لمّا طَلَعنَ عَليَّ في غَسَقٍ

لمّا طَلَعنَ عَليَّ في غَسَقٍ

فَخَلَفْنَ ضوءَ الشّمسِ والقمرِ

فَخَلَفْنَ ضوءَ الشّمسِ والقمرِ

When they rose before me in the darkness,

When you rose before me in the dusk,

They then replaced the light of sun and moon.

Eclipsing the light of sun and moon,

ساوَمْنَنِي قلبي فرُحنَ به

ساوَمْنَنِي قلبي فرُحنَ به

عنّي وكم بيعٍ على غَرَرِ

عنّي وكم بيعٍ على غَرَرِ

They bargained with me for my heart, then departed with it

My heart bargained with me, rejoicing in you,

From me—and how many a sale is fraught with risk!

Betraying me, and at what risk!

وَأَخذنَ منِّي ما سمحتُ به

وَأَخذنَ منِّي ما سمحتُ به

في اليُسرِ من حالي وفي العُسرِ

في اليُسرِ من حالي وفي العُسرِ

And they took from me what I freely gave,

You took from me what I allowed

In my times of ease and in hardship.

In prosperity and in hardship.

وَكحلنَ عينِي كلّما مَرِهَتْ

وَكحلنَ عينِي كلّما مَرِهَتْ

ببكائها منهنّ بالسَّهَرِ

ببكائها منهنّ بالسَّهَرِ

And they lined my eye whenever it was bare of kohl,

You lined my eyes whenever they faded

From weeping over them—with sleeplessness.

Weeping for you through the night.

وَوَعدننِي ما لا يَفِينَ بهِ

وَوَعدننِي ما لا يَفِينَ بهِ

من غير معذِرَةٍ لمعتَذِرِ

من غير معذِرَةٍ لمعتَذِرِ

And they promised me what they would not fulfill,

You promised what you never fulfilled

With no excuse for anyone to offer.

Without excuse or apology.

قد كنتُ أحذرُ ما بليتُ به

قد كنتُ أحذرُ ما بليتُ به

دهراً وكم بَلْوى مع الحذرِ

دهراً وكم بَلْوى مع الحذرِ

I had been wary of what befell me

Long have I been wary of what befell me,

For ages—and how many trials come despite caution!

Yet how much misery comes despite caution!