قُل لِفَوزٍ رُدّي عَلَيَّ السَلاما

قُل لِفَوزٍ رُدّي عَلَيَّ السَلاما

وَأَجيبي مُتَيَّماً مُستَهاما

وَأَجيبي مُتَيَّماً مُستَهاما

Say to Fawz, 'Return my greeting,

Tell Fawz to return my greetings,

and answer one enslaved and maddened by love.'

And answer me, desirous and worried.

لَو عَلِمنا أَنَّ الصِيامَ الَّذي يُن

لَو عَلِمنا أَنَّ الصِيامَ الَّذي يُن

سيكُمُ وَصلَنا قَلَينا الصِياما

سيكُمُ وَصلَنا قَلَينا الصِياما

Had we known that fasting was what made

If we had known that the fast which estranges you

you forget our union, we would have hated fasting.

Would make us fast, we would have avoided fasting.

أَيُّها الشادِنُ الَّذي رامَ صَرمي

أَيُّها الشادِنُ الَّذي رامَ صَرمي

وَأَبى لِلوِصالِ أَن يُستَداما

وَأَبى لِلوِصالِ أَن يُستَداما

O young gazelle who sought to forsake me,

O you who turned away from me, and intended to break off,

and refused to let our union endure,

And refused to let the connection continue.

قَد عَرَفناكَ مُذ زَمانٍ وَدَهرٍ

قَد عَرَفناكَ مُذ زَمانٍ وَدَهرٍ

فَعَرَفناكَ قاطِعاً ظَلّاما

فَعَرَفناكَ قاطِعاً ظَلّاما

we have known you for ages upon ages,

We have known you for a long time,

and found you a breaker of bonds, grievously unjust.

So we knew you were one who cuts off relations.

وَلَعَمري لَوِ اِستَطَعتُ تَظَلَّم

وَلَعَمري لَوِ اِستَطَعتُ تَظَلَّم

تُ وَلَكِن لا أَستَطيعُ الكَلاما

تُ وَلَكِن لا أَستَطيعُ الكَلاما

And by my life, if I could, I would lodge

By my life, if I could complain,

a complaint—but I cannot speak.

I would, but I cannot speak.

كُنتُ إِذ لا أَزورُكُم أَحسَبُ السا

كُنتُ إِذ لا أَزورُكُم أَحسَبُ السا

عَةَ شَهراً وَأَحسَبُ اليَومَ عاما

عَةَ شَهراً وَأَحسَبُ اليَومَ عاما

When I did not visit you, I reckoned the

When I did not visit you, I thought an hour was a month,

hour a month, and reckoned the day a year.

And a day was a year.

فَلِيَ اليَومَ فَوزُ خَمسَةَ أَيّا

فَلِيَ اليَومَ فَوزُ خَمسَةَ أَيّا

مٍ كَئيباً أُذري دُموعي سِجاما

مٍ كَئيباً أُذري دُموعي سِجاما

So, as of today, Fawz, I have spent five

So today I have five days

days in sorrow, shedding my tears in torrents.

Sad, shedding copious tears.

ثُمَّ قُلتُم غابَ الرَسولُ فَعَزِّ النَ

ثُمَّ قُلتُم غابَ الرَسولُ فَعَزِّ النَ

فسَ حَتّى يَؤوبَ شَهراً تَماما

فسَ حَتّى يَؤوبَ شَهراً تَماما

Then you said, 'The messenger is away; so console your

Then you said the messenger was absent, so comfort yourself

soul for a full month, until he returns.'

Until he returns after a full month.

أَتُطيقينَ ذاكَ إِن كانَ يا فَو

أَتُطيقينَ ذاكَ إِن كانَ يا فَو

زُ لَقَد رُمتِ مِن هَلاكي المَراما

زُ لَقَد رُمتِ مِن هَلاكي المَراما

Can you bear that, if it happens, O

Can you bear that, O Fawz?

Fawz? You have surely sought your goal in my destruction.

Indeed, you have intended my demise.

كُلَّما أَبطَأَ الرَسولُ تَفَرَّد

كُلَّما أَبطَأَ الرَسولُ تَفَرَّد

تُ بِنَفسي أُعَدِّدُ الأَيّاما

تُ بِنَفسي أُعَدِّدُ الأَيّاما

Whenever the messenger tarried, I withdrew

Whenever the messenger delayed,

into solitude, counting the days.

I counted the days alone.