اصبِر النَّفسَ عَلى مَرِّ الحَزَن

اصبِر النَّفسَ عَلى مَرِّ الحَزَن

وَإِذا عَزَّكَ مَن تَهوى فَهُن

وَإِذا عَزَّكَ مَن تَهوى فَهُن

Make your soul endure the bitterness of sorrow.

Patience, my soul, in sorrow's painful hour,

And if the one you love overpowers you, humble yourself.

Though one you love rejects you and turns sour,

فَلَعَلَّ الوَصلَ يَأتي مَرَّةً

فَلَعَلَّ الوَصلَ يَأتي مَرَّةً

فَكَأَنَّ الهَجرَ شَيءٌ لَم يَكُن

فَكَأَنَّ الهَجرَ شَيءٌ لَم يَكُن

For perhaps reunion will come sometime,

Perhaps the days ahead may union bring,

Then estrangement will seem a thing that never was.

As though this separation were no thing.

أَنا لا وَاللَّهِ ما حِلتُ وَلا

أَنا لا وَاللَّهِ ما حِلتُ وَلا

كانَ مِنِّي في الهَوى إِلَّا الحَسَن

كانَ مِنِّي في الهَوى إِلَّا الحَسَن

No, by God, I have not changed, nor

By God, I swear it was not I who strayed,

has there been anything from me in love but goodness.

In loving her, I looked but for the fair.

وَلَقَد تَزعُمُ أَنِّي خُنتُها

وَلَقَد تَزعُمُ أَنِّي خُنتُها

وَنَقَضتُ العَهدَ لا كُنتُ إِذَن

وَنَقَضتُ العَهدَ لا كُنتُ إِذَن

And indeed she claims that I betrayed her

Though she believes I've been to her untrue

And broke the pledge—if so, may I be no more!

And broke my vows, if so, what could I do?