تَبَدَّلتُ اِكِساراً بِالنَشاطِ

تَبَدَّلتُ اِكِساراً بِالنَشاطِ

وَشَدَّ الحُبُّ بِالبَلوى رِباطي

وَشَدَّ الحُبُّ بِالبَلوى رِباطي

I traded vigor for languor,

I traded my sorrows for cheerfulness,

I have exchanged my vigor for a shattered spirit,

and love tightened my tether with affliction.

And love has bound me with affliction.

And Love, through affliction, has tightened my bonds.

وَلَولا أَنَّني أَسطو بِصَبرٍ

وَلَولا أَنَّني أَسطو بِصَبرٍ

عَلى قَلبي لَبانَ مِنَ النِياطِ

عَلى قَلبي لَبانَ مِنَ النِياطِ

And were I not to bear down with patience

Were it not that I mastered patience over my heart,

Were it not that I master my heart with patience,

upon my heart, it would come loose from its heartstrings.

It would have oozed like honey from a comb.

It would have surely torn loose from its very cords.

وَأَنوَكَ قالَ لَو أَقصَرتُ عَنهُ

وَأَنوَكَ قالَ لَو أَقصَرتُ عَنهُ

فَقُلتُ لَهُ اللِقاءُ عَلى الصِراطِ

فَقُلتُ لَهُ اللِقاءُ عَلى الصِراطِ

And a fool said he wished I would give him up;

He reproached me saying, had I neglected him,

A fool advised, "If only you would refrain from this,"

so I told him, 'We shall meet on the Sirat.'

I said the meeting is on the straight path.

To whom I replied, "The reckoning is at the Bridge of Doom."

فَلَولا أَنَّهُ إِذ لامَ فيهِ

فَلَولا أَنَّهُ إِذ لامَ فيهِ

تَحَرَّمَ بِالجُلوسِ عَلى بِساطي

تَحَرَّمَ بِالجُلوسِ عَلى بِساطي

But had he not, when reproaching me over him,

Were it not that when he blamed me

And were it not that, while he poured out blame,

claimed sanctuary by sitting on my carpet...

He was forbidden from sitting on my carpet.

He held the sanctity of a guest upon my carpet,

فَقُلتُ لَهُ بِما آتيهِ عَقلاً

فَقُلتُ لَهُ بِما آتيهِ عَقلاً

لِيَعذِرَ في هَوى الحورِ العَواطي

لِيَعذِرَ في هَوى الحورِ العَواطي

So I reasoned with him about what I do,

So I said to him with the reasoning of my mind,

I answered him with reason regarding my ways,

that he might excuse my love for the dark-eyed beauties reaching out:

That he may excuse the love of maidens with dangling tresses.

That he might excuse my passion for the graceful beauties:

لَعَيبُكَ لي وَقَولُكَ خَلِّ عَنهُ

لَعَيبُكَ لي وَقَولُكَ خَلِّ عَنهُ

أَشَدُّ عَلَيَّ مِن وَقعِ السِياطِ

أَشَدُّ عَلَيَّ مِن وَقعِ السِياطِ

'Indeed, your reproach of me and your saying, “Give him up,”

Your fault with me and your words, leave them be,

"Your censure of me, and your saying 'Leave this be,'

are harsher on me than the blows of whips.'

Are more hurtful to me than the stroke of whips.

Are more grievous to me than the lash of whips."