أين تلك العهود وافقن آمالي

أين تلك العهود وافقن آمالي

وأخلفن بعد ذاك الظنونا

وأخلفن بعد ذاك الظنونا

Where are those pledges that matched my hopes,

Where are those promises that conformed to my hopes

and afterward belied my expectations?

And after that, those assumptions failed me

أين لا أين موثق ويمين

أين لا أين موثق ويمين

رحم اللَه موثقاص ويمينا

رحم اللَه موثقاص ويمينا

Where—no, where—are pledge and oath?

Where, no where is an oath or covenant

May God have mercy on pledge and oath.

May God have mercy on the oath-takers and covenanters

ضقت ذرعاً فإن تطق فأعني

ضقت ذرعاً فإن تطق فأعني

أو فعني فما أريد معينا

أو فعني فما أريد معينا

I can bear no more; if you can, then help me,

I have been extremely patient so if you can endure, then help me

or leave me be, for I want no helper.

Or disregard me, for I do not want a helper

فلعل الزمان ينجز وعداً

فلعل الزمان ينجز وعداً

منه أن الزمان كان قمينا

منه أن الزمان كان قمينا

For perhaps Time will fulfill a promise

Perhaps time will fulfill a promise

of its own, for Time was equal to the task.

From it that time was deceitful

أملٌ إن قضاه لي اللَه يوماً

أملٌ إن قضاه لي اللَه يوماً

لا يجدنا لشكره جاحدينا

لا يجدنا لشكره جاحدينا

A hope—if God fulfills it for me one day,

A hope, if God fulfills it for me one day

He will not find us denying Him thanks.

We will not be found ungrateful in thanking Him

ولعل القنود أحجى بمن لم

ولعل القنود أحجى بمن لم

ير منكم على الوفاء ضمينا

ير منكم على الوفاء ضمينا

And perhaps inaction [uncertain reading] is wiser for one who has not

And perhaps the singers will talk about one who did not

seen among you a guarantor of faithfulness.

See from you loyalty and faithfulness

يا خليلي وآثر العذر واعلم

يا خليلي وآثر العذر واعلم

أن للوجد سورةٌ وجنونا

أن للوجد سورةٌ وجنونا

O my friend, make allowances, and know

Oh my friend, accept the apology and know

that passion has its fury and its madness.

That passion has a madness and obsession

وعزيزٌ علي لو ميك لكن

وعزيزٌ علي لو ميك لكن

كبر الحب أن يظل غبينا

كبر الحب أن يظل غبينا

And reproaching you is painful to me, but

And it is hard for me, if you blame me, but

love is too great to remain wronged.

Great love remains ignorant