كُلَّ يَومٍ لي مِنكِ هَمٌّ جَديدُ

كُلَّ يَومٍ لي مِنكِ هَمٌّ جَديدُ

لَيسَ يَبلى هَمّي وَلَيسَ يَبيدُ

لَيسَ يَبلى هَمّي وَلَيسَ يَبيدُ

Each day you bring me a fresh sorrow.

Every day brings me a new sorrow from you.

My sorrow never wears away, nor does it end.

My sorrow does not wear away, nor does it perish.

زَعَمَ الجاهِلونَ بي أَنَّ قَلبي

زَعَمَ الجاهِلونَ بي أَنَّ قَلبي

بِالجَنابِ الشَرقِيِّ صَبٌ عَميدُ

بِالجَنابِ الشَرقِيِّ صَبٌ عَميدُ

The ignorant suppose of me that my heart,

Those ignorant of me claimed that my heart

In the Eastern Quarter, lies lovesick and laid low.

is lovesick and sorely stricken in the eastern quarter.

لَيسَ عِشقُ الإِماءِ مِن شُغلِ مِثلي

لَيسَ عِشقُ الإِماءِ مِن شُغلِ مِثلي

إِنَّما يَعشَقُ الإِماءَ العَبيدُ

إِنَّما يَعشَقُ الإِماءَ العَبيدُ

Love of slave women is no concern for a man like me;

Loving slave women is no pursuit for one like me;

Only slaves fall in love with slave women.

only slaves love slave women.

لا وَفاءٌ وَلا حِفاظٌ وَلَكِن

لا وَفاءٌ وَلا حِفاظٌ وَلَكِن

كُذَّبُ الوُدِّ ما لَهُنَّ عُهودُ

كُذَّبُ الوُدِّ ما لَهُنَّ عُهودُ

No faithfulness, no constancy—but

They have neither fidelity nor loyalty, but

False in love, they have no covenants.

are false in love; they have no pledges.

صِل إِذا ما وَصَلتَ حُرَّةَ قَومٍ

صِل إِذا ما وَصَلتَ حُرَّةَ قَومٍ

شَرَّفَتها آباؤُها وَالجُدودُ

شَرَّفَتها آباؤُها وَالجُدودُ

If you court, court a freeborn woman of noble stock,

When you form a bond, bind yourself to a freeborn woman of a clan,

Ennobled by her fathers and forefathers.

whom her fathers and forefathers have ennobled.

لَيسَ لي يا ظَلومُ غَيرَكِ هَمٌّ

لَيسَ لي يا ظَلومُ غَيرَكِ هَمٌّ

أَنتِ هَمّي طَريفُهُ وَالتَليدُ

أَنتِ هَمّي طَريفُهُ وَالتَليدُ

I have no sorrow but you, O cruel one;

I have no sorrow but you, O Zalum;

You are all my sorrow—its new and its old.

you are my sorrow, both new and long-held.