وَشاهِدٌ وَمُغَيِّبي

Are you leaving me behind, O Fath, and departing

O those left behind, O Victory, you are a witness

among those who depart—present yourself, yet keeping me away?

Among the left behind, a witness and one who makes me absent

ماذا أَقولُ إِذا سُئِلتُ فَحَطَّني

ماذا أَقولُ إِذا سُئِلتُ فَحَطَّني

صِدقي وَلَم يَستُر عَلَيَّ تَكَذُّبي

صِدقي وَلَم يَستُر عَلَيَّ تَكَذُّبي

What shall I say when asked? For I am brought low

What can I say if I am asked, so it diminished me

by my truthfulness, and my lying gives me no cover.

My truthfulness and my lying was not concealed from me

ماذا أَقولُ لِشامِتينَ يَسُرُّهُم

ماذا أَقولُ لِشامِتينَ يَسُرُّهُم

ما ساءَني وَلِمُنكِرٍ مُتَعَجِّبِ

ما ساءَني وَلِمُنكِرٍ مُتَعَجِّبِ

What shall I say to those who gloat, who delight

What can I say to those who gloat, made happy

in what grieves me, and to one incredulous and astonished?

By what pained me, and to the incredulous critic?

أَأَقولُ مَغضوبٌ عَلَيَّ فَعِلمُهُم

أَأَقولُ مَغضوبٌ عَلَيَّ فَعِلمُهُم

أَن لَستُ مُعتَذِراً وَلَستُ بِمُذنِبِ

أَن لَستُ مُعتَذِراً وَلَستُ بِمُذنِبِ

Shall I say, "He is angry with me"? Yet they know

Shall I say: "They are angry with me," so their knowledge

that I offer no apology and am guilty of no offense.

Is that I am no apologizer and no sinner?

أَم هَل أَقولُ تَخَلَّفَت بِيَ عِندَهُ

أَم هَل أَقولُ تَخَلَّفَت بِيَ عِندَهُ

حالٌ فَمَن ذا بَعدَهُ مُستَصحِبي

حالٌ فَمَن ذا بَعدَهُ مُستَصحِبي

Or shall I say that, with him, I have been let down

Or what if I say: "A state detained me with him,

by my circumstances? Then who, after him, will take me along?

So who after him is my companion?"

سَأُقيمُ بَعدَكَ إِن أَقَمتُ بِغُصَّةٍ

سَأُقيمُ بَعدَكَ إِن أَقَمتُ بِغُصَّةٍ

في الصَدرِ لَم تَصعَد وَلَم تَتَصَوَّبِ

في الصَدرِ لَم تَصعَد وَلَم تَتَصَوَّبِ

I shall remain after you—if I remain—with a choking lump

I will remain after you if I remain in sorrow

in my breast that neither rises nor goes down.

In my chest that did not ascend or curve.

وَسَأَرفُضُ الأَشعارَ إِنَّ مَذاقَها

وَسَأَرفُضُ الأَشعارَ إِنَّ مَذاقَها

بِمَديحِ غَيرِكَ في فَمي لَم يَعذُبِ

بِمَديحِ غَيرِكَ في فَمي لَم يَعذُبِ

And I shall forsake poetry, for its taste

And I will reject poems, for their taste

in praising anyone but you has not been sweet in my mouth.

In praise of other than you is not sweet in my mouth.

لا أَخلِطُ التَأميلَ مِنكَ بِغَيرِهِ

لا أَخلِطُ التَأميلَ مِنكَ بِغَيرِهِ

أَبَداً وَلا أَلقى دَنِيَّ المَكسَبِ

أَبَداً وَلا أَلقى دَنِيَّ المَكسَبِ

I do not mingle hope in you with any other hope,

I will never mix daydreaming of you with another,

ever, nor meet one whose earnings are base.

Nor will I meet the lowly earnings.