ياO مُنْيَةَdesire النَّفْسِof the soul كُونيbe كَيْفَas شِئْتِyou wish فَماfor ... not
يا مُنْيَةَ النَّفْسِ كُوني كَيْفَ شِئْتِ فَما
قَلْبيmy heart بِسالٍforgetting وَلاnor ودِّيmy love بِمُنْصَرِفِturning away
قَلْبي بِسالٍ وَلا ودِّي بِمُنْصَرِفِ
O my soul's desire, be as you wish, for neither
O death of the soul, be however you wish, for my
will my heart forget you nor will my love turn away.
Heart is not appeased, nor is my love withdrawn
إِنْif تَقْتُلينيyou kill me فَمَطْلُولٌthen unavenged لَدَيْكِwith you دَميmy blood
إِنْ تَقْتُليني فَمَطْلُولٌ لَدَيْكِ دَمي
أَوْor تَهْجُرينيyou forsake me فَإِنِّيthen I am غَيْرُnot مُنْتَصِفِexacting redress
أَوْ تَهْجُريني فَإِنِّي غَيْرُ مُنْتَصِفِ
If you kill me, my blood will go unavenged at your hands;
If you kill me, then my blood is shed for you
Or if you forsake me, I shall exact no redress.
Or if you abandon me, then I will not protest
وَاللَهِby God ماnot أَسَفيmy sorrow أَنِّيthat I أَمُوتُdie ضَنىًof wasting sickness
وَاللَهِ ما أَسَفي أَنِّي أَمُوتُ ضَنىً
وَلَيْسَand is not إِلاexcept عَلىover أَنْthat تَأْثَميyou incur sin أَسَفيmy sorrow
وَلَيْسَ إِلا عَلى أَنْ تَأْثَمي أَسَفي
By God, my sorrow is not that I die of wasting sickness;
By God, I do not grieve that I die in agony
And my sorrow is only that you should incur sin.
I only grieve that you would sin, that is my agony