ولمَّا تبدَّتْ، وجهُها غيرُ وجهِها

ولمَّا تبدَّتْ، وجهُها غيرُ وجهِها

علمتُ بما اكتنَّتْ عليه الضَّمائرُ

علمتُ بما اكتنَّتْ عليه الضَّمائرُ

And when she appeared, her face was not the face it had been,

When her face changed from its familiar form

I knew what the hearts had kept concealed.

I knew the secret her conscience bore

أقولُ وقد حنَّ الفؤادُ لِذِكرِها

أقولُ وقد حنَّ الفؤادُ لِذِكرِها

ولجلجَ في أحزانه وهْو حائرُ

ولجلجَ في أحزانه وهْو حائرُ

I say, as my heart yearns at the thought of her,

I say, while my heart yearns at the thought of her

And falters in its sorrows, bewildered:

Lost and confused in its sorrow

عليكَ سلامُ اللهِ يا قلبُ إنما

عليكَ سلامُ اللهِ يا قلبُ إنما

دعتكَ لهجرٍ دونه الحتفُ صائرُ

دعتكَ لهجرٍ دونه الحتفُ صائرُ

God's peace be upon you, O heart; she has only

Peace be upon you, O heart! She only

Called you to estrangement, with death coming before it.

Called you to estrangement, fated and ineluctable

وقد غرَّني قلبي وآثرَ حبَّها

وقد غرَّني قلبي وآثرَ حبَّها

فأسلمني للوجدِ، والأمرُ جائرُ

فأسلمني للوجدِ، والأمرُ جائرُ

And my heart had deceived me, preferring love for her,

And my heart misled me, preferring her love

So it surrendered me to love's anguish, and the affair was unjust.

So I surrendered myself to torment - the matter is unjust!

فلمَّا رأيتُ الليلَ ليس بمنجلٍ

فلمَّا رأيتُ الليلَ ليس بمنجلٍ

وأنْ ليس للتَّسهيدِ عنِّيَ زاجرُ

وأنْ ليس للتَّسهيدِ عنِّيَ زاجرُ

So when I saw that the night would not lift,

When I saw the night was no crescent moon

And that none would drive sleeplessness away from me,

And that no reproacher could deter me

وفي ظَهرِ عمَّانَ استقرَّ مقامُها

وفي ظَهرِ عمَّانَ استقرَّ مقامُها

وفي مصـرَ قومي حين تُنْمَى المعاشرُ

وفي مصـرَ قومي حين تُنْمَى المعاشرُ

And at the back of Amman her dwelling was established,

And that she had settled in the suburbs of Amman

While my people are in Egypt, when clans are traced to their origins,

While my people were in Egypt, enjoying company

نهرتُ فؤادي وانطلقتُ بودِّه

نهرتُ فؤادي وانطلقتُ بودِّه

ولِي بعضُ حِلمٍ إن تردَّدَ واجرُ

ولِي بعضُ حِلمٍ إن تردَّدَ واجرُ

I rebuked my heart and set out bearing its love,

I chided my heart and set out impelled by love of her

And I have some forbearance, should a fearful one waver.

Though I had some reason if I held back, hesitating