وَشَدَّ وَثاقي في الهَوى وَشَكَرتُهُ

وَشَدَّ وَثاقي في الهَوى وَشَكَرتُهُ

فَلَو لَم يُرِدني لَم يَشُدَّ وَثاقي

فَلَو لَم يُرِدني لَم يَشُدَّ وَثاقي

And he tightened my bonds in love, and I thanked him.

He drew closer my bonds in passion, and I thanked him,

For had he not wanted me, he would not have tightened my bonds.

For had he not wanted me, he'd not have drawn my bonds.

عَسى تُعقِبُ الأَيّامُ حالاً بِغَيرِها

عَسى تُعقِبُ الأَيّامُ حالاً بِغَيرِها

فَيُعقِبُ ضيقَ الهمِّ ضيقُ عِناقي

فَيُعقِبُ ضيقَ الهمِّ ضيقُ عِناقي

Perhaps the days will replace one state with another,

Mayhap the days will bring about a state other than this,

So the tightness of my embrace will replace the constriction of grief.

And so replace the narrowness of grief with narrowness of embrace.

مَتى يَفرَحُ المُضنى بِيَومِ لِقائِهِ

مَتى يَفرَحُ المُضنى بِيَومِ لِقائِهِ

إِذا كانَ مَشفوعاً بِعامِ فِراقِ

إِذا كانَ مَشفوعاً بِعامِ فِراقِ

When can the love-worn rejoice in a day of meeting him,

When will the afflicted rejoice in the day of reunion,

If it is coupled with a year of separation?

If it's preceded by a year of parting?

وَزَفَّ لِيَ الدُنيا عَقيلَةَ خاطِبٍ

وَزَفَّ لِيَ الدُنيا عَقيلَةَ خاطِبٍ

فَما خِلتُهُ إِلّا كِتابَ صَداقِ

فَما خِلتُهُ إِلّا كِتابَ صَداقِ

And he brought the world to me as a suitor’s noble bride;

And the world presented to me a bride of a suitor,

So I deemed it nothing but a deed of dower.

Yet I found her naught but a writ of marriage-gift.