أشكو لها الحبَّ ظنّاً أنْ سيعطفها

أشكو لها الحبَّ ظنّاً أنْ سيعطفها

والحبُّ يمنعها أن تسمعَ الشاكي

والحبُّ يمنعها أن تسمعَ الشاكي

I complain to her of love, thinking it will move her to pity,

I complain to her of love, thinking it may soften her,

yet love keeps her from hearing the one who complains.

But love prevents her from hearing the complainant.

يا هندُ ما كانَ لي أمسى عليَّ إذنْ

يا هندُ ما كانَ لي أمسى عليَّ إذنْ

يا ليتَ ما كانَ لا هذا ولا ذاكِ

يا ليتَ ما كانَ لا هذا ولا ذاكِ

O Hind, then, what was in my favor has turned against me.

O Hind, never would yesterday evening have been against me,

Ah, would that what was were neither this nor that!

If only neither this nor that had happened.

للدهرِ جنبانِ لا ينفكُّ منقلباً

للدهرِ جنبانِ لا ينفكُّ منقلباً

حيناً وحيناً كما تغريهِ عيناكِ

حيناً وحيناً كما تغريهِ عيناكِ

Time has two sides; it never ceases turning,

Time has two sides that keep fluctuating,

now one way, now the other, as your eyes entice it.

Now and then, as your eyes change.

يا هندُ حبُّكِ نهرُ العاشقينَ فمن

يا هندُ حبُّكِ نهرُ العاشقينَ فمن

رأى إذنْ نهراً من غيرِ أسماكِ

رأى إذنْ نهراً من غيرِ أسماكِ

O Hind, your love is the lovers' river—so who

O Hind, your love is the river of lovers. So who

has ever seen, then, a river without fish?

Could see a river without fish?

رحماكِ قاتلةً رحماكِ فاتنةً

رحماكِ قاتلةً رحماكِ فاتنةً

فالناسُ في ذا الهوى ليسوا بأملاكِ

فالناسُ في ذا الهوى ليسوا بأملاكِ

Have mercy, slayer! Have mercy, enchantress!

Have mercy, you who kill! Have mercy, you who seduce!

For people in this passion are not angels.

For people in this passion are not masters.

يا هندُ ما نظرتْ عينايَ في حسنٍ

يا هندُ ما نظرتْ عينايَ في حسنٍ

إلا تبيّنتُ معناهُ بمعناكِ

إلا تبيّنتُ معناهُ بمعناكِ

O Hind, my eyes have never looked upon beauty

O Hind, my eyes have seen no beauty

without my discerning its meaning through yours.

That I could not interpret through your meaning.