عَلَّموهُ كَيفَ يَجفو فَجَفا

عَلَّموهُ كَيفَ يَجفو فَجَفا

ظالِمٌ لاقَيتُ مِنهُ ما كَفى

ظالِمٌ لاقَيتُ مِنهُ ما كَفى

They taught him how to shun me, and so he did.

They taught him to be cold, so he became cold

A tyrant—I have suffered enough at his hands.

An oppressor I met, from whom I got enough

مُسرِفٌ في هَجرِهِ ما يَنتَهي

مُسرِفٌ في هَجرِهِ ما يَنتَهي

أَتُراهُم عَلَّموهُ السَرَفا

أَتُراهُم عَلَّموهُ السَرَفا

He goes to excess in forsaking me, never relenting.

Excessive in his estrangement, endless

Do you think they taught him excess?

Did they teach him such extravagance?

جَعَلوا ذَنبي لَدَيهِ سَهَري

جَعَلوا ذَنبي لَدَيهِ سَهَري

لَيتَ يَدري إِذ دَرى الذَنبَ عَفا

لَيتَ يَدري إِذ دَرى الذَنبَ عَفا

They made my sleeplessness a fault in his eyes.

They made my sin unforgivable to him

Would that he understood and, knowing the fault, forgave.

If only he knew when he knew of sin, he would pardon

عَرَفَ الناسُ حُقوقي عِندَهُ

عَرَفَ الناسُ حُقوقي عِندَهُ

وَغَريمي ما دَرى ما عَرَفا

وَغَريمي ما دَرى ما عَرَفا

People acknowledged my claims upon him;

People recognized my rights with him

yet my debtor neither knew nor acknowledged them.

While my adversary did not know, did not recognize

صَحَّ لي في العُمرِ مِنهُ مَوعِدٌ

صَحَّ لي في العُمرِ مِنهُ مَوعِدٌ

ثُمَّ ما صَدَّقتُ حَتّى أَخلَفا

ثُمَّ ما صَدَّقتُ حَتّى أَخلَفا

For once in my life, a promise from him was confirmed;

A promise was made to me in life by him

then scarcely had I believed it when he broke it.

Yet I did not believe it until he broke it

وَيَرى لي الصَبرَ قَلبٌ ما دَرى

وَيَرى لي الصَبرَ قَلبٌ ما دَرى

أَنَّ ما كَلَّفَني ما كَلَّفا

أَنَّ ما كَلَّفَني ما كَلَّفا

A heart counsels patience for me, not knowing

And he sees patience for me, a heart that knows not

what a burden it has asked me to bear.

That what he tasked me with, he did not task

مُستَهامٌ في هَواهُ مُدنَفٌ

مُستَهامٌ في هَواهُ مُدنَفٌ

يَتَرَضّى مُستَهاماً مُدنَفا

يَتَرَضّى مُستَهاماً مُدنَفا

One crazed with love for him and wasting away

Obsessed with his love, accusing

seeks to appease another, love-crazed and wasting away.

Content with an obsessed accuser

يا خَليلَيَّ صِفا لي حيلَةً

يا خَليلَيَّ صِفا لي حيلَةً

وَأَرى الحيلَةَ أَن لا تَصِفا

وَأَرى الحيلَةَ أَن لا تَصِفا

O my two dear friends, suggest a stratagem for me;

Oh my friend, advise me a solution

yet I think the stratagem is that you suggest none.

And I see the solution is not to advise

أَنا لَو نادَيتُهُ في ذِلَّةٍ

أَنا لَو نادَيتُهُ في ذِلَّةٍ

هِيَ ذي روحي فَخُذها ما اِحتَفى

هِيَ ذي روحي فَخُذها ما اِحتَفى

Were I to call to him in abasement,

If I called him in humiliation

“Here is my soul—take it!” he would pay no heed.

Saying, here is my soul, take it without hesitation