مَلَّني واستحلَّ ظُلمي

مَلَّني واستحلَّ ظُلمي

وما لي فيه يَدُ

وما لي فيه يَدُ

He grew tired of me and deemed it lawful to wrong me,

He wronged me and made oppression fair,

and I am powerless in this.

Yet I've no say in this affair,

بَدرُ تمٍّ أبهَى من

بَدرُ تمٍّ أبهَى من

البدرِ حسناً وأَبعَدُ

البدرِ حسناً وأَبعَدُ

A full moon, lovelier than

A full moon that outshone the moon itself,

the full moon in beauty, and farther away.

In beauty and in distance far.

خانَ عهدي وخانني

خانَ عهدي وخانني

في هواه التّجلُّدُ

في هواه التّجلُّدُ

He broke faith with me, and I was betrayed

He broke his vow and betrayed me,

in loving him by my own fortitude.

Deceit clings to him like a shroud,

أَنا في نارِ هجرِهِ

أَنا في نارِ هجرِهِ

وقِلاهُ مُخَلَّدُ

وقِلاهُ مُخَلَّدُ

I am in the fire of his abandonment

While I burn in the fire of his abandonment,

and his loathing, dwelling there forever.

Branded by longing, senses clouded.

كما تقرَّبتُ بالوصالِ

كما تقرَّبتُ بالوصالِ

إليهِ وَيبعُدُ

إليهِ وَيبعُدُ

As I drew near through union

The closer I drew with union's desire,

to him, yet he draws away.

The further he withdrew, bestowing doubt,

لا أطيعُ النّصيحَ فيه

لا أطيعُ النّصيحَ فيه

وإن كانَ يُرشِدُ

وإن كانَ يُرشِدُ

I do not heed the sincere adviser about him,

I heed no advice though wisdom it bears,

even if he guides me rightly.

If it means my love be without.

وإذا لامني العوا

وإذا لامني العوا

ذِلُ فيه وفَنَّدُوا

ذِلُ فيه وفَنَّدُوا

And when the reproachers blame me

When blamed by kin for loving one

about him and call me foolish,

Who spurned me and led me astray,

عُدتُ في حُبِّهِ إلى

عُدتُ في حُبِّهِ إلى

الغَيِّ والعَودُ أَحمَدُ

الغَيِّ والعَودُ أَحمَدُ

I return, in my love for him, to

To passion I return, its madness my way,

error—and returning is more praiseworthy.

For in his love, entrapped I stay.