يا أَيُّها السَّيِّدُ الذي شَهِدَتْ

يا أَيُّها السَّيِّدُ الذي شَهِدَتْ

ألْفاظُهُ لِي بأنَّهُ فاضِلْ

ألْفاظُهُ لِي بأنَّهُ فاضِلْ

O master, whose words have testified

O lord whose words testified to me

to me that he is a man of merit.

That he is virtuous

حاشاكَ مِنْ أنْ أَجُوعَ فِي بَلَدٍ

حاشاكَ مِنْ أنْ أَجُوعَ فِي بَلَدٍ

وَأَنْتَ بالرِّزْقِ فيهِ لِي كافِلْ

وَأَنْتَ بالرِّزْقِ فيهِ لِي كافِلْ

Far be it from you that I should go hungry in a town

Far be it from you that I hunger in a land

while you guarantee my sustenance there.

While you provide for me

ألَمْ تكُنْ قد أخَذْتَ عارِيَةً

ألَمْ تكُنْ قد أخَذْتَ عارِيَةً

مِنْ شَرْطِها أنْ تُرَدَّ في العاجِلْ

مِنْ شَرْطِها أنْ تُرَدَّ في العاجِلْ

Did you not take me on loan,

Did you not take a loan

on condition that I be returned at once?

On the condition that it be returned promptly?

وَكانَ عَزْمِي عندَ الوصولِ بكُمْ

وَكانَ عَزْمِي عندَ الوصولِ بكُمْ

أجْمَلَ مِنْ أنْ أُساقَ لِلْحاصِلْ

أجْمَلَ مِنْ أنْ أُساقَ لِلْحاصِلْ

And my intention when I arrived among you

And my resolve upon reaching you

was finer than being driven to the storehouse.

Was more beautiful than being led to reap

ما كانَ مِثْلِي بُعِيرُهُ أَحَدٌ

ما كانَ مِثْلِي بُعِيرُهُ أَحَدٌ

قَطُّ وَلكن سَيِّدِي جاهِلْ

قَطُّ وَلكن سَيِّدِي جاهِلْ

No one would lend out one like me [probable reading],

None like me, his camel one

ever—but my master is ignorant.

Ever, but my lord is ignorant

لو جرَّسُوهُ علسَّ مِنْ سَفَهٍ

لو جرَّسُوهُ علسَّ مِنْ سَفَهٍ

لَقُلْتُ غَيْظاً عليه يِسْتاهِلْ

لَقُلْتُ غَيْظاً عليه يِسْتاهِلْ

If they paraded him with bells [unclear word] out of folly,

If they bridled him out of foolishness

I would say, in anger at him, ‘He deserves it!’

I would say angrily he deserves it

طالَ بِي شَوْقٌ إلَى وَطَنِي

طالَ بِي شَوْقٌ إلَى وَطَنِي

والشَّوْقُ داءٌ لا ذُقْتَهُ قاتِل

والشَّوْقُ داءٌ لا ذُقْتَهُ قاتِل

Long have I yearned for my homeland;

I long for my homeland

and yearning is a deadly sickness—may you never taste it.

And longing is an illness whose bitterness kills

وَبُغْيَتِي أنْ أَكُونَ سائِبَةً

وَبُغْيَتِي أنْ أَكُونَ سائِبَةً

مِنْ بَلَدِي في جَوانِبِ السَّاحِلْ

مِنْ بَلَدِي في جَوانِبِ السَّاحِلْ

And my wish is to roam free,

My wish is to wander

from my town, along the stretches of the coast.

From my land on the edges of the coast

لا تَطْمَعُوا أنْ أَكونَ عِنْدَكُمْ

لا تَطْمَعُوا أنْ أَكونَ عِنْدَكُمْ

فذاكَ ما لا يَرُومُهُ العاقِلْ

فذاكَ ما لا يَرُومُهُ العاقِلْ

Do not hope that I will stay with you,

Do not hope that I will be with you

for that is something no sensible person seeks.

For that is not what the reasonable desires

وبَعْدَ هذا فما يَحِلُّ لكُمْ

وبَعْدَ هذا فما يَحِلُّ لكُمْ

مِلْكِي فإني مِنْ سَيِّدِي حامِلْ

مِلْكِي فإني مِنْ سَيِّدِي حامِلْ

And after this, it is not lawful for you

And after this it is not permissible for you

to own me, for I am pregnant by my master.

To possess me, for I carry my lord’s property