أَيا مُلينَ الحَديدِ

أَيا مُلينَ الحَديدِ

لِعَبدِهِ داوُودِ

لِعَبدِهِ داوُودِ

O softener of iron

O You who made the iron yielding

for His servant David,

For Your servant, David,

أَلِن فُؤادَ جِنانٍ

أَلِن فُؤادَ جِنانٍ

لِعاشِقٍ مَعمودِ

لِعاشِقٍ مَعمودِ

soften the heart of Jinān

Make soft the heart of Jinan

for a love-stricken lover.

Towards a lover consumed by pain.

قَد صارَتِ النَفسُ مِنهُ

قَد صارَتِ النَفسُ مِنهُ

بَينَ الحَشا وَالوَريدِ

بَينَ الحَشا وَالوَريدِ

His soul has come to lie

His soul has arrived, because of her,

between his entrails and his jugular vein.

To the brink between the vitals and the jugular vein.

جِنانُ جودي وَإِن عَز

جِنانُ جودي وَإِن عَز

زَكِ الهَوى أَن تَجودي

زَكِ الهَوى أَن تَجودي

Jinān, be generous, even if

Jinan, be generous, even if—in its might—

love makes it hard for you to give.

Pride makes it hard for you to be kind.

أَلا اِقتُليني فَفي ذا

أَلا اِقتُليني فَفي ذا

كَ راحَةٌ لِلعَميدِ

كَ راحَةٌ لِلعَميدِ

Come, kill me, for in that

Or else kill me, for in that act

is relief for the love-stricken.

Lies a respite for the lovesick wretch.

أَما رَحِمتِ اِشتِياقي

أَما رَحِمتِ اِشتِياقي

أَما رَحِمتِ سُهودي

أَما رَحِمتِ سُهودي

Have you not pitied my longing?

Have you no mercy for my longing?

Have you not pitied my sleeplessness?

Have you no mercy for my sleeplessness?

أَما رَأَيتِ بُكائي

أَما رَأَيتِ بُكائي

في كُلِّ يَومٍ جَديدِ

في كُلِّ يَومٍ جَديدِ

Have you not seen my weeping

Have you not witnessed my weeping

each new day?

In every new day that dawns?

فَقَرِّبي لِمُحِبٍّ

فَقَرِّبي لِمُحِبٍّ

مَحضَ الوِدادِ وَجودي

مَحضَ الوِدادِ وَجودي

So bring to a lover

So bring close to a lover

pure affection, and be generous—

Pure affection, and be bountiful.

صَبٍّ حَريضٍ مَهيضٍ

صَبٍّ حَريضٍ مَهيضٍ

ناءٍ طَريدٍ شَريدِ

ناءٍ طَريدٍ شَريدِ

lovesick, wasting away, broken,

To one lovesick, wasted, and broken,

far away, driven out, wandering,

Far from home, an outcast, a fugitive,

حَرّانَ يَدعو بِلَيلٍ

حَرّانَ يَدعو بِلَيلٍ

يا لَلوَحيدِ الفَريدِ

يا لَلوَحيدِ الفَريدِ

parched, calling out by night:

Burning with fever, calling out by night:

Alas for the lonely, solitary one!

"Oh, help the lonely, the solitary one!"

قومي فَقَد كانَ مِنكُم

قومي فَقَد كانَ مِنكُم

فُديتِ طولُ الرُقودِ

فُديتِ طولُ الرُقودِ

Rise, for yours has been—

Arise—for indeed, from your side—

may I be your ransom—a long slumber.

May you be ransomed, the slumber has been long.

فَأَنجِزي لِيَ وَعدي

فَأَنجِزي لِيَ وَعدي

وَأَقصِري مِن وَعيدي

وَأَقصِري مِن وَعيدي

So fulfill the promise made to me,

Fulfill the promise you made to me,

and lessen the threats against me.

And cease your threatening,

فَقَد وَعَدتِ مَواعي

فَقَد وَعَدتِ مَواعي

دَ كَالسَرابِ بِبيدِ

دَ كَالسَرابِ بِبيدِ

For you have made promises

For you have given me promises

like a mirage in barren wastes.

Like a mirage in the desert wastes.