كَذَبتُ عَلى نَفسي فَحَدَّثتُ أَنَّني

كَذَبتُ عَلى نَفسي فَحَدَّثتُ أَنَّني

سَلَوتُ لِكَيما يُنكِروا حينَ أَصدُقُ

سَلَوتُ لِكَيما يُنكِروا حينَ أَصدُقُ

I lied about myself and said that I

I lied to myself and pretended

had ceased to love, so they would disbelieve me when I speak the truth.

That I was fine so they would deny it when I was truthful

وَما عَن قِلىً مِنّي وَلا عَن مَلالَةٍ

وَما عَن قِلىً مِنّي وَلا عَن مَلالَةٍ

وَلَكِنَّني أُبقي عَليكِ وَأُشفِقُ

وَلَكِنَّني أُبقي عَليكِ وَأُشفِقُ

Not from aversion on my part, nor from weariness,

It wasn't because I was bored or tired of you

but because I spare you and fear for you.

But I was protecting you and caring for you

وَما الهَجرُ إِلّا جُنَّةٌ لي لَبِستُها

وَما الهَجرُ إِلّا جُنَّةٌ لي لَبِستُها

أَقيكِ بِها مِمّا نَخافُ وَنَفرَقُ

أَقيكِ بِها مِمّا نَخافُ وَنَفرَقُ

And estrangement is only a shield I have donned for myself,

Separation is nothing but a shield I wore

with which I protect you from what we fear and dread.

To protect you from what we fear and avoid

عَطَفتُ عَلى أَسرارِكُم فَكَسَوتُها

عَطَفتُ عَلى أَسرارِكُم فَكَسَوتُها

قَميصاً مِن الكِتمانِ لا يَتَخَرَّقُ

قَميصاً مِن الكِتمانِ لا يَتَخَرَّقُ

I felt tenderness for your secrets, so I clothed them

I was gentle with your secrets and covered them

in a shirt of concealment that will not tear.

With a shirt of concealment that won't rip

وَلي عَبرَتانِ ما تُفيقانِ عَبرَةٌ

وَلي عَبرَتانِ ما تُفيقانِ عَبرَةٌ

تَفيضُ وَأُخرى بِالصَبابَةِ تُخنَقُ

تَفيضُ وَأُخرى بِالصَبابَةِ تُخنَقُ

And I have two tears that never subside: one tear

I have two kinds of tears: one flows

overflows, and another is choked by longing.

While the other chokes with sobbing

وَيَومانِ يَومٌ فيهِ جِسمي مُعَذَّبٌ

وَيَومانِ يَومٌ فيهِ جِسمي مُعَذَّبٌ

بِما بي وَيَومٌ بِالتَفَكُّرِ مُطرِقُ

بِما بي وَيَومٌ بِالتَفَكُّرِ مُطرِقُ

And two days are mine: one when my body is tormented

I have two days: one where my body suffers

by what ails me, and one spent with my head bowed in thought.

From my own pains, the other bowed in thought

وَأَكبَرُ حَظّي مِنكِ أَنّي إِذا جَرَت

وَأَكبَرُ حَظّي مِنكِ أَنّي إِذا جَرَت

لِيَ الريحُ مِن تِلقائِكُم أِتَنَشَّقُ

لِيَ الريحُ مِن تِلقائِكُم أِتَنَشَّقُ

And my greatest share from you is that, whenever there blows

My greatest share of you is that when

toward me the wind from your direction, I breathe it in.

The wind blows to me from your direction, I revive

وَقَد زَعَمَ الحُرُّ اِبنُ نَوفَلَ أَنَّ ذا

وَقَد زَعَمَ الحُرُّ اِبنُ نَوفَلَ أَنَّ ذا

أَصَبُّ وَأَجرى لِلدُّموعِ وَأَشوَقُ

أَصَبُّ وَأَجرى لِلدُّموعِ وَأَشوَقُ

And al-Hurr ibn Nawfal has claimed that this

Al-Hurr ibn Yazid al-Nawfal claimed that he

is more passionate, draws more tears, and is fuller of longing.

Was more apt to tears and passions than I

فَقُلتُ لَهُ يا لَيتَ حَظِّيَ أَنَّها

فَقُلتُ لَهُ يا لَيتَ حَظِّيَ أَنَّها

إِذا لَم تُحَقِّق لي الهَوى تَتَخَلَّقُ

إِذا لَم تُحَقِّق لي الهَوى تَتَخَلَّقُ

So I said to him, 'Oh, would that my lot were that she,

So I said to him: I wish my share were that

if she does not truly love me, would at least feign affection.'

When love doesn't fulfill me, the tears would trickle