وَحَدَّثتُ نَفسي أَنَّني غَيرُ صابِرٍ

وَحَدَّثتُ نَفسي أَنَّني غَيرُ صابِرٍ

فَها أَنا ذا لَم أَقضِ مِن إِثرِها نَحبي

فَها أَنا ذا لَم أَقضِ مِن إِثرِها نَحبي

And I told myself that I could not endure;

I told myself that I had no patience

yet here I am: I have not met my death in her wake.

Yet here I am, still longing for her

خَليلَيَّ لَم أَصدُق وَكانَ سَفاهَةً

خَليلَيَّ لَم أَصدُق وَكانَ سَفاهَةً

رُجوعي بِحُسنِ الظَنِّ مِنها عَلى قَلبي

رُجوعي بِحُسنِ الظَنِّ مِنها عَلى قَلبي

My two friends, I did not speak the truth; it was folly

My friend, I did not believe you though you spoke true

to turn back upon my heart with trusting thoughts of her.

To think she still cared for me was foolish of my heart

فَأُقسِمُ أَن لَو كُنتُ أَوَّلَ مَيِّت

فَأُقسِمُ أَن لَو كُنتُ أَوَّلَ مَيِّت

وَآخرَ مَنشورٍ يَهُبُّ مِنَ التُّربِ

وَآخرَ مَنشورٍ يَهُبُّ مِنَ التُّربِ

So I swear that, were I the first to die

I swear, if I were the first to die

and the last resurrected to rise from the dust,

And the last to rise from the dust

لما كانَ مِن مَوتي عَلَيها صَبابَةً

لما كانَ مِن مَوتي عَلَيها صَبابَةً

قَضاء لِما اِستَرعَيتُ مِن ذِمَّةِ الحُبِّ

قَضاء لِما اِستَرعَيتُ مِن ذِمَّةِ الحُبِّ

my death from longing for her would not be

My death would not quench her thirst

a fulfillment of the covenant of love I entrusted to safekeeping.

For what she demanded of love’s bond