أَحَمامَةَ البَيدا أَطَلتِ بُكاكِ

أَحَمامَةَ البَيدا أَطَلتِ بُكاكِ

فَبِحُسنِ صَوتُكِ ما الَّذي أَبكاكِ

فَبِحُسنِ صَوتُكِ ما الَّذي أَبكاكِ

O dove of the desert, you have prolonged your weeping.

O dove of the wilderness, your crying has lasted long

So, by the beauty of your voice, what has made you weep?

With your beautiful voice, what made you cry?

إِن كانَ حَقاً ما ظَنَنتُ فَإِنَّ بي

إِن كانَ حَقاً ما ظَنَنتُ فَإِنَّ بي

فَوقَ الَّذي بِكِ مِن شَديدِ جَواكِ

فَوقَ الَّذي بِكِ مِن شَديدِ جَواكِ

If what I have supposed is true, then within me lies

If what I suspected is true, then I

a sorrow greater than the fierce anguish within you.

More than you from intense separation.

إِنّي أَظُنُّكِ قَد دُهيتِ بِفُرقَةٍ

إِنّي أَظُنُّكِ قَد دُهيتِ بِفُرقَةٍ

مِن مُؤنِسٍ لَكِ فَاِرتَمَضتِ لِذاكِ

مِن مُؤنِسٍ لَكِ فَاِرتَمَضتِ لِذاكِ

Indeed, I think you have been stricken by separation

I think you are distraught from parting

from a companion of yours, and so you burned with grief at that.

With a close companion, so you yearned for him.

لَكِنَّ ما أَشكوهُ مِن فَرطِ الجَوى

لَكِنَّ ما أَشكوهُ مِن فَرطِ الجَوى

بِخِلافِ ما تَجِدينَ مِن شَكواكِ

بِخِلافِ ما تَجِدينَ مِن شَكواكِ

But the overwhelming anguish I lament

But my complaint from intense passion

is unlike what you feel in your lament.

Is unlike what you find from your crying.

أَنا إِنَّما أَبكي الذُنوبَ وَأَسرِها

أَنا إِنَّما أَبكي الذُنوبَ وَأَسرِها

وَمُنايَ في الشَكوى مَنالُ فَكاكي

وَمُنايَ في الشَكوى مَنالُ فَكاكي

I weep only for sins and the bondage they impose,

I only cry for sins and confessing them

and my hope in lamenting is to gain my release.

And in complaining is the reaching of my salvation.

وَإِذا بَكَيتُ سَأَلتُ رَبي رَحمَةً

وَإِذا بَكَيتُ سَأَلتُ رَبي رَحمَةً

وَتَجاوزاً فَبُكايَ غَيرُ بُكاكِ

وَتَجاوزاً فَبُكايَ غَيرُ بُكاكِ

And when I weep, I ask my Lord for mercy

And when I cry I ask my Lord for mercy

and pardon; so my weeping is unlike yours.

And pardon so my crying is unlike your crying.