صَدَّت بُثَينَةُ عَنّي أَن سَعى ساعِ

صَدَّت بُثَينَةُ عَنّي أَن سَعى ساعِ

وَآيَسَت بَعدَ مَوعِدٍ وَإِطماعِ

وَآيَسَت بَعدَ مَوعِدٍ وَإِطماعِ

Buthayna turned away from me because a tale-bearer meddled,

Buthaina turned me away when for an hour I tried,

And made me despair after a promise and hopes held out.

And gave up hope after promise and expectation.

وَصَدَّقَت فيَّ أَقوالاً تَقَوَّلَها

وَصَدَّقَت فيَّ أَقوالاً تَقَوَّلَها

واشٍ وَما أَنا لِلواشي بِمِطواعِ

واشٍ وَما أَنا لِلواشي بِمِطواعِ

And believed statements about me fabricated

She believed in lies told by a slanderer,

By a slanderer; yet I am not one to heed a slanderer.

A mischief-maker, and I am no obedient servant to mischief-makers.

فَإِن تَبيني بِلا جُرمٍ وَلا تِرَةٍ

فَإِن تَبيني بِلا جُرمٍ وَلا تِرَةٍ

وَتولَعي بِيَ ظُلماً أَيُّ إيلاعِ

وَتولَعي بِيَ ظُلماً أَيُّ إيلاعِ

So if you leave me, without offense or grievance,

If you find me innocent, without crime or sin,

And hound me unjustly with such obsessive zeal,

And still reject me unjustly - what rejection!

فَقَد يَرى اللَهُ أَنّي قَد أُحِبُّكُمُ

فَقَد يَرى اللَهُ أَنّي قَد أُحِبُّكُمُ

حُبّاً أَقامَ جَواهُ بَينَ أَضلاعي

حُبّاً أَقامَ جَواهُ بَينَ أَضلاعي

Then God surely sees that I truly love you,

God may see that I loved you all

With a love whose burning pain has settled between my ribs.

With a love that established itself in my ribs.

لَولا الَّذي أَرتَجي مِنهُ وَآمُلُهُ

لَولا الَّذي أَرتَجي مِنهُ وَآمُلُهُ

لَقَد أَشاعَ بِمَوتي عِندَها ناعي

لَقَد أَشاعَ بِمَوتي عِندَها ناعي

Were it not for what I expect from it and hope for,

Had it not been for the one I hope for and expect

A herald would surely have announced my death to her.

For certain she would have announced my death to her.

يا بَثنُ جودي وَكافي عاشِقاً دَنِفاً

يا بَثنُ جودي وَكافي عاشِقاً دَنِفاً

وَاِشفي بِذَلِكَ أَسقامي وَأَوجاعي

وَاِشفي بِذَلِكَ أَسقامي وَأَوجاعي

O Buthayna, be generous and requite a lovesick lover,

O generous Buthaina, suffice a humble lover,

And thereby heal my ailments and my pains.

And heal with that my illnesses and pains.

إِنَّ القَليلَ كَثيرٌ مِنكِ يَنفَعُني

إِنَّ القَليلَ كَثيرٌ مِنكِ يَنفَعُني

وَما سِواهُ كَثيرٌ غَيرُ نَفّاعِ

وَما سِواهُ كَثيرٌ غَيرُ نَفّاعِ

Indeed, a little from you is much and does me good,

A little from you benefits me;

And anything else, however abundant, is of no use.

Anything else, however plentiful, is of no use.

آلَيتُ لا أَصطَفي بِالحُبِّ غَيرَكُمُ

آلَيتُ لا أَصطَفي بِالحُبِّ غَيرَكُمُ

حَتّى أُغَيَّبَ تَحتَ الرَمسِ بِالقاعِ

حَتّى أُغَيَّبَ تَحتَ الرَمسِ بِالقاعِ

I have sworn to choose no one but you in love,

I have determined to love none but you

Until I am hidden beneath the grave-mound on the plain.

Until I am hidden beneath the earth in a grave.

قَد كُنتُ عَنكُم بَعيدَ الدارِ مُغتَرِباً

قَد كُنتُ عَنكُم بَعيدَ الدارِ مُغتَرِباً

حَتّى دَعاني لِحيني مِنكُمُ داعِ

حَتّى دَعاني لِحيني مِنكُمُ داعِ

I had lived far from you, an exile in a distant dwelling,

Long was I far from you, an exile,

Until a caller from you summoned me to my doom.

Until one of you called me for a time.

فَاِهتاجَ قَلبي لِحُزنٍ قَد يُضَيِّقَهُ

فَاِهتاجَ قَلبي لِحُزنٍ قَد يُضَيِّقَهُ

فَما أُغَمِّضُ غُمضاً غَيرَ تَهياعِ

فَما أُغَمِّضُ غُمضاً غَيرَ تَهياعِ

Then my heart was stirred by grief that might constrict it,

So my heart was aroused to sorrow that squeezes it,

So I close my eyes only for a light, fitful doze.

And I do not close my eyes except in wakefulness.

وَلا تُضيعَنَّ سِرّي إِن ظَفِرتِ بِهِ

وَلا تُضيعَنَّ سِرّي إِن ظَفِرتِ بِهِ

إِنّي لِسِرِّكِ حَقّاً غَيرُ مِضياعِ

إِنّي لِسِرِّكِ حَقّاً غَيرُ مِضياعِ

And never let my secret slip, if you come to know it;

And do not divulge my secret if you discover it,

Indeed, I am truly not careless with your secret.

For I am truly not one to squander your secrets.

أَصونُ سِرِّكِ في قَلبي وَأَحفَظهُ

أَصونُ سِرِّكِ في قَلبي وَأَحفَظهُ

إِذا تَضايَقَ صَدرُ الضَيِّقِ الباعِ

إِذا تَضايَقَ صَدرُ الضَيِّقِ الباعِ

I guard your secret in my heart and preserve it,

I protect your secret in my heart and guard it

When the breast of one whose reach is narrow grows tight.

When the breast of the narrow-spirited one is constricted.

ثُمَّ اِعلَمي أَنَّ ما اِستَودَعتِني ثِقَةً

ثُمَّ اِعلَمي أَنَّ ما اِستَودَعتِني ثِقَةً

يُمسي وَيُصبِحُ عِندَ الحافِظِ الواعي

يُمسي وَيُصبِحُ عِندَ الحافِظِ الواعي

Then know that what you entrusted to me in confidence

Then know that what you entrusted me as a confidence

Remains, evening and morning, with a mindful keeper.

Will remain morning and evening with the vigilant guardian.