أَسَيِّدَتي هاتي فَدَيتُكِ ما جُرمي

أَسَيِّدَتي هاتي فَدَيتُكِ ما جُرمي

فَأَنزِلَ فيما تَشتَهينَ مِنَ الحُكمِ

فَأَنزِلَ فيما تَشتَهينَ مِنَ الحُكمِ

O my lady, tell me—may I be your ransom—what is my crime,

My mistress, for your sake I sacrifice myself, what was my crime

so I may submit to whatever judgment you desire?

So decree what you desire of the judgments

تَلاعَبتِ بي يا عُتبُ ثُمَّ حَمَلتِني

تَلاعَبتِ بي يا عُتبُ ثُمَّ حَمَلتِني

عَلى مَركَبٍ بَينَ المَنِيَّةِ وَالسُقمِ

عَلى مَركَبٍ بَينَ المَنِيَّةِ وَالسُقمِ

You toyed with me, O ʿUtb, then placed me

You toyed with me, oh reproach, then carried me

upon a mount between death and sickness.

Onto a ship between death and sickness

خَليلَيَّ ما لي لا تَزالُ مَضَرَّتي

خَليلَيَّ ما لي لا تَزالُ مَضَرَّتي

تَكونُ عَلى الأَقدارِ حَتماً مِنَ الحَتمِ

تَكونُ عَلى الأَقدارِ حَتماً مِنَ الحَتمِ

My two friends, why must my suffering always

My intimate, why do you remain my tormentor

be one of fate's irrevocable decrees?

Always destined by fate upon the fates

يُصابُ فُؤادي حينَ أُرمى وَرَميَتي

يُصابُ فُؤادي حينَ أُرمى وَرَميَتي

تَعودُ إِلى نَحري وَيَسلَمُ مَن أَرمي

تَعودُ إِلى نَحري وَيَسلَمُ مَن أَرمي

My heart is struck when I am shot at, and my shot

My heart is struck when I shoot and my shooting

returns to my throat, while the one I shoot at goes unharmed.

Returns to my throat and the one I shoot is safe

صَبَرتُ وَلا وَاللَهِ ما بي جَلادَةٌ

صَبَرتُ وَلا وَاللَهِ ما بي جَلادَةٌ

عَلى الصَبرِ لَكِن قَد صَبَرتُ عَلى رَغمي

عَلى الصَبرِ لَكِن قَد صَبَرتُ عَلى رَغمي

I have endured—yet no, by God, I have no fortitude

I have patience—by God I have no endurance

for endurance; but I have endured against my will.

For patience, yet I have been patient despite myself

أَلا في سَبيلِ اللَهِ جِسمي وَقُوَّتي

أَلا في سَبيلِ اللَهِ جِسمي وَقُوَّتي

أَلا مُسعِدٌ حَتّى أَنوحَ عَلى جِسمي

أَلا مُسعِدٌ حَتّى أَنوحَ عَلى جِسمي

Ah, my body and my strength are spent in God's cause!

By God my body and strength are for His cause

Is there no companion in mourning, that I may lament my body?

I am blessed until I weep over my body

تُعَدُّ عِظامي واحِداً بَعدَ واحِدٍ

تُعَدُّ عِظامي واحِداً بَعدَ واحِدٍ

بِمَنحى مِنَ العُذّالِ عَظماً عَلى عَظمِ

بِمَنحى مِنَ العُذّالِ عَظماً عَلى عَظمِ

My bones are counted, one after another,

My bones counted one by one

away from the reproachers, bone upon bone.

By a turn from the tormentor bone over bone

كَفاكِ بِحَقِّ اللَهِ ما قَد ظَلَمتِني

كَفاكِ بِحَقِّ اللَهِ ما قَد ظَلَمتِني

فَهَذا مَقامُ المُستَجيرِ مِنَ الظُلمِ

فَهَذا مَقامُ المُستَجيرِ مِنَ الظُلمِ

Enough, for God's sake, of the wrong you have done me;

By God’s right enough! You have not wronged me

for here stands one seeking refuge from injustice.

This is the station of one seeking refuge from injustice