إِذا جاءَني مِنها الكِتابُ بِعَينِهِ

إِذا جاءَني مِنها الكِتابُ بِعَينِهِ

خَلَوتُ بِبَيتي حَيثُ كُنتُ مِنَ الأَرضِ

خَلَوتُ بِبَيتي حَيثُ كُنتُ مِنَ الأَرضِ

When the letter itself comes to me from her,

When her letter reaches me in her own hand,

I seclude myself in my house, wherever I am on earth.

I seclude myself in my abode wherever I am on earth.

فَأَبكي لِنَفسي رَحمَةً مِن جَفائِها

فَأَبكي لِنَفسي رَحمَةً مِن جَفائِها

وَيَبكي مِنَ الهِجرانِ بَعضي عَلى بَعضي

وَيَبكي مِنَ الهِجرانِ بَعضي عَلى بَعضي

So I weep for myself, in pity at her coldness,

I weep for myself out of mercy from her aloofness,

And from separation, one part of me weeps over another.

And my being weeps from separation, part over part.

وَإِنّي لَأَهواها مُسيئاً وَمُحسِناً

وَإِنّي لَأَهواها مُسيئاً وَمُحسِناً

وَأَقضي عَلى نَفسي لَها بِالَّذي تَقضي

وَأَقضي عَلى نَفسي لَها بِالَّذي تَقضي

And indeed I love her, whether I do wrong or do good,

Indeed, I love her whether doing wrong or right,

And I rule against myself in her favor, as she rules.

And I submit myself to her in what she decrees.

فَحَتّى مَتى رَوحُ الرِضا لا يَنالُني

فَحَتّى مَتى رَوحُ الرِضا لا يَنالُني

وَحَتّى مَتى أَيّامُ سَخطِكِ لا تَمضي

وَحَتّى مَتى أَيّامُ سَخطِكِ لا تَمضي

So how long will the solace of favor fail to reach me?

So for how long will the spirit of acceptance evade me?

And how long will the days of your displeasure fail to pass?

And for how long will your days of displeasure not pass?