لَعَمرُكَby your life إِنّيindeed I يَومَon the day of جَرعاءُJarʿāʾ مالِكٍMālik
لَعَمرُكَ إِنّي يَومَ جَرعاءُ مالِكٍ
لَعاصٍsurely disobedient لِأَمرِto the counsel of المُرشِدينَthe guides مَضيعُneglectful
لَعاصٍ لِأَمرِ المُرشِدينَ مَضيعُ
By your life, on the day at Jarʿāʾ Mālik, I was
truly disobedient to the guides' counsel, heedless.
نَدِمتُI regretted عَلىover ماwhat كانَwas مِنّيfrom me فَقُدتُنيmay I lose myself
نَدِمتُ عَلى ما كانَ مِنّي فَقُدتُني
كَماas يَندَمُregrets المَغبونُthe cheated man حينَwhen يَبيعُhe sells
كَما يَندَمُ المَغبونُ حينَ يَبيعُ
I regretted what I had done—may I be lost!—
as a cheated man regrets when he sells.
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle لَحانيreproached me العاذِلاتُthe reproaching women بِحُبِّهاfor loving her
إِذا ما لَحاني العاذِلاتُ بِحُبِّها
أَبَتrefused كَبِدٌa liver مِماfrom what أُجِنُّI conceal صَديعُsplit open
أَبَت كَبِدٌ مِما أُجِنُّ صَديعُ
Whenever the reproaching women blame me for loving her,
my liver, riven by what I conceal, refuses to yield.
وَكَيفَand how أُطيعُcan I obey العاذِلاتِthe reproaching women وَحُبُّهاwhile love for her
وَكَيفَ أُطيعُ العاذِلاتِ وَحُبُّها
يُؤَرِّقُنيkeeps me awake وَالعاذِلاتُwhile the reproaching women هُجوعُare asleep
يُؤَرِّقُني وَالعاذِلاتُ هُجوعُ
And how can I obey the reproaching women, when love for her
keeps me awake while the reproaching women sleep?
عَدِمتُكِmay I lose you مِنas نَفسٍa soul شَعاعٍscattered فَإِنَّنيfor indeed I
عَدِمتُكِ مِن نَفسٍ شَعاعٍ فَإِنَّني
نَهَيتُكِI forbade you عَنfrom هاذاthis وَأَنتِwhile you were جَميعُwhole
نَهَيتُكِ عَن هاذا وَأَنتِ جَميعُ
May I lose you, scattered soul! For I
forbade you this while you were still whole.
فَقَرَّبتِso you brought near ليto me غَيرَother than القَريبِwhat is near وَأَشرَفَتand rose into view
فَقَرَّبتِ لي غَيرَ القَريبِ وَأَشرَفَت
هُناكَthere ثَناياmountain passes ماnot لَهُنَّfor them طُلوعُan ascent
هُناكَ ثَنايا ما لَهُنَّ طُلوعُ
So you brought the far-off near to me, and into view rose
mountain passes there that could not be climbed.
فَضَعَّفَنيso it weakened me حُبَّيكِmy love for you حَتّىuntil كَأَنَّنيas though I
فَضَعَّفَني حُبَّيكِ حَتّى كَأَنَّني
مِنَfrom الأَهلِfamily وَالمالِand wealth التِلادِlong-held خَليعُcast off
مِنَ الأَهلِ وَالمالِ التِلادِ خَليعُ
So my love for you weakened me, until I seemed
cut off from family and long-held wealth,
وَحَتّىand until دَعانيcalled me الناسُthe people أَحمَقَa fool مائِقاًa simpleton
وَحَتّى دَعاني الناسُ أَحمَقَ مائِقاً
وَقالواand they said مُطيعٌobedient لِلضِلالِto error تَبوعُever following
وَقالوا مُطيعٌ لِلضِلالِ تَبوعُ
and until people called me a fool, a simpleton,
and said, "Obedient to error, ever following it."