رُقَيَّ بِعَمرِكُم لا تَهجُرينا

رُقَيَّ بِعَمرِكُم لا تَهجُرينا

وَمَنّينا المُنى ثُمَّ اِمطُلينا

وَمَنّينا المُنى ثُمَّ اِمطُلينا

Ruqayy, by your life, do not forsake us.

Grow old in your lifetime, do not abandon us,

And fill us with hopes, then put us off.

And grant us wishes, then make us wait.

عِدينا في غَدٍ ما شِئتِ إِنّا

عِدينا في غَدٍ ما شِئتِ إِنّا

نُحِبُّ وَلَو مَطَلتِ الواعِدينا

نُحِبُّ وَلَو مَطَلتِ الواعِدينا

Promise us whatever you wish for tomorrow; indeed, we

Return to us tomorrow whatever you wish, we

love those who promise, even if you delay.

Love even if those who promise make us wait.

فَإِمّا تُنجِزي عِدَتي وَإِمّا

فَإِمّا تُنجِزي عِدَتي وَإِمّا

نَعيشُ بِما نُؤَمِّلُ مِنكِ حينا

نَعيشُ بِما نُؤَمِّلُ مِنكِ حينا

So either you fulfill the promise made to me, or else

Either fulfill your promise to me, or

we shall live awhile on what we hope for from you.

We live with what we hope for from you for a while.

تَقِنَّ اللَهَ فيَّ رُقَيَّ وَاِخشي

تَقِنَّ اللَهَ فيَّ رُقَيَّ وَاِخشي

عُقوبَةَ أَمرِنا لا تَقتُلينا

عُقوبَةَ أَمرِنا لا تَقتُلينا

Fear God in your dealings with me, Ruqayy, and dread

Fear God for me, grow old, and fear

the punishment for our affair; do not kill us.

The punishment of our affair, do not kill us.

بِعيشِكِ وَاِرفُقي بي أُمَّ عَمروٍ

بِعيشِكِ وَاِرفُقي بي أُمَّ عَمروٍ

وَيَومَ رِجالُ أَهلِكِ يَنذُرونا

وَيَومَ رِجالُ أَهلِكِ يَنذُرونا

By your life, be gentle with me, Umm Amr.

With your life be gentle with me, mother of Amr,

And on the day the men of your family vowed to shed

And the day your tribesmen warn us.

دَمي ثُمَّ اِندَخَلتُ إِلَيكِ حَتّى

دَمي ثُمَّ اِندَخَلتُ إِلَيكِ حَتّى

تَخَطَّيتُ النِيامَ الحارِسينا

تَخَطَّيتُ النِيامَ الحارِسينا

my blood, I then slipped in to you until

My blood, then I entered you until

I stepped over the sleeping guards.

I crossed the sleeping guards.

فَبِتُّ تَمَسُّهُم قَدَمي وَثَوبي

فَبِتُّ تَمَسُّهُم قَدَمي وَثَوبي

وَوَدّوا مِن دَمي لَو يَشرَبونا

وَوَدّوا مِن دَمي لَو يَشرَبونا

So I spent the night, my foot and robe brushing them,

So I spend the night with them touching my feet and clothes,

and they wished they could drink of my blood.

And they wished to drink my blood.

وَيَومَ تَبِعتُكُم وَتَرَكتُ أَهلي

وَيَومَ تَبِعتُكُم وَتَرَكتُ أَهلي

عَجيجَ العَودِ يَتَّبِعُ القَرينا

عَجيجَ العَودِ يَتَّبِعُ القَرينا

And on the day I followed you and left my family,

And the day I followed you and left my family,

bellowing like an old camel following its companion.

The wailing of the lute accompanies the couple.