شَكَوتُ إِلَيكِ الجَوى

شَكَوتُ إِلَيكِ الجَوى

فَلَم تَسمَحي بِالذَوى

فَلَم تَسمَحي بِالذَوى

I complained to you of love's anguish,

I complained to you of passion

Yet you would not let me wither.

Yet you did not allow any intimacy

فَمُذ طالَ عُمدُ النَوى

فَمُذ طالَ عُمدُ النَوى

جَعَلتُ إِلَيكَ الهَوى

جَعَلتُ إِلَيكَ الهَوى

So when separation's pillars grew tall,

So since the determination lengthened

I set love before you

I made the love to you

شَفيعاً فَلَم تُشفِعي

شَفيعاً فَلَم تُشفِعي

صَرَمتِ حِبالَ الوَفا

صَرَمتِ حِبالَ الوَفا

As an intercessor, yet you would not accept its plea.

An intercessor, yet you did not intercede

You severed the cords of fidelity

You have severed the ropes of loyalty

وَكَدَّرتِني بِالجَفا

وَكَدَّرتِني بِالجَفا

فَحاوَلتُ مِنكَ الصَفا

فَحاوَلتُ مِنكَ الصَفا

And embittered me with coldness;

And saddened me with estrangement

So I sought sincerity from you,

So I sought kindness from you

وَنادَيتُ مُستَعطِفا

وَنادَيتُ مُستَعطِفا

رِضاكِ فَلَم تَسمَعي

رِضاكِ فَلَم تَسمَعي

And called out, imploring

And called imploring

Your favor, yet you would not listen.

Your approval, yet you did not listen

تُراكِ إِذا ما اِشتَفى

تُراكِ إِذا ما اِشتَفى

عِداكِ وَزالَ الخَفا

عِداكِ وَزالَ الخَفا

I wonder—when satisfaction has come

I see that whenever I yearned

To your foes, and concealment has vanished,

For you and intimacy departed

وَأَمرَضتَني بِالجَفا

وَأَمرَضتَني بِالجَفا

أَتارِكَتي مُدنَفا

أَتارِكَتي مُدنَفا

And you have sickened me with coldness,

And you sickened me with estrangement

Will you leave me wasting away,

Will you leave me, outcast

أَخا جَسَدٍ موجَعِ

أَخا جَسَدٍ موجَعِ

تُرى هَل لِعَيشي رُجوع

تُرى هَل لِعَيشي رُجوع

With a body racked by pain?

A brother to an ailing body?

I wonder: can my life return

Do you see if there is any return

بِمُؤنِسَتي في الرُبوع

بِمُؤنِسَتي في الرُبوع

وَفاجِعَتي بِالهُجوع

وَفاجِعَتي بِالهُجوع

Through her who comforts me in the dwellings,

To my life with my companion in the meadows

And brings me grief with slumber,

And my lamenter in the nightly vigils

وَمُغرِقَتي بِالدُموع

وَمُغرِقَتي بِالدُموع

وَقَد أَحرَقَت أَضلُعي

وَقَد أَحرَقَت أَضلُعي

And drowns me in tears,

And my drowner in tears

Though she has already burned my ribs?

When she has set my ribs on fire?

لَقَد كُنتُ طَوعَ الهَوى

لَقَد كُنتُ طَوعَ الهَوى

وَنَحنُ بِحالٍ سَوا

وَنَحنُ بِحالٍ سَوا

Indeed, I was obedient to love,

Indeed, I was compliant to passion

And we were in the same state.

While we were in one state

فَكَيفَ أَكُفُّ النَوى

فَكَيفَ أَكُفُّ النَوى

وَفُؤادي قَدِ اِنكَوى

وَفُؤادي قَدِ اِنكَوى

So how can I ward off separation,

So how can I restrain my determination

When my heart has already been seared

When my heart has become bent

بِالنَظَرِ المُطمِعِ

بِالنَظَرِ المُطمِعِ

أَطَعتُ فَعاصَيتِني

أَطَعتُ فَعاصَيتِني

By the enticing gaze?

With the covetous glance?

I obeyed, yet you defied me,

I obeyed, yet you disobeyed me

وَبِالصَبرِ أَوصَيتِني

وَبِالصَبرِ أَوصَيتِني

فَمُذ قُلتُ خَصَّيتِني

فَمُذ قُلتُ خَصَّيتِني

And you counseled me to patience.

And with patience you advised me

But once I said, 'You have singled me out,'

So since when did you say I was special to you

جَفَوتِ وَأَقصَيتِني

جَفَوتِ وَأَقصَيتِني

فَهَلّا وَقَلبي مَعي

فَهَلّا وَقَلبي مَعي

You shunned me and cast me away.

You were unkind and distanced me

Why not, then, while my heart was still with me?

Why, when my heart is with me?