قَد كُنتُ أَعلَمُ يا ظَلو

قَد كُنتُ أَعلَمُ يا ظَلو

مُ بِأَنَّ وَصلَكِ لا يَدومُ

مُ بِأَنَّ وَصلَكِ لا يَدومُ

I knew full well, O cruel—

I had known, O Zalum,

—one, that your union would not endure.

that union with you would not last.

قَد كُنتُ أُغبَطُ فيكُمُ

قَد كُنتُ أُغبَطُ فيكُمُ

حيناً وَأَمرُكِ مُستَقيمُ

حيناً وَأَمرُكِ مُستَقيمُ

Once I was envied for having you,

I had been envied on your account

for a time, while your course was true.

for a time, while your conduct was upright,

حَتّى نَقَضتِ عُهودَنا

حَتّى نَقَضتِ عُهودَنا

وَالعَهدُ يَنقُضُهُ الظَلومُ

وَالعَهدُ يَنقُضُهُ الظَلومُ

Until you broke the promises between us—

until you broke our pledges—

and one who knows a covenant breaks it knowingly.

and the cruel one breaks the pledge.

هَل تَذكُرينَ حَديثَنا

هَل تَذكُرينَ حَديثَنا

وَاللَيلُ مُسوَدٌّ بَهيمُ

وَاللَيلُ مُسوَدٌّ بَهيمُ

Do you remember our conversation,

Do you remember our talk,

while the night was black, impenetrably dark,

while the night was black and pitch-dark,

إِذ نَحنُ نَعصي في الهَوى

إِذ نَحنُ نَعصي في الهَوى

قَولَ الوُشاةِ وَمَن يَلومُ

قَولَ الوُشاةِ وَمَن يَلومُ

when we, in love, defied

when, in love, we defied

the words of slanderers—and all who reproached us?

the words of slanderers and of those who reproached us?