قَسَتwas cruel الحياةlife علىto الطّرِيthe outcast (word continues)
قَسَت الحياة على الطّرِي
دِcompletes 'outcast' فقمso rise بناwith us نَنعَىlet us mourn الحياهlife
دِ فقم بنا نَنعَى الحياه
Life was cruel to the outcast;
Life was hard on the wanderer
so rise with us, let us mourn life.
So let us mourn life
وقساand was cruel الحبيبthe beloved علىto الغريthe stranger (word continues)
وقسا الحبيب على الغري
بِcompletes 'stranger' فلاso neither الدموعtears ولاnor الصَّلاهprayer
بِ فلا الدموع ولا الصَّلاه
And the beloved was cruel to the stranger;
And the lover was cruel to the stranger
so neither tears nor prayer avail.
So no more tears or prayers
فرغis finished الحديثthe tale ومنand the one who رواهtold it
فرغ الحديث ومن رواه
طُوِيwas folded shut الكتابthe book فمنso who طواهfolded it shut
طُوِي الكتاب فمن طواه
The tale is finished, and so is its teller.
The talk is over and he who told it
The book is folded shut—so who folded it?
The book is folded and he who folded it
عجباًhow strange! لهذاthis الحبlove منfrom
عجباً لهذا الحب من
بدءthe beginning الزمانof time لمنتهاهto its end
بدء الزمان لمنتهاه
How strange this love is, from
How strange is this love from
the beginning of time to its end,
The beginning of time to its end
وقضائِهand its judgment بينbetween الذيthe one who
وقضائِه بين الذي
حفظkept الوفاءfaith ومنand the one who سلاهforgot it
حفظ الوفاء ومن سلاه
and its judgment between the one who
And its decree between he who
kept faith and the one who forgot it!
Kept loyalty and he who cast it away
قتلىthose slain الهوىby love لاnot يُذكروare remembered (word continues)
قتلى الهوى لا يُذكرو
نcompletes 'are remembered' ولاand no حسابreckoning علىagainst الجناهthe perpetrators
ن ولا حساب على الجناه
Those slain by love are not remembered,
The slain of love are not remembered
and the perpetrators face no reckoning.
Nor reckoned among the sinners