سُكوتي بَلاءٌ لا أُطيقُ اِحتِمالَهُ

سُكوتي بَلاءٌ لا أُطيقُ اِحتِمالَهُ

وَقَلبي أَلوفٌ لِلهَوى غَيرُ نازِعِ

وَقَلبي أَلوفٌ لِلهَوى غَيرُ نازِعِ

My silence is an affliction whose burden I cannot bear;

My silence is an affliction I cannot bear.

and my heart, long accustomed to love, will not turn away.

And my heart is devoted to love, never turning away.

فَأُقسِمُ ما تَركي عِتابَكِ عَن قِلىً

فَأُقسِمُ ما تَركي عِتابَكِ عَن قِلىً

وَلَكِن لِعِلمي أَنَّهُ غَيرُ نافِعِ

وَلَكِن لِعِلمي أَنَّهُ غَيرُ نافِعِ

I swear, my ceasing to reproach you is not born of aversion,

So I swear, my ceasing to reproach you is not out of aversion,

but comes from knowing that reproach will do no good.

But because I know that it is of no avail,

وَأَنّي إِذا لَم أَلزَمِ الصَبرَ طائِعاً

وَأَنّي إِذا لَم أَلزَمِ الصَبرَ طائِعاً

فَلابُدَّ مِنهُ مُكرَهاً غَيرَ طائِعِ

فَلابُدَّ مِنهُ مُكرَهاً غَيرَ طائِعِ

And if I do not bind myself to patience willingly,

And that, if I do not hold to patience willingly,

then endure I must—under compulsion, not by choice.

Then I must do so, compelled and unwilling.

وَلَو كانَ ما يُرضيكِ عِندي مُمَثَّلاً

وَلَو كانَ ما يُرضيكِ عِندي مُمَثَّلاً

لَكُنتُ لِما يُرضيكِ أَوَّلَ تابِعِ

لَكُنتُ لِما يُرضيكِ أَوَّلَ تابِعِ

Were all that pleases you made manifest before me,

And if what pleases you were made manifest to me,

I would be the first to follow whatever pleases you.

I would be the first to follow what pleases you.

إِذا أَنتِ لَم يَعطِفكِ إِلّا شَفاعَةٌ

إِذا أَنتِ لَم يَعطِفكِ إِلّا شَفاعَةٌ

فَلا خَيرَ في وُدٍّ يَكونُ بِشافِعِ

فَلا خَيرَ في وُدٍّ يَكونُ بِشافِعِ

If nothing can soften you but an intercessor’s plea,

If you are moved to affection only by intercession,

then there is no good in love that needs an intercessor.

Then there is no good in affection that comes through an intercessor.