لا تطمعِي في سُلُوِّ قلبٍ

لا تطمعِي في سُلُوِّ قلبٍ

ليس له عن هوىً سُلُوُّ

ليس له عن هوىً سُلُوُّ

Do not hope that a heart will forget,

Do not yearn for the intimacy of a heart

when it cannot forget its love.

That has no passion for my love.

قلبُكِ خالٍ وبي اِنشغالٌ

قلبُكِ خالٍ وبي اِنشغالٌ

وَما اِستوى الشغْلُ والخُلُوُّ

وَما اِستوى الشغْلُ والخُلُوُّ

Your heart is empty, while I am preoccupied;

Your heart is empty while I am preoccupied,

and preoccupation and emptiness are not alike.

And preoccupation is not the same as solitude.

يا بِأَبي من هدا مناماً

يا بِأَبي من هدا مناماً

وما لعينِي به هُدُوُّ

وما لعينِي به هُدُوُّ

O, may my father be ransom for the one who sleeps peacefully,

Oh, my father, who has slumbered from this whispering,

while my eye finds no rest because of him.

And whose eyes have no affection in them.

إنْ تَدْنُ يوماً إلى وِصالي

إنْ تَدْنُ يوماً إلى وِصالي

فحبّذا ذلك الدُّنُوُّ

فحبّذا ذلك الدُّنُوُّ

If one day you draw near to union with me,

If someday you come near to my intimacy,

then how welcome that nearness!

How excellent that approaching would be!

أوْ تَحْنُ مِن بعدِ طولِ صَدٍّ

أوْ تَحْنُ مِن بعدِ طولِ صَدٍّ

فربّما أكثب الحُنُوُّ

فربّما أكثب الحُنُوُّ

Or if you grow tender after long rejection,

Or if you show affection after long estrangement,

then perhaps tenderness will draw near.

Perhaps my affection will jump up again.