بَلَّغا عَنّي سُلَيمى

بَلَّغا عَنّي سُلَيمى

وَسَلاها لِيَ عَمّا

وَسَلاها لِيَ عَمّا

You two, bear my message to Sulayma,

You two, carry my message to Sulayma,

and ask her for me what

And ask her for me about what

فَعَلَت في شَأنِ صَبٍّ

فَعَلَت في شَأنِ صَبٍّ

دَنِفٍ أُشعِرَ هَمّا

دَنِفٍ أُشعِرَ هَمّا

she has done concerning a passionate lover,

She has done concerning a lovesick man,

lovesick, ailing, and made to feel anguish.

Ailing, clothed in sorrow.

وَلَقَد قُلتُ لِسَلمى

وَلَقَد قُلتُ لِسَلمى

إِذ قَتَلتُ البَينَ عِلما

إِذ قَتَلتُ البَينَ عِلما

Indeed, I said to Salma,

And indeed I said to Salma,

when I knew our parting for certain:

When I fully understood the parting:

أَنتِ هَمّي يا سُلَيمى

أَنتِ هَمّي يا سُلَيمى

قَد قَضاهُ الرَبُّ حَتما

قَد قَضاهُ الرَبُّ حَتما

“You are my care, O Sulayma;

You are my sorrow, O Sulayma;

the Lord has irrevocably decreed it.”

The Lord has decreed it irrevocably.

نَزَلَت في القَلبِ قَسراً

نَزَلَت في القَلبِ قَسراً

مَنزِلاً قَد كانَ يُحمى

مَنزِلاً قَد كانَ يُحمى

By force she came to dwell within the heart,

She settled in the heart by force,

in a place that had once been guarded.

In a dwelling-place that had been guarded.