هَذا كِتابٌ بِدَمعِ عَيني

هَذا كِتابٌ بِدَمعِ عَيني

أَملاهُ قَلبي عَلى بَناني

أَملاهُ قَلبي عَلى بَناني

This is a letter written in the tears of my eyes,

This is a letter written with my eye's tears,

dictated by my heart onto my fingertips,

My heart dictated it to my fingertips,

إِلى حَبيبٍ كَنَيتُ عَنهُ

إِلى حَبيبٍ كَنَيتُ عَنهُ

أَجَلَّ ذِكرَ اِسمِهِ لِساني

أَجَلَّ ذِكرَ اِسمِهِ لِساني

to a beloved whom I veiled in allusion—

To a beloved whom I spoke of indirectly;

his name too exalted for my tongue to utter.

My tongue revered the mention of his name.

قَد كُنتُ أَطوي هَواهُ عِندي

قَد كُنتُ أَطوي هَواهُ عِندي

مُذ كُنتُ في سالِفِ الزَمانِ

مُذ كُنتُ في سالِفِ الزَمانِ

I had kept my love for him folded away within me

I had kept my love for him folded away within me,

since the bygone days of old.

Since I lived in days long past.

فَبُحتُ إِذ طالَ بي بَلائي

فَبُحتُ إِذ طالَ بي بَلائي

وَلَم يَكُن لي بِهِ يَدانِ

وَلَم يَكُن لي بِهِ يَدانِ

But I confessed when my affliction lingered,

So I confessed when my affliction dragged on,

and I had no power to withstand it.

And I had no strength to withstand it.