أقولُ إذْ قال لي حبيبي

أقولُ إذْ قال لي حبيبي

علامَ فارقْتَني علاما

علامَ فارقْتَني علاما

I answered when my beloved said to me:

I say, when my beloved said to me,

“Why did you leave me—why?”

“Why did you leave me—why?”

خدُّكَ كانَ الصَّفا ولكنْ

خدُّكَ كانَ الصَّفا ولكنْ

قدْ أصبحَ المشعرَ الحراما

قدْ أصبحَ المشعرَ الحراما

“Your cheek was once al-Ṣafā; but now

“Your cheek was al-Ṣafā, but

it has become al-Mashʿar al-Ḥarām.”

now it has become al-Mashʿar al-Ḥarām.”