وَماand not طِبتُI was content نَفساًin spirit عَنكِaway from you لَمّاwhen هَجَرتِنيyou forsook me
وَما طِبتُ نَفساً عَنكِ لَمّا هَجَرتِني
وَلَيسَand is not سُكوتيmy silence عَنfrom سُلُوٍّforgetfulness of love وَلاnor صَبرِpatience
وَلَيسَ سُكوتي عَن سُلُوٍّ وَلا صَبرِ
And I did not willingly give you up when you forsook me;
My soul found no rest away from you after you abandoned me,
Nor does my silence come from forgetting you or patience.
My silence was not out of patience or tranquility,
وَلَكِنbut سَخَتgave freely نَفسيmy soul بِنَفسيwith my life لِتَبلُغيso that you might attain
وَلَكِن سَخَت نَفسي بِنَفسي لِتَبلُغي
رِضاكِyour satisfaction بِقَتليby killing me إِنif عَزَمتِyou resolved عَلىon الهَجرِforsaking
رِضاكِ بِقَتلي إِن عَزَمتِ عَلى الهَجرِ
But my soul freely offered up my life, so that you might attain
But I hardened my soul against itself so you may find contentment
Your satisfaction by killing me, if you are resolved to forsake me.
In killing me, if you are determined to abandon me,
وَأَيقَنتُand I knew for certain أَنّيthat I إِنif تَكَلَّمتُI spoke ضَرَّنيit would harm me
وَأَيقَنتُ أَنّي إِن تَكَلَّمتُ ضَرَّني
كَلاميmy words فَآثَرتُso I preferred السُكوتَsilence عَلىover الخُسرِloss
كَلامي فَآثَرتُ السُكوتَ عَلى الخُسرِ
And I knew for certain that, if I spoke, I would be harmed
And I knew that if I spoke it would hurt me,
By my words; so I chose silence over loss.
So I chose silence over loss