أَبا مَخلَدٍ كُنّا حَليفَي مَوَدَّةٍ

أَبا مَخلَدٍ كُنّا حَليفَي مَوَدَّةٍ

هَوانا وَقَلبانا جَميعاً مَعاً مَعا

هَوانا وَقَلبانا جَميعاً مَعاً مَعا

O Abu Makhlad, we were allies in affection,

O Abu Makhlad we were allies of affection

Our love and our two hearts were united—together, together.

Loving and our hearts together as one

أَحوطُكَ بِالوُدِّ الَّذي أَنتَ حائِطي

أَحوطُكَ بِالوُدِّ الَّذي أَنتَ حائِطي

وَأَيجَعَ إِشفاقاً لِأَن تَتَوَجَّعا

وَأَيجَعَ إِشفاقاً لِأَن تَتَوَجَّعا

I guard you with the affection with which you guard me,

I surround you with the love that you surround me

And I ache with concern at your suffering.

And I ache with concern that you may ache too

فَصَيَّرَتَني بَعدَ اِنتِكاثِكَ مُتهِماً

فَصَيَّرَتَني بَعدَ اِنتِكاثِكَ مُتهِماً

لِنَفسي عَلَيها أَرهَبُ الخَلقَ أَجمَعا

لِنَفسي عَلَيها أَرهَبُ الخَلقَ أَجمَعا

So, after you broke faith, you made me distrustful

So after your betrayal you made me accused

Of myself; for my own safety I fear all mankind.

By myself I frighten all people combined

غَشَشتَ الهَوى حَتّى تَداعَت أُصولُه

غَشَشتَ الهَوى حَتّى تَداعَت أُصولُه

بِنا وَاِبتَذَلتَ الوَصلَ حَتّى تَقَطَّعا

بِنا وَاِبتَذَلتَ الوَصلَ حَتّى تَقَطَّعا

You betrayed love until its foundations crumbled

You immersed love until its roots collapsed

Beneath us, and you cheapened our bond until it broke apart.

Between us and you cheapened union until it was severed

وَأَنزَلتَ مِن بَينِ الجَوانِحِ وَالحَشا

وَأَنزَلتَ مِن بَينِ الجَوانِحِ وَالحَشا

ذَخيرَةَ وُدٍّ طالَما قَد تَمَنَّعا

ذَخيرَةَ وُدٍّ طالَما قَد تَمَنَّعا

And you dislodged from between the ribs and the entrails

And you brought down from the souls and the minds

A treasure of love that had long remained impregnable.

A hoard of love that had long been denied

فَلا تَعذِلَنّي لَيسَ لي فيكَ مَطمَعٌ

فَلا تَعذِلَنّي لَيسَ لي فيكَ مَطمَعٌ

تَخَرَّقتَ حَتّى لَم أَجِد لَكَ مَرقَعا

تَخَرَّقتَ حَتّى لَم أَجِد لَكَ مَرقَعا

So do not reproach me; I have no hope in you.

So do not blame me, I have no hope in you

You grew so tattered that I could find no patch for you.

You are torn beyond mending or patching anew

فَهَبكَ يَميني اِستَأكَلَت فَاِحتَسَبتُها

فَهَبكَ يَميني اِستَأكَلَت فَاِحتَسَبتُها

وَجَشَّمتُ قَلبي قَطعَها فَتَشَجَّعا

وَجَشَّمتُ قَلبي قَطعَها فَتَشَجَّعا

So suppose you were my right hand, gone gangrenous: I would accept its loss,

So by my troth that has been rendered futile

And force my heart to cut it off; then it would summon courage.

I have steeled my heart, though in fragments it flew