أَلا ما لِسَيِّدَتي ما لَها

أَلا ما لِسَيِّدَتي ما لَها

أَدَلّا فَأَحمِلَ إِذلالَها

أَدَلّا فَأَحمِلَ إِذلالَها

Ah, what ails my lady—what ails her?

Oh, what is with my lady, what ails her?

Is it coquetry? Then I shall bear the humiliation she inflicts.

She has become submissive, so I shall bear her submissiveness

وَإِلّا فَفيمَ تَجَنَّت وَما

وَإِلّا فَفيمَ تَجَنَّت وَما

جَنيتُ سَقى اللَهُ أَطلالَها

جَنيتُ سَقى اللَهُ أَطلالَها

And if not, why has she falsely accused me, when I have not

Or else why did she become jealous and what

Done wrong? May God water her ruined dwellings.

Did I gain, may God water the ruins of her abode

أَلا إِنَّ جارِيَةً لِلإِما

أَلا إِنَّ جارِيَةً لِلإِما

مِ قَد أُسكِنَ الحُبُّ سِربالَها

مِ قَد أُسكِنَ الحُبُّ سِربالَها

Lo, a slave girl belonging to the Imam—

Behold, a slave girl of the imam

Love has been made to dwell in her robe.

In whom love has settled and wrapped her in its cloak

مَشَت بَينَ حورٍ قِصارِ الخُطا

مَشَت بَينَ حورٍ قِصارِ الخُطا

تُجاذِبُ في المَشيِ أَكفالَها

تُجاذِبُ في المَشيِ أَكفالَها

She walked among fair-eyed maidens of short stride,

She walked between short-statured maids

Tugging against her haunches as she walked.

Her wrists competing in a walking match

وَقَد أَتعَبَ اللَهُ نَفسي بِها

وَقَد أَتعَبَ اللَهُ نَفسي بِها

وَأَتعَبَ بِاللَومِ عُذّالَها

وَأَتعَبَ بِاللَومِ عُذّالَها

And God has wearied my soul through her,

God has wearied my soul with her

And wearied her reproachers with reproach.

And wearied me with blaming her coquetry

كَأَنَّ بِعَينَيَّ في حَيثُما

كَأَنَّ بِعَينَيَّ في حَيثُما

سَلَكتُ مِنَ الأَرضِ تِمثالَها

سَلَكتُ مِنَ الأَرضِ تِمثالَها

It is as though before my eyes, wherever

As if in my eyes wherever

I travel on earth, her likeness appears.

I tread on earth is her statue

أَتَتهُ الخِلافَةُ مُنقادَةً

أَتَتهُ الخِلافَةُ مُنقادَةً

إِلَيهِ تُجَرِّرُ أَذيالَها

إِلَيهِ تُجَرِّرُ أَذيالَها

The caliphate came to him submissively,

The caliphate came to him in submission

Toward him, trailing her skirts.

Dragging its train behind

وَلَم تَكُ تَصلُحُ إِلّا لَهُ

وَلَم تَكُ تَصلُحُ إِلّا لَهُ

وَلَم يَكُ يَصلُحُ إِلّا لَها

وَلَم يَكُ يَصلُحُ إِلّا لَها

And she was fit for none but him,

And it was not fit for any but him

And he was fit for none but her.

Nor was he fit for any but it

وَلَو رامَها أَحَدٌ غَيرُهُ

وَلَو رامَها أَحَدٌ غَيرُهُ

لَزُلزِلَتِ الأَرضُ زِلزالَها

لَزُلزِلَتِ الأَرضُ زِلزالَها

And had anyone other than him sought her,

Had anyone else coveted it

The earth would surely have been shaken with its own quaking.

The earth would have shaken with tremors

وَلَو لَم تُطِعهُ بَناتُ القُلوبِ

وَلَو لَم تُطِعهُ بَناتُ القُلوبِ

لَما قَبِلَ اللَهُ أَعمالَها

لَما قَبِلَ اللَهُ أَعمالَها

And had the daughters of hearts not obeyed him,

Had the hearts' daughters not obeyed him

God would not have accepted their deeds.

God would not have accepted their deeds

وَإِنَّ الخَليفَةَ مِن بَعضِ لا

وَإِنَّ الخَليفَةَ مِن بَعضِ لا

إِلَيهِ لَيُبغِضُ مَن قالَها

إِلَيهِ لَيُبغِضُ مَن قالَها

And indeed the caliph, because of a certain 'no'

The caliph is above some

Addressed to him, surely hates whoever uttered it.

Who hate whoever says this of him