بأبي أنْتَ لم تَبِيتي فَوَافَى

بأبي أنْتَ لم تَبِيتي فَوَافَى

طارِقاً طيفُك المَلِيحُ فَبَاتَا

طارِقاً طيفُك المَلِيحُ فَبَاتَا

May my father be your ransom! You did not stay the night, so there came

By my father you did not spend the night, so

Your lovely phantom as a night visitor, and it stayed.

Your beautiful apparition kept visiting,

وتأبَّيْتِ أنْ تُغَنّي فَغَنَّى

وتأبَّيْتِ أنْ تُغَنّي فَغَنَّى

عنكِ مِمّا اقْتَرَحْتُه أَصْواتَا

عنكِ مِمّا اقْتَرَحْتُه أَصْواتَا

And you refused to sing, so it sang

And you refused to sing, so he sang

In your stead, songs from those I had requested.

On your behalf with voices he put forth,

ونَظَمْنا شعراً مليحاً فغنّناه

ونَظَمْنا شعراً مليحاً فغنّناه

بِلَحْنِ يُحْيي به الأمْواتَا

بِلَحْنِ يُحْيي به الأمْواتَا

And we composed lovely verse, then sang it

And we composed a beautiful poem and sang it

To a melody that brings the dead to life,

To a melody that revives the dead,

في الثقيلِ الثاني فَزُوري إذا شِئْ

في الثقيلِ الثاني فَزُوري إذا شِئْ

تِ لكنما نُفيدُكِ الأبْياتَا

تِ لكنما نُفيدُكِ الأبْياتَا

In the second heavy rhythm; so visit if you wish—

In the second heavy meter, so visit if you wish,

But we shall give you the verses.

But we only benefit you with verses.