لا تَسأَلَن عيسى فَما

لا تَسأَلَن عيسى فَما

يَحظى لَدَيهِ السائِلُ

يَحظى لَدَيهِ السائِلُ

Never ask Isa, for no

Do not ask Jesus for he will not

petitioner finds favor with him.

Grant the asker's request

وَخَلِّهِ فَإِنَّهُ

وَخَلِّهِ فَإِنَّهُ

مذ كانَ خُصٌّ مائِلُ

مذ كانَ خُصٌّ مائِلُ

And leave him be, for he

Leave him be, for he

has always been a leaning reed hut.

Has long been inept and leaning

بَكَيتُ إِذا زارَ مَن أَهواهُ مُكتَتَما

بَكَيتُ إِذا زارَ مَن أَهواهُ مُكتَتَما

في لَيلَةٍ رَأسُها بِالشَيبِ مُشتَعِلُ

في لَيلَةٍ رَأسُها بِالشَيبِ مُشتَعِلُ

I wept when the one I love came in secret,

I wept when my beloved visited me veiled

on a night whose head was ablaze with gray hair.

On a night with grey hair aflame

في قَدِّها قِصَرٌ في كَشحِها هَضَمٌ

في قَدِّها قِصَرٌ في كَشحِها هَضَمٌ

في عِطفِها قَلَقٌ في مَشيِها عَجَلُ

في عِطفِها قَلَقٌ في مَشيِها عَجَلُ

Her stature was short, her waist slender;

With a palace on her nape, a robe on her shoulder

her flank was restless, her gait hurried.

Restless on her chest, hasty in her gait

ضاقَت عَلَيَّ نواحيها فَما قَدَرَت

ضاقَت عَلَيَّ نواحيها فَما قَدَرَت

عَلَى الإِناخَةِ في ساحاتِها القُبَلُ

عَلَى الإِناخَةِ في ساحاتِها القُبَلُ

Her confines narrowed about me, leaving no room

Her quarters were too cramped for me that I could not

for kisses to alight in her courtyards.

Lie in her courtyards kissed

كَأَنَّها وَلَدٌ ما تَمَّ مَولِدُهُ

كَأَنَّها وَلَدٌ ما تَمَّ مَولِدُهُ

حَتّى تَخَطَّفَهُ مِن وَقتِهِ الأَجَلُ

حَتّى تَخَطَّفَهُ مِن وَقتِهِ الأَجَلُ

She was like a child whose birth was not yet complete

As though she were a newborn snatched by fate

when death snatched him away before his time.

Before her birth was done