سَمعي أَبى أَن يَكونَ الرّوحُ في بَدَني

سَمعي أَبى أَن يَكونَ الرّوحُ في بَدَني

فَاِعتاضَ قَلبي مِنهُ لَوعَةَ الحزَنِ

فَاِعتاضَ قَلبي مِنهُ لَوعَةَ الحزَنِ

My hearing refused to let my soul remain in my body,

My hearing refused that my soul be in my body

So my heart took sorrow’s anguish in its place.

So my heart was seized by the agony of sorrow

أعطيت جيجانَ روحي عَن تَذَكُّرِها

أعطيت جيجانَ روحي عَن تَذَكُّرِها

هَذا وَلَم أَرَها يَوماً وَلَم تَرَني

هَذا وَلَم أَرَها يَوماً وَلَم تَرَني

I gave Jijan my soul at the thought of her—

I gave my soul to Gigi without remembering it

This, though I have never seen her, nor has she seen me.

And I've never seen her, nor has she seen me

فَقُل لِجيجانَ يا سولي وَيا أَمَلي

فَقُل لِجيجانَ يا سولي وَيا أَمَلي

اِستَوصِ خَيراً بِروحٍ زالَ عَن بَدَنِ

اِستَوصِ خَيراً بِروحٍ زالَ عَن بَدَنِ

So say to Jijan: ‘O my desire, and O my hope,

So say to Gigi, O my comfort and my hope

Care kindly for a soul that has departed from a body.’

Take good care of a soul that left its body

كَأَنَّني وَاِسمُها وَالدَّمعُ مُنسَكِبٌ

كَأَنَّني وَاِسمُها وَالدَّمعُ مُنسَكِبٌ

مِن مُقلَتي راهِبٌ صَلّى إِلى وَثَنِ

مِن مُقلَتي راهِبٌ صَلّى إِلى وَثَنِ

It is as though I, with her name and tears streaming

As if I and her name and the pouring tears

From my eye, were a monk who prayed toward an idol.

Were a monk praying to an idol from my eyelids