بدأت بموعدٍ ورجعت عنه

بدأت بموعدٍ ورجعت عنه

وكنت أعد وعدك من عطائك

وكنت أعد وعدك من عطائك

You began with a promise and went back on it.

I started with a promise but went back on it

And I counted your promise as part of your bounty.

And I counted your promise as a gift from you

ولم تزل الخواطر عنك تنبي

ولم تزل الخواطر عنك تنبي

بأنك لا تدوم على وفائك

بأنك لا تدوم على وفائك

And thoughts of you kept telling me

Yet thoughts about you continued to warn me

that you would not remain true to your word.

That you do not stay true to your loyalty

فلو كانت عهودك لم تغير

فلو كانت عهودك لم تغير

ولم يبد التكدر في صفائك

ولم يبد التكدر في صفائك

Had your pledges remained unchanged,

If your vows had not changed

and no cloudiness had appeared in your clarity,

And bitterness did not appear in your clarity

وفيت بما ابتدأت به ولكن

وفيت بما ابتدأت به ولكن

أظنك قد ندمت على ابتدائك

أظنك قد ندمت على ابتدائك

you would have honored what you began; but

And you kept your initial promise, but it seems

I think you have regretted having begun.

You regretted your initiation

فإن تك قد ندمت على اصطفائي

فإن تك قد ندمت على اصطفائي

فإني ما ندمت على اصطفائك

فإني ما ندمت على اصطفائك

So if you have regretted choosing me,

So if you regret choosing me

then I have not regretted choosing you.

I do not regret choosing you

وإن تك لم تخن فلأي شيءٍ

وإن تك لم تخن فلأي شيءٍ

تغير ما عهدنا من إخائك

تغير ما عهدنا من إخائك

And if you have not broken faith, then why

And if you did not betray, then why

has the brotherly affection we knew from you changed?

Did what we knew of your brotherhood change