كنتُ أُخْفي عنهُ دمعي

حينما يَهْمي غزيرا

I used to hide my tears from him

I used to hide my tears from him

Whenever they flowed copiously

When they poured down abundantly.

رُبَّ وَجْدٍ بعدَ هَجْرٍ

باتَ شـرّاً مستطيرا

After separation, many a love

Many a passion, after abandonment,

Turned into endless adversity

Has become a far-reaching evil.

يا حبيباً قـدْ تسامتْ

نفسـهُ عنـي كثيرا

My beloved, his soul has risen

O beloved, whose soul has exalted

Above me substantially

Itself far above me,

لا تعاتِبْنـي فـإني

لستُ في عشقي خبيرا

Do not blame me, for I am not

Do not reproach me, for I

An expert in love, clearly

Am not experienced in my love.

قد كفاني ما أعـاني

أشتكي أو لن أسـيرا

What I suffer suffices me

What I suffer is enough for me,

I won’t complain or walk wearily

Whether I complain or refuse to walk

نحو أحـلامٍ تَبَـدَّتْ

لم تكـنْ إلا نذيـرا

Towards dreams that have vanished

Towards dreams that have appeared,

And were nothing but a warning

Which were nothing but a warning.

كيف لا أبكي غراماً

خُـنتَهُ غَـضّاً نضيرا

How can I not weep out of love

How could I not weep for a romance

Whose innocence you betrayed unfairly

That you betrayed while fresh and blooming?

ثم أكْدى في صباهُ

إذ قضى نَـحْباً قصيـرا

Then my youth was worn out

Then it withered in its youth,

After brief sobbing

Meeting a brief, untimely end.

لم يعـشْ إلا شهـوراً

بعدها أضحى كسيرا

It lived only months

It lived for only a few months,

Then it became frail

After which it was left broken.

لا تخـنْ ودّي جهـاراً

أنتَ تغتالُ الضميرا

Do not betray my affection openly

Do not betray my affection openly,

You assassinate conscience severely

You are assassinating the conscience.

زادَ خوفي من شجوني

لم يعد قـلبي قريـرا

My fear of my sorrows increased

My fear has grown from my sorrows,

My heart is no longer calm or merry

My heart is no longer at peace.

ها أنا في الـذُّلِّ أُبْلي

طَيِّـعاً حتى أصـيرا!

Obedient until I become weary

Here I am, wearing away in humiliation,

Fearful, oh my misery, of

Compliant, until I fade away!

خائفٌ يا ويلتـي من

مُـسْتَبِدٍّ أنْ يُـغـيرا

A tyrant who changes whims arbitrarily

I am afraid, oh my woe, of

How can he wrong me unjustly

A tyrant about to strike.

كيف يرمينـي بظلمٍ

ثم يرجــوني نصيرا

Then wish me to be his ally?

How can he cast injustice upon me,

Shall I chant my worries

Then beg me to be his ally?

هل أنا بالهَمِّ أشـدو

أم أنا أَهْـذي كثيرا؟

Or shall I rave a lot?

Am I singing through my sorrow,

Do not try to subdue my love

Or am I raving endlessly?

لا تحاولْ وَأْدَ ودِّي

أو تَقُـلْ لي أنْ أطـيرا

Or tell me to fly

Do not try to bury my affection alive,

Do you see me having wings?

Or tell me to fly away.

هلْ ترى لي من جناحٍ

لم يعـدْ قلبـي سفيرا

My heart is no longer a courier

Do you see any wings upon me?

If you want a new dawn

My heart is no longer an ambassador.

إنْ تُرِدْ فجـراً جديدا ً

خَلِّ موعودي صغيرا

Free my little promise

If you desire a new dawn,

To rise above wishes

Keep my promised share small;

يرتقي فـوق الأمـاني

حيثُ يبقى مستنيرا

Where it remains enlightened

It will ascend above all hopes,

Where it shall remain illuminated.