وإِذا عَتِبتِ عَلىَّ بِتُّ كأنَّنى

وإِذا عَتِبتِ عَلىَّ بِتُّ كأنَّنى

بِاللَّيلِ مُستَحِرُ الفُؤادِ سَلِيمُ

بِاللَّيلِ مُستَحِرُ الفُؤادِ سَلِيمُ

And when you reproach me, I spend the night as though I were

When you reproach me, it is as though

a snake-bitten man at night, his heart burning fiercely.

At night my heart is pure and unblemished.

وَلَقَد أَرَدتُ الصَّبرَ عَنكِ فعاقَنى

وَلَقَد أَرَدتُ الصَّبرَ عَنكِ فعاقَنى

عَلَقٌ بِقَلبي مِن هَوَاكِ قَدِيمُ

عَلَقٌ بِقَلبي مِن هَوَاكِ قَدِيمُ

And I did wish to endure being without you, but I was held back

And indeed I wanted to be patient with you, but it overcame me-

by an old attachment in my heart, born of love for you.

An attachment to my heart from your love of old.

يَبقى عَلَى حَدثِ الزَّمانِ وَرَيبِهِ

يَبقى عَلَى حَدثِ الزَّمانِ وَرَيبِهِ

وَعَلَى جَفائِكِ إِنَّهُ لَكَرِيمُ

وَعَلَى جَفائِكِ إِنَّهُ لَكَرِيمُ

It endures despite time's upheavals and vicissitudes,

It remains despite the vicissitudes of time and its uncertainty,

and despite your coldness; truly, it is noble.

And despite your disdain, indeed it is generous.

وَارَبتِهِ زَمَناً فَعاذَ بِحِلمِهِ

وَارَبتِهِ زَمَناً فَعاذَ بِحِلمِهِ

إِنَّ المُحِبَّ عَنِ الحَبيبِ حَليمُ

إِنَّ المُحِبَّ عَنِ الحَبيبِ حَليمُ

You deceived him for a time, so he sought refuge in his forbearance.

And it endured for a time, so it sought refuge in its patience-

Indeed, the lover is forbearing toward the beloved.

Indeed the lover is forbearing towards the beloved.

أَصبَحتِ يَحكُمُكِ التَّجاربُ والنُّهَى

أَصبَحتِ يَحكُمُكِ التَّجاربُ والنُّهَى

عَنهُ ويوزِعُهُ بِكِ التَّحكيم

عَنهُ ويوزِعُهُ بِكِ التَّحكيم

Experience and reason now hold you back

You have come to be ruled by experience and prohibition

from him, while judgment urges him toward you.

From it, and it distributes through you the arbitration.

أَتَرَى الأُلى عِلقوا الحَبائلَ بَعدَهُ

أَتَرَى الأُلى عِلقوا الحَبائلَ بَعدَهُ

فَنَجَوا وَأصبَحَ فى الوَثاقِ يَهيمُ

فَنَجَوا وَأصبَحَ فى الوَثاقِ يَهيمُ

Do you see those who became entangled in the snares after him,

Do you see those ensnared were delivered after it

then escaped, while he found himself wandering lovesick in bonds?

And escaped, while in the fetters they wander.

وعَتَبت حين صحَحتِ وَهوَ بِدَائِهِ

وعَتَبت حين صحَحتِ وَهوَ بِدَائِهِ

شَتَّى العِتابِ مُصَحَّحٌ وَسَقِيمُ

شَتَّى العِتابِ مُصَحَّحٌ وَسَقِيمُ

And you reproached him when you recovered, while he still had his illness;

And you reproached when you corrected, while it in its sickness

far apart in reproach are one restored to health and one sick.

Is fragmented in censure, correcting and frail.