يا أُمَّ عَمرٍو لا تَجُدّي صُرمَنا

يا أُمَّ عَمرٍو لا تَجُدّي صُرمَنا

وَكَيفَ تَصرِمينَ حَبلَ مَن يَصِل

وَكَيفَ تَصرِمينَ حَبلَ مَن يَصِل

O Umm ʿAmr, do not be resolved to sever our bond;

O Umm Amr, do not be set on cutting us off.

O mother of Amr, do not sever our affinity

how can you cut the cord of one who keeps it joined?

And how can you sever the cord of one who maintains the bond?

How can you sever the rope of one who connects?

وَذاكَ جَهلٌ بِكِ إِلّا أَنَّنا

وَذاكَ جَهلٌ بِكِ إِلّا أَنَّنا

قاتِلُنا حُبُّكِ إِن حُبٌّ قَتَل

قاتِلُنا حُبُّكِ إِن حُبٌّ قَتَل

That is folly on your part—save that

And that is folly on your part; yet

That is ignorance of you, except that we

your love is our slayer, if ever love has slain.

love for you is our slayer, if love has ever slain.

Were killed by your love, if love itself kills

باكَرني بِسُخرَةٍ عَواذِلي

باكَرني بِسُخرَةٍ عَواذِلي

وَلَومُهُنَّ خَبَلٌ مِنَ الخَبَل

وَلَومُهُنَّ خَبَلٌ مِنَ الخَبَل

At daybreak my reproachers came to me with mockery,

My reproachers came to me early with mockery,

My slanderers have chided me with frivolity

but their reproach is madness upon madness.

and their reproach is sheer madness.

Yet their blame is madness from the deranged

يَلُمنَني في حاجَةٍ ذَكَرتُها

يَلُمنَني في حاجَةٍ ذَكَرتُها

في عَصرِ أَزمانٍ وَدَهرٍ قَد نَسَل

في عَصرِ أَزمانٍ وَدَهرٍ قَد نَسَل

They blame me for a longing I spoke of

They reproach me for a desire I recalled

They blame me regarding a need I mentioned

in an age of times gone by, an era that has slipped away.

in times gone by and an age that has sped away.

In an age of time and fate that has flowed away