سَجنتُ نفسِي بيَدِي

سَجنتُ نفسِي بيَدِي

مِن غيرِ ما حُكمٍ عَلَي

مِن غيرِ ما حُكمٍ عَلَي

I imprisoned myself with my own hand,

I imprisoned myself with my own hands

Without any sentence passed against me.

Without being sentenced

بَقيتُ خلفَ البابِ في

بَقيتُ خلفَ البابِ في

ظُلمةِ ليلٍ حَندَسِي

ظُلمةِ ليلٍ حَندَسِي

I remained behind the door in

I remained behind the door in

The darkness of a pitch-black night,

The darkness of my gloomy night

مُنتظِراً زَورةَ مَن

مُنتظِراً زَورةَ مَن

كُلُّ المُنَى هُو لَدَي

كُلُّ المُنَى هُو لَدَي

Awaiting a visit from one

Waiting for the visit of one

Who, to me, is all I long for.

Who is my only wish

كَم مِن خُطى حَسَبتُها

كَم مِن خُطى حَسَبتُها

خُطَى شَقَينَ مُهجَتِي

خُطَى شَقَينَ مُهجَتِي

How many footfalls I took to be

How many footsteps did I think were

Footsteps that tormented my heart!

The footsteps of my tormentor

فَيقفزُ القَلبُ وأر

فَيقفزُ القَلبُ وأر

هُفُ لِسمعِ أُذنِي

هُفُ لِسمعِ أُذنِي

Then my heart leaps, and I strain

So my heart would jump and I would

My ear to listen.

Prick up my ears

قد يتَلاشَى صوتُها

قد يتَلاشَى صوتُها

فَيرجِعُ اليأسُ إلَي

فَيرجِعُ اليأسُ إلَي

Their sound may fade away,

Her voice may fade away

And despair returns to me.

And despair returns to me

ثُم أعُود ثَانيا

ثُم أعُود ثَانيا

أجلُس فوقَ مَقعَدِي

أجلُس فوقَ مَقعَدِي

Then I return once more;

Then I go back again

I sit upon my chair,

And sit on my seat

مُنتَصِباً في وقفَتِي

مُنتَصِباً في وقفَتِي

في البابِ واضِعا يَدِي

في البابِ واضِعا يَدِي

Upright in my stance,

Standing erect in my stance

Placing my hand on the door.

With my hand on the door

وهكَذا قَضَيتُ تِل

وهكَذا قَضَيتُ تِل

كَ السَّاعتَين يا أخِي

كَ السَّاعتَين يا أخِي

And thus I spent those

And so I spent those

Two hours, my brother.

Two hours, O brother

وكُلَّمَا قلتُ لِقل

وكُلَّمَا قلتُ لِقل

بي اليأسُ إحدَى رَاحَتي

بي اليأسُ إحدَى رَاحَتي

And whenever I said to my

And whenever I told my heart

Heart, 'Despair is one of my two comforts,'

To despair, one of my two comforts

يَقولُ صَبرا رُبمَا

يَقولُ صَبرا رُبمَا

ضَميرُه يكونُ حَي

ضَميرُه يكونُ حَي

It says, 'Be patient; perhaps

Would say, "Have patience, perhaps

His conscience is alive.

His conscience is still alive

إنَّ الوفاءَ بالوُعو

إنَّ الوفاءَ بالوُعو

دِ شيمَةُ الحُرِّ السَّرِي

دِ شيمَةُ الحُرِّ السَّرِي

Indeed, keeping promises

For loyalty to one's promise is the trait

Is the trait of the noble, generous man.'

Of a free and noble man"

يقولُ صَبراً رُبمَا

يقولُ صَبراً رُبمَا

يُنجزُ وعدَه الوفِي

يُنجزُ وعدَه الوفِي

It says, 'Be patient; perhaps

It would say, "Have patience, maybe

The faithful one will fulfill his promise.'

He will fulfill his faithful promise"

وعِندمَا أبصرَ ما

وعِندمَا أبصرَ ما

أبصَرَ ما قد حَلَّ بي

أبصَرَ ما قد حَلَّ بي

And when it saw what

And when it saw what

It saw—what had befallen me—

It saw, what had happened to me

خاطَبنِي بقَولِه

خاطَبنِي بقَولِه

ضَميرُ ذَا ليسَ بِحَى

ضَميرُ ذَا ليسَ بِحَى

It addressed me, saying:

It addressed me saying

'This one's conscience is not alive.

"This conscience is not alive

فاترُكهُ واترُك ذكرَه

فاترُكهُ واترُك ذكرَه

فَلسَت عِندَه بِشَي

فَلسَت عِندَه بِشَي

So leave him, and leave his memory behind,

So leave him and leave mentioning him

For you are nothing to him.'

For you are nothing to him"