ياO عَذوليmy reproacher إِنif كُنتَyou are تَرجوyou hope for سُلُوّيmy forgetting love
يا عَذولي إِن كُنتَ تَرجو سُلُوّي
فَالَّذيthen what تَرتَجيهِyou hope for it نَفسُthe very essence of المُحالِimpossibility
فَالَّذي تَرتَجيهِ نَفسُ المُحالِ
O my reproacher, if you hope I will forget my love,
O fickle one, if you hope for my affection
Then what you hope for is impossibility itself.
What you desire is impossible
كَمhow long إِلىuntil كَمhow long تُبلىyou wear out المَلامَreproach لِصَبٍّfor a lovesick man
كَم إِلى كَم تُبلى المَلامَ لِصَبٍّ
سَمعُهُhis hearing فيin الهَوىlove بِهِto it لاnot يُباليpays heed
سَمعُهُ في الهَوى بِهِ لا يُبالي
How long, how long will you wear out reproaches on a lovesick man
How long will reproaches wear out a passionate lover
Whose ears, in love, pay them no heed?
Whose hearing in love does not care
فَأَرِحso give relief وَاِستَرِحand rest yourself وَإِلّاor else اِشتَغَلناwe shall become occupied
فَأَرِح وَاِستَرِح وَإِلّا اِشتَغَلنا
عَنaway from مُهِمّاتِناour important affairs بِقيلٍwith 'it was said' وَقالِand 'he said'
عَن مُهِمّاتِنا بِقيلٍ وَقالِ
So give me rest and rest yourself, or else we shall be distracted
So relax and rest, otherwise we will be distracted
From our important affairs by gossip and idle talk.
From our important affairs by gossip