إِذا ما خليلي خانَني وائتمنته

إِذا ما خليلي خانَني وائتمنته

فَذاكَ وداعيه وذاكَ وداعها

فَذاكَ وداعيه وذاكَ وداعها

If ever my close friend betrays me after I have trusted him,

When my friend betrays me though I trust him

then that is my farewell to him, and that is farewell to her.

That is our farewell, and that is the end

رددت عليه وده وتركتها

رددت عليه وده وتركتها

مطلقة لا يُستَطاع رجاعها

مطلقة لا يُستَطاع رجاعها

I return his affection to him and leave her

I return his affection and leave her

divorced, with no possibility of taking her back.

Free, impossible to win back

وإِني امرؤ مني الحياء الَّذي تَرى

وإِني امرؤ مني الحياء الَّذي تَرى

أَعيش بأَخلاق قَليل خداعها

أَعيش بأَخلاق قَليل خداعها

And I am a man with the modesty you see in me;

And I am a man of modesty that you see

I live by a code of conduct with little deceit.

Living with manners, little deceit

أَواخي رجالا لست أَطلع بعضهم

أَواخي رجالا لست أَطلع بعضهم

على سرّ بعض غير أَني جماعها

على سرّ بعض غير أَني جماعها

I take men as brothers, but let none of them know

I befriend men, not revealing to some

another's secret, though I am the keeper of them all.

The secret of others, though knowing all

يظلون شتى في البلاد وسرهم

يظلون شتى في البلاد وسرهم

الى صخرة أَعيا الرجال انصداعها

الى صخرة أَعيا الرجال انصداعها

They remain scattered across the lands, while their secret

They remain scattered in lands, their secret

is entrusted to a rock that men are powerless to split.

To a rock that strong men cannot break

لكل امرىء شعب من القلب فارغٌ

لكل امرىء شعب من القلب فارغٌ

وموضع نجوى لا يرام اطلاعها

وموضع نجوى لا يرام اطلاعها

For each man there is a free space in my heart,

Each person has a niche in their heart, empty

and a place for confidences no one can hope to uncover.

A place for whispers, unseen by others