أياO مَنyou whom ليسَdoes not يفهمُهُunderstand him العذولُthe reproacher
أيا مَن ليسَ يفهمُهُ العذولُ
فيعذرَنيso he might excuse me ويَعلمَand might know ماwhat أقولُI say
فيعذرَني ويَعلمَ ما أقولُ
O you whom the reproacher does not understand,
O you who cannot be understood by the chaste,
so that he might excuse me and know what I say.
So forgive me and know what I say,
محاسنُهُhis charms محاسنُthe charms أعجميٍof a foreigner
محاسنُهُ محاسنُ أعجميٍ
بخطٍّin a script ليسdoes not تقرؤهُread it العقولُthe minds
بخطٍّ ليس تقرؤهُ العقولُ
His charms are the charms of a foreigner,
His beauty is the beauty of a foreigner
in a script that minds cannot read.
In a handwriting that cannot be read by minds,
تصدyou turn away ولاand not أتوبُI repent وفيand in فؤاديmy heart
تصد ولا أتوبُ وفي فؤادي
عليلٌan ailing one ليسdoes not يسأمهُtire of him عليلُan ailing one
عليلٌ ليس يسأمهُ عليلُ
You turn away, yet I do not repent; and in my heart
I persist and do not repent, and in my heart
is an ailing one of whom another ailing one never tires.
Is a sickness that does not bore the sick,
لقدindeed طالتhas grown long حياتيmy life فيin عذابيmy torment
لقد طالت حياتي في عذابي
وأكَّدَand intensified شِقوتيmy misery عُمرٌa life طَويلُlong
وأكَّدَ شِقوتي عُمرٌ طَويلُ
My life has indeed grown long in my torment,
Indeed my life in agony has been prolonged
and a long life has intensified my misery.
And my misery affirmed by a long life