تَبَدَّلتُ إِلفاً إِذ تَبَدَّلتَ بي إِلفا

تَبَدَّلتُ إِلفاً إِذ تَبَدَّلتَ بي إِلفا

وَقَد خانَني فيكَ الزَمانُ وَما أَوفى

وَقَد خانَني فيكَ الزَمانُ وَما أَوفى

I took another companion when you took another in my place.

When you changed toward me, I changed toward you

And time betrayed me through you and kept no faith.

And time has betrayed me regarding you, and was not faithful

وَجَرَّعتُ نَفسي مِن إِخائِكَ سَلوَةً

وَجَرَّعتُ نَفسي مِن إِخائِكَ سَلوَةً

عَلى الرَغمِ مِنّي جُرعَةً مُرَّةً صِرفا

عَلى الرَغمِ مِنّي جُرعَةً مُرَّةً صِرفا

And I made myself drink forgetfulness of your friendship,

And I quenched myself with your brotherhood a consolation

against my will—a bitter, unmixed draught.

Despite myself a bitter potion purely

رَمَيتُ بِحَظّي مِنكَ في أَبعَدِ المَدى

رَمَيتُ بِحَظّي مِنكَ في أَبعَدِ المَدى

وَأَسلَمتُهُ لِلريحِ تَنسِفُهُ نَسفا

وَأَسلَمتُهُ لِلريحِ تَنسِفُهُ نَسفا

I flung my share of you into the farthest distance,

I cast my fortune with you into the furthest extent

and surrendered it to the wind to scatter it utterly.

And surrendered it to the wind to blow it away entirely

وَوَاللَهِ ما زالَت لَوامِعُ بارِقٍ

وَوَاللَهِ ما زالَت لَوامِعُ بارِقٍ

مِنَ الغَدرِ في أَجفانِ عَينَيكَ لا تَخفى

مِنَ الغَدرِ في أَجفانِ عَينَيكَ لا تَخفى

And by God, there have always been lightning flashes

By God, the lightnings of treachery have not ceased

of treachery in the lids of your eyes, never concealed.

To be hidden in your eyelids

مَلِلتَ فَما تَعدو المَلالَ سَجِيَّةً

مَلِلتَ فَما تَعدو المَلالَ سَجِيَّةً

تَعَوَّدتَها لا تَستَطيعُ لَها صَرفا

تَعَوَّدتَها لا تَستَطيعُ لَها صَرفا

You grew weary; you never leave weariness behind—a habit

You wearied, so you do not transcend weariness a disposition

you have acquired and cannot turn away from.

You have become accustomed to it, you cannot turn it away

فَأُقسِمُ لَو أَيقَنتُ أَنَّ مَلالَةً

فَأُقسِمُ لَو أَيقَنتُ أَنَّ مَلالَةً

لِعَينَيَّ تَسمو لَم أُدِر لَهُما طَرفا

لِعَينَيَّ تَسمو لَم أُدِر لَهُما طَرفا

So I swear: if I knew for certain that weariness

So I swear if I was certain that weariness

would rise toward my own eyes, I would not turn a glance toward them.

For my eyes ascended I would not turn them away