مِن عاشِقٍ كَلِفِ الفُؤادِ مُتَيَّمِ

مِن عاشِقٍ كَلِفِ الفُؤادِ مُتَيَّمِ

يُهدي السَلامَ إِلى المَليحَةِ كُلثُمِ

يُهدي السَلامَ إِلى المَليحَةِ كُلثُمِ

From a lover, love-stricken at heart and enthralled,

From a lover with a weary heart

who sends greetings to the lovely Kulthum,

Sending greetings to the beautiful rosebud

وَيَبوحُ بِالسِرِّ المَصونِ وَبِالهَوى

وَيَبوحُ بِالسِرِّ المَصونِ وَبِالهَوى

يُدري لِيُعلِمَها بِما لَم تَعلَمِ

يُدري لِيُعلِمَها بِما لَم تَعلَمِ

and reveals his guarded secret and his love,

He confides his hidden love and passion

making it known to tell her what she did not know,

So she knows what she did not before

كَي لا تَشُكَّ عَلى التَجَنُّبِ أَنَّها

كَي لا تَشُكَّ عَلى التَجَنُّبِ أَنَّها

عِندي بِمَنزِلَةِ المُحِبِّ المُكرَمِ

عِندي بِمَنزِلَةِ المُحِبِّ المُكرَمِ

so that, despite estrangement, she may not doubt that she

Lest she doubt that to me she is

holds with me the place of an honored lover.

Like a dear and honored beloved

أَخَذَت مِنَ القَلبِ العَميدِ بِقُوَّةٍ

أَخَذَت مِنَ القَلبِ العَميدِ بِقُوَّةٍ

وَمِنَ الوِصالِ بِمَتنِ حَبلٍ مُبرَمِ

وَمِنَ الوِصالِ بِمَتنِ حَبلٍ مُبرَمِ

She has taken firm hold of the lovesick heart,

She has firmly gripped my stalwart heart

and of union's stout, tightly twisted cord.

With the rope of fulfilled union

وَتَمَكَّنَت في النَفسِ حَيثُ تَمَكَّنَت

وَتَمَكَّنَت في النَفسِ حَيثُ تَمَكَّنَت

نَفسُ المُحِبِّ مِنَ الحَبيبِ المُغرَمِ

نَفسُ المُحِبِّ مِنَ الحَبيبِ المُغرَمِ

And she has taken hold within my soul, as

She is anchored in my soul anchored

a lover's soul takes hold of a beloved enthralled by love.

As the soul of the doting lover

وَلَقَد قَرَأتُ كِتابَها فَفَهِمتُهُ

وَلَقَد قَرَأتُ كِتابَها فَفَهِمتُهُ

لَو كانَ غَيرَ كِتابَها لَم أَفهَمِ

لَو كانَ غَيرَ كِتابَها لَم أَفهَمِ

Indeed, I read her letter and understood it;

Indeed I read her book and understood it

had it been a letter other than hers, I would not have understood.

Had it been other than her book, I'd not understand

عَجَمَت عَلَيهِ بِكَفِّها وَبَنانِها

عَجَمَت عَلَيهِ بِكَفِّها وَبَنانِها

مِن ماءِ مُقلَتِها بِغَيرِ المُعجَمِ

مِن ماءِ مُقلَتِها بِغَيرِ المُعجَمِ

She dotted it with her palm and fingertips,

She obscured it with her palm and fingers

with the water of her eye, not with dotted script.

With the water of her eyes, uncoded

وَمَشى الرَسولُ بِحاجَةٍ مَكتومَةٍ

وَمَشى الرَسولُ بِحاجَةٍ مَكتومَةٍ

لَولا مَلاحَةُ بَعضِها لَم تُكتَمِ

لَولا مَلاحَةُ بَعضِها لَم تُكتَمِ

And the messenger went on a secret errand—

The messenger walked with a secret need

but for the charm of part of it, it would not have been concealed—

Had some of it not leaked, it'd stay concealed

في غَفلَةٍ مِمَّن نُحاذِرُ قَولَهُ

في غَفلَةٍ مِمَّن نُحاذِرُ قَولَهُ

وَسَوادِ لَيلٍ ذي دَواجٍ مُظلِمِ

وَسَوادِ لَيلٍ ذي دَواجٍ مُظلِمِ

while the one whose words we fear was unaware,

Unbeknownst to those whose talk we fear

and in the blackness of a dark night wrapped in veils.

In the darkness of a gloomy night

ديني وَدينُكِ يا كُليثِمُ واحِدٌ

ديني وَدينُكِ يا كُليثِمُ واحِدٌ

نَرفُض وَقَيتُكِ دينَنا أَو نُسلِمِ

نَرفُض وَقَيتُكِ دينَنا أَو نُسلِمِ

My faith and yours, O Kulaythim, are one;

My faith and yours, O Kullthum, are one

either we renounce our faith—may I shield you—or submit.

We reject your time or surrender to our faith