لَما رَأَيتك في الغَرام غَدرتَ بي

لَما رَأَيتك في الغَرام غَدرتَ بي

وَرغبتَ في الغرّ البَليد المبتلي

وَرغبتَ في الغرّ البَليد المبتلي

When I saw that you had betrayed me in love,

When I saw you in love, you betrayed me

and had desired the naive, dull-witted tormentor,

And lusted after the dull, afflicted fool

وَغضبت بَعد رضاك عَني مُدة

وَغضبت بَعد رضاك عَني مُدة

وَنسيت تَربيتي وَحسن تَأمّلي

وَنسيت تَربيتي وَحسن تَأمّلي

and had grown angry after being pleased with me for a time,

You became angry after being pleased with me for a while

and had forgotten my nurturing and my kindly consideration,

And forgot my upbringing and my graceful contemplation

وَلزمتُ باب الصَبر حَولاً كامِلاً

وَلزمتُ باب الصَبر حَولاً كامِلاً

قَضيته في لَوعة وَتعلل

قَضيته في لَوعة وَتعلل

I stayed at the door of patience for a whole year,

So I resorted to the door of patience for a full year

which I spent in anguish and self-consolation.

Which I spent in agony and excuses

وَرَجَوتُ أَن يصفى وِدادُك بَعده

وَرَجَوتُ أَن يصفى وِدادُك بَعده

وَتَموت حسادي عَليك وَعذَّلي

وَتَموت حسادي عَليك وَعذَّلي

And I hoped your affection would grow pure afterward,

And I hoped that your affection would become pure after that

and those who envied me for you, and my reproachers, would die.

And that those envious of me over you would die

قاطَعتَني بُغضاً بِلا ذَنب بَدا

قاطَعتَني بُغضاً بِلا ذَنب بَدا

مني وَلم تَرجع لِحُبي الأَوّل

مني وَلم تَرجع لِحُبي الأَوّل

You cut me off in hatred, with no fault arising

You cut me off with undeserved hatred

from me, and did not return to your former love for me.

That did not originate from me, and did not return to my first love

وَلأثقل الثقلين ملتَ وَبعتَني

وَلأثقل الثقلين ملتَ وَبعتَني

بَيع العَبيد وَما رحمت تذللي

بَيع العَبيد وَما رحمت تذللي

And you turned toward the heaviest of men and jinn, and sold me

And you sold me for the heaviest of prices

as slaves are sold, and did not pity my self-abasement.

The sale of slaves, and did not pity my humiliation

وَحلفتَ أَنك لا تَخون فَلَم تَفي

وَحلفتَ أَنك لا تَخون فَلَم تَفي

إِلا لمجرمك السَفيه الأَسفَل

إِلا لمجرمك السَفيه الأَسفَل

And you swore you would not betray, yet kept faith with none

And you swore you would not betray, but did not fulfil

but your foolish, base scoundrel.

Except for your ignorant, vile criminal

وَلَديك أَوراقي بعثت فمُزِّقَت

وَلَديك أَوراقي بعثت فمُزِّقَت

مِن بَعد ما تليت عَليك بمحفل

مِن بَعد ما تليت عَليك بمحفل

And I sent my papers to you; then they were torn up

And I had papers with you that were torn up

after being read aloud to you at a gathering.

After I recited them to you in a gathering

وَقَسوت قسوة معتد متكبر

وَقَسوت قسوة معتد متكبر

وَإِلى الجُنون نَسبتَ عَقلاً قَد بلي

وَإِلى الجُنون نَسبتَ عَقلاً قَد بلي

And you were cruel with an arrogant aggressor's cruelty,

And you were cruelly arrogant like an aggressor

and branded as mad a mind already sorely tried.

And attributed madness to a mind that had matured

وَسفهت في جَمع علي مِن الوَرى

وَسفهت في جَمع علي مِن الوَرى

وَغلقت باب الصلح خَوف الأَرذل

وَغلقت باب الصلح خَوف الأَرذل

And you acted insolently toward me before a gathering of people,

And in front of people you made me out to be foolish

and closed the door to reconciliation for fear of the vilest one.

And closed the door to reconciliation, fearing the most vile

وَالنَفس قَد ذلت إِليك فَهنتها

وَالنَفس قَد ذلت إِليك فَهنتها

مِن بَعد عزتها وَطيب المنهل

مِن بَعد عزتها وَطيب المنهل

And my soul had humbled itself before you, so you abased it,

And my soul had been humbled to you, so you weakened it

after its former honor and the sweetness of its watering place,

After its dignity and pure springs

مَع ما علمت بِأَنني لَيث الوَغى

مَع ما علمت بِأَنني لَيث الوَغى

وَشهامَتي فَوقَ السماك الأَعزَلِ

وَشهامَتي فَوقَ السماك الأَعزَلِ

though you knew that I am a lion of battle,

Despite knowing I am a lion in battle

and my valor towers above Spica, the Unarmed.

And my bravery above the unarmed rabble

لَكنني في الحُب أَجبن عاشق

لَكنني في الحُب أَجبن عاشق

أَصماه سَهم مِن حَبيب مقبل

أَصماه سَهم مِن حَبيب مقبل

But in love I am the most cowardly lover,

But in love I am like a lover made deaf

whom an arrow from an approaching beloved has struck dead.

By an arrow from a welcoming beloved

ناديت وا أَسفاه ضاعَت خدمَتي

ناديت وا أَسفاه ضاعَت خدمَتي

وَسَلوت بَعدَ شَراب كأس الحَنظلِ

وَسَلوت بَعدَ شَراب كأس الحَنظلِ

I cried, 'Alas! My service has gone to waste!'

I called out in sorrow - my service was wasted

And I found solace after drinking the cup of colocynth.

And I asked for more after drinking a cup of bitter aloe

فَلَكَ الثَنا وَالشُكرُ إِذ خَلَّصتني

فَلَكَ الثَنا وَالشُكرُ إِذ خَلَّصتني

يا رَب مِن هَذا القَضاء المنزل

يا رَب مِن هَذا القَضاء المنزل

So praise and thanks are Yours, for You delivered me,

So to you be praise and thanks, for you freed me

O Lord, from this fate sent down upon me.

O Lord, from this destined judgment

فَلَقَد لَقيت عَجائباً وَغَرائِباً

فَلَقَد لَقيت عَجائباً وَغَرائِباً

ما كانَ ظَني أَن أَراها في علي

ما كانَ ظَني أَن أَراها في علي

For I have indeed encountered wonders and strange things

For I have indeed seen wondrous and amazing things

that I never expected to see in Ali.

That I never thought I would see in my life