نالَ مِنّي الهَوى مَنالاً عَجيبا

نالَ مِنّي الهَوى مَنالاً عَجيبا

وَتَشَكَّيتُ عاذِلي وَالرَقيبا

وَتَشَكَّيتُ عاذِلي وَالرَقيبا

Love has taken an astonishing hold on me.

Love has strangely conquered me,

Passion has exacted a wondrous toll upon me,

And I complained of my reproacher and the watcher.

And I complained to my critic and watcher.

And I complained of my censurer and the watcher,

شِبتُ طِفلاً وَلَم يَحِن لي مَشيبٌ

شِبتُ طِفلاً وَلَم يَحِن لي مَشيبٌ

غَيرَ أَنَّ الهَوى رَأى أَن أَشيبا

غَيرَ أَنَّ الهَوى رَأى أَن أَشيبا

I went gray as a child, though my time for gray hair had not come.

I grew up a child, with no grey hair,

I turned grey as a child, though my time for greying had not come,

Yet love saw fit that I should go gray.

Except that love saw I should grey.

Except that Passion saw fit that I should turn grey,

أَسعِديني عَلى الزَمانِ عَريبٌ

أَسعِديني عَلى الزَمانِ عَريبٌ

إِنَّما يُسعِدُ الغَريبُ الغَريبا

إِنَّما يُسعِدُ الغَريبُ الغَريبا

Help me against time, ʿArīb.

A stranger brings me joy in time,

Aid me against the trials of Time, O Areeb,

Only a stranger helps a stranger.

For a stranger makes a stranger happy.

For truly, only a stranger brings aid to a stranger,

وَإِذا جِئتُها سَمِعتُ غِناءً

وَإِذا جِئتُها سَمِعتُ غِناءً

مُرجِعاً لِلفُؤادِ مِنّي نَصيبا

مُرجِعاً لِلفُؤادِ مِنّي نَصيبا

And when I came to her, I heard singing,

And when I come to her, I hear singing

And when I came to her, I heard singing,

Restoring a share of me to my heart.

Returning to my heart a share.

Restoring to my heart a portion of itself.