لَو كانَ لِيَ كَالعاشِقينَ عَواذِلٌ

لَو كانَ لِيَ كَالعاشِقينَ عَواذِلٌ

لَغَلَبتَهُم بِتَحَمُّلي وَتَجَمُّلي

لَغَلَبتَهُم بِتَحَمُّلي وَتَجَمُّلي

If, like other lovers, I had reproachers,

If I had lovers like the passionate ones,

I would overcome them through endurance and composure.

I would have surpassed them with my endurance and composure.

أَو كانَ يَمنَعث مِن وِصالي حَسَدُ

أَو كانَ يَمنَعث مِن وِصالي حَسَدُ

لَسَعَيتُ في تَشتيتِهِم وَتَوَصُّلي

لَسَعَيتُ في تَشتيتِهِم وَتَوَصُّلي

Or if envy barred my union with my beloved,

Or if envy prevented my union,

I would strive to scatter them and reach my beloved.

I would have sought to scatter them and connect.

لَكِنَّ مَحبوبي تَعشَقُ نَفسُهُ

لَكِنَّ مَحبوبي تَعشَقُ نَفسُهُ

عِشقاً يَفوقُ تَوَلُّعي وَتَغَزُّلي

عِشقاً يَفوقُ تَوَلُّعي وَتَغَزُّلي

But my beloved is in love with himself,

But my beloved is in love with himself,

With a love surpassing my passion and my amorous praise.

A love that exceeds my caprice and amorousness.

وَأَثارَ بي وَجدي وَآثَرَ بَعدَهُ

وَأَثارَ بي وَجدي وَآثَرَ بَعدَهُ

فَغَدا العَذولُ فَما يَكونُ تَحيلي

فَغَدا العَذولُ فَما يَكونُ تَحيلي

And he stirred my longing within me and preferred to keep his distance.

And he provoked my fervor but then preferred another,

So he became the reproacher—what recourse have I?

So refusal became inevitable, what could my scheming do?