عُتبُ ما لِلخَيالِ

عُتبُ ما لِلخَيالِ

خَبِّريني وَمالي

خَبِّريني وَمالي

ʿUtb, what ails the phantom?

Reproach not the phantom of fantasy

Tell me—and why is it that

Tell me now, what ails me?

لا أَراهُ أَتاني

لا أَراهُ أَتاني

زائِراً مُذ لَيالي

زائِراً مُذ لَيالي

I have not seen it come to me

I see him not since nights ago

As a visitor these past nights?

Visiting, as he was wont to do

لَو رَآني صَديقي

لَو رَآني صَديقي

رَقَّ لي أَو رَثى لي

رَقَّ لي أَو رَثى لي

If my friend saw me,

Had my friend but seen me thus

He would feel compassion for me or pity me;

He would have wept for me, or grieved for me

أَو يَراني عَدُوّي

أَو يَراني عَدُوّي

لانَ مِن سوءِ حالي

لانَ مِن سوءِ حالي

Or if my enemy saw me,

Or had my foe but seen me so

He would soften at my wretched state.

He would refrain from doing me more woe