كنتُ أُخْفي عنهُ دمعي

كنتُ أُخْفي عنهُ دمعي

حينما يَهْمي غزيرا

حينما يَهْمي غزيرا

I used to hide my tears from him

I used to hide my tears from him

I used to hide my tears from him

when they poured down profusely.

Whenever they flowed copiously

When they poured down abundantly.

رُبَّ وَجْدٍ بعدَ هَجْرٍ

رُبَّ وَجْدٍ بعدَ هَجْرٍ

باتَ شـرّاً مستطيرا

باتَ شـرّاً مستطيرا

Many a longing, after abandonment,

After separation, many a love

Many a passion, after abandonment,

became a rampant evil.

Turned into endless adversity

Has become a far-reaching evil.

يا حبيباً قـدْ تسامتْ

يا حبيباً قـدْ تسامتْ

نفسـهُ عنـي كثيرا

نفسـهُ عنـي كثيرا

O beloved, whose soul has risen

My beloved, his soul has risen

O beloved, whose soul has exalted

so far above me,

Above me substantially

Itself far above me,

لا تعاتِبْنـي فـإني

لا تعاتِبْنـي فـإني

لستُ في عشقي خبيرا

لستُ في عشقي خبيرا

do not reproach me, for I

Do not blame me, for I am not

Do not reproach me, for I

am no expert in my passion.

An expert in love, clearly

Am not experienced in my love.

قد كفاني ما أعـاني

قد كفاني ما أعـاني

أشتكي أو لن أسـيرا

أشتكي أو لن أسـيرا

What I suffer is already enough for me;

What I suffer suffices me

What I suffer is enough for me,

I complain, or I shall not go

I won’t complain or walk wearily

Whether I complain or refuse to walk

نحو أحـلامٍ تَبَـدَّتْ

نحو أحـلامٍ تَبَـدَّتْ

لم تكـنْ إلا نذيـرا

لم تكـنْ إلا نذيـرا

toward dreams that appeared,

Towards dreams that have vanished

Towards dreams that have appeared,

which were nothing but a warning.

And were nothing but a warning

Which were nothing but a warning.

كيف لا أبكي غراماً

كيف لا أبكي غراماً

خُـنتَهُ غَـضّاً نضيرا

خُـنتَهُ غَـضّاً نضيرا

How can I not weep for a love

How can I not weep out of love

How could I not weep for a romance

you betrayed while tender and fresh?

Whose innocence you betrayed unfairly

That you betrayed while fresh and blooming?

ثم أكْدى في صباهُ

ثم أكْدى في صباهُ

إذ قضى نَـحْباً قصيـرا

إذ قضى نَـحْباً قصيـرا

Then it faltered in its youth,

Then my youth was worn out

Then it withered in its youth,

as it reached the end of its brief life.

After brief sobbing

Meeting a brief, untimely end.

لم يعـشْ إلا شهـوراً

لم يعـشْ إلا شهـوراً

بعدها أضحى كسيرا

بعدها أضحى كسيرا

It lived only for months,

It lived only months

It lived for only a few months,

after which it became broken.

Then it became frail

After which it was left broken.

لا تخـنْ ودّي جهـاراً

لا تخـنْ ودّي جهـاراً

أنتَ تغتالُ الضميرا

أنتَ تغتالُ الضميرا

Do not betray my affection openly;

Do not betray my affection openly

Do not betray my affection openly,

you murder conscience.

You assassinate conscience severely

You are assassinating the conscience.

زادَ خوفي من شجوني

زادَ خوفي من شجوني

لم يعد قـلبي قريـرا

لم يعد قـلبي قريـرا

My fear grew from my sorrows;

My fear of my sorrows increased

My fear has grown from my sorrows,

my heart is no longer at peace.

My heart is no longer calm or merry

My heart is no longer at peace.

ها أنا في الـذُّلِّ أُبْلي

ها أنا في الـذُّلِّ أُبْلي

طَيِّـعاً حتى أصـيرا!

طَيِّـعاً حتى أصـيرا!

Here I am in humiliation, wearing myself out,

Obedient until I become weary

Here I am, wearing away in humiliation,

until I become compliant!

Fearful, oh my misery, of

Compliant, until I fade away!

خائفٌ يا ويلتـي من

خائفٌ يا ويلتـي من

مُـسْتَبِدٍّ أنْ يُـغـيرا

مُـسْتَبِدٍّ أنْ يُـغـيرا

Afraid—alas for me—of

A tyrant who changes whims arbitrarily

I am afraid, oh my woe, of

a tyrant who may attack.

How can he wrong me unjustly

A tyrant about to strike.

كيف يرمينـي بظلمٍ

كيف يرمينـي بظلمٍ

ثم يرجــوني نصيرا

ثم يرجــوني نصيرا

How can he hurl injustice at me,

Then wish me to be his ally?

How can he cast injustice upon me,

then hope to have me as a supporter?

Shall I chant my worries

Then beg me to be his ally?

هل أنا بالهَمِّ أشـدو

هل أنا بالهَمِّ أشـدو

أم أنا أَهْـذي كثيرا؟

أم أنا أَهْـذي كثيرا؟

Am I singing with sorrow,

Or shall I rave a lot?

Am I singing through my sorrow,

or am I raving so much?

Do not try to subdue my love

Or am I raving endlessly?

لا تحاولْ وَأْدَ ودِّي

لا تحاولْ وَأْدَ ودِّي

أو تَقُـلْ لي أنْ أطـيرا

أو تَقُـلْ لي أنْ أطـيرا

Do not try to bury my affection alive,

Or tell me to fly

Do not try to bury my affection alive,

or tell me to fly.

Do you see me having wings?

Or tell me to fly away.

هلْ ترى لي من جناحٍ

هلْ ترى لي من جناحٍ

لم يعـدْ قلبـي سفيرا

لم يعـدْ قلبـي سفيرا

Do you see any wing of mine?

My heart is no longer a courier

Do you see any wings upon me?

My heart is no longer an ambassador.

If you want a new dawn

My heart is no longer an ambassador.

إنْ تُرِدْ فجـراً جديدا ً

إنْ تُرِدْ فجـراً جديدا ً

خَلِّ موعودي صغيرا

خَلِّ موعودي صغيرا

If you desire a new dawn,

Free my little promise

If you desire a new dawn,

let what is promised me remain small,

To rise above wishes

Keep my promised share small;

يرتقي فـوق الأمـاني

يرتقي فـوق الأمـاني

حيثُ يبقى مستنيرا

حيثُ يبقى مستنيرا

rising above wishes,

Where it remains enlightened

It will ascend above all hopes,

where it remains illumined.

Where it shall remain illuminated.