أَترَكتَني دِنفاً ورحتَ مُعافى

أَترَكتَني دِنفاً ورحتَ مُعافى

مَهلاً فَدَيتُك ما كَذا مَن صافى

مَهلاً فَدَيتُك ما كَذا مَن صافى

Have you left me lovesick and departed in good health?

You left me weak and went away restored,

Gently—may I be your ransom! This is not how one who loves sincerely acts.

Wait! I implore you, this is not how the faithful part.

هَلّا ذكرتَ لَيالياً بتنا بها

هَلّا ذكرتَ لَيالياً بتنا بها

نَرعى النُجومَ ونذكر الأُلافا

نَرعى النُجومَ ونذكر الأُلافا

Will you not recall the nights we spent

Why not recall the nights we spent together,

watching the stars and remembering dear companions?

Tending the stars and binding troths?

كيفَ اِنفرادُك بعد أَن كنّا معاً

كيفَ اِنفرادُك بعد أَن كنّا معاً

حاشا لمثلكَ ينقضُ الأَحلافا

حاشا لمثلكَ ينقضُ الأَحلافا

How can you be apart after we were together?

How can you turn away now after we were one,

Far be it from one like you to break sworn pledges.

Far be it from one like you to break vows sworn.

أَنسيتَ لا أَنسيتَ فضلَ صبابةٍ

أَنسيتَ لا أَنسيتَ فضلَ صبابةٍ

كنّا بِها نَستَسعفُ اِستِسعافا

كنّا بِها نَستَسعفُ اِستِسعافا

Have you forgotten—may you never forget—the blessing of passionate love

Have you forgot the prime of our youth,

through which we used to plead earnestly for kindness?

When we gave succor, and succor was born?

فاليوم رحتُ وقد قَويتَ على الهَوى

فاليوم رحتُ وقد قَويتَ على الهَوى

وجوانحي أَمست عليه ضِعافا

وجوانحي أَمست عليه ضِعافا

So today I have departed, while you have grown strong against love,

Now I go, though strong in passion still,

and my ribs have grown weak against it.

While my heart lies lifeless, limp, and still.

وأَلِفتَ آنسَ مضجعٍ متبوّأ

وأَلِفتَ آنسَ مضجعٍ متبوّأ

وَمضاجعي لا تعرفُ الإِيلافا

وَمضاجعي لا تعرفُ الإِيلافا

And you have grown used to the most comforting bed as your abode,

You've found a new love on which to lie,

while my beds know no familiar comfort.

While mine knows not where comfort may bide.

لَو كنتَ تحفظُ في الهَوى أَنصفتني

لَو كنتَ تحفظُ في الهَوى أَنصفتني

أَو كنتَ تعرفُ في الهَوى إِنصافا

أَو كنتَ تعرفُ في الهَوى إِنصافا

If you kept faith in love, you would have treated me fairly,

If in love you had kept faith, you'd have spared me,

or if you knew what fairness in love means.

Or if in passion you knew equity's side.

أَتظلُّ تُسقى في الغَرام سُلافة

أَتظلُّ تُسقى في الغَرام سُلافة

وأَظلُّ أسقى في الغَرام ذُعافا

وأَظلُّ أسقى في الغَرام ذُعافا

Are you to keep being served the choicest wine in love,

Will you be sustained, while I am deprived?

while I keep being served deadly poison in love?

Will you know bounty, while I want and hide?

وأَبيتُ في حرِّ الغَرام مُقاطِعاً

وأَبيتُ في حرِّ الغَرام مُقاطِعاً

وَتَبيتُ في بَرد الوصال مُوافى

وَتَبيتُ في بَرد الوصال مُوافى

And I spend the night in love’s heat, estranged,

I refused warmth, while you the coals embrace

while you spend the night in union’s coolness, welcomed.

I frozen in the cold, but you know love's grace.

ما جارَ من منع الحَبيبَ وإنَّما

ما جارَ من منع الحَبيبَ وإنَّما

جارَ الَّذي أَخذَ الحَبيبَ وحافا

جارَ الَّذي أَخذَ الحَبيبَ وحافا

The one who withheld the beloved did no wrong; rather,

It isn't right to refuse one's beloved,

the wrongdoer was the one who took the beloved and dealt unjustly.

But right is the one who takes in haste.

ناصَفتَني حملَ الهَوى وتركتني

ناصَفتَني حملَ الهَوى وتركتني

حتّى حملتُ من الهوى أَضعافا

حتّى حملتُ من الهوى أَضعافا

You shared love’s burden equally with me, then left me,

You have halved my burden, and left me still,

until I bore love’s burden many times over.

Bearing sorrow doubled from passions noised.

فليهنكَ اليومَ الوصالُ فإنَّني

فليهنكَ اليومَ الوصالُ فإنَّني

باقٍ وإِن أَخلفتني إِخلافا

باقٍ وإِن أَخلفتني إِخلافا

So may union bring you joy today, for I

Let today's bliss make you blind, for I

remain faithful, though you have broken your promise to me.

Will remain, though forsaken, dignified.