أترك الشط آه بالرغم مني

أترك الشط آه بالرغم مني

لو درى الشط لوعتي لبكى لي

لو درى الشط لوعتي لبكى لي

I leave the shore—ah, against my will.

I leave the shore, alas against my will,

If the shore knew my anguish, it would weep for me.

If the shore knew my torment, it would weep for me.

قد شربناك أيها الملح عذبا

قد شربناك أيها الملح عذبا

وشهيّا كأنه من زلال

وشهيّا كأنه من زلال

We have drunk you, O salt water, and found you sweet,

We drank you, o salt, sweet,

And delicious, as though it were pure, fresh water.

And delicious, as if it were from the purest nectar.

وسبحنا وللجمال خيال

وسبحنا وللجمال خيال

آه من فتنتي بذاك الخيال

آه من فتنتي بذاك الخيال

And we swam, and beauty has its vision.

We swam, to imagination’s beauty, an illusion.

Ah, my infatuation with that vision!

Alas for my infatuation with that illusion!

وضللنا وللضلال جمال

وضللنا وللضلال جمال

أين بحر الهدى وبحر الضلال

أين بحر الهدى وبحر الضلال

And we strayed, and error has its beauty.

We went astray, for straying has its charm.

Where are the sea of guidance and the sea of error?

Where is the sea of guidance, and the sea of straying?

هجر الشط عاشقوه وساروا

هجر الشط عاشقوه وساروا

فغدا الشط ظلمة في الليالي

فغدا الشط ظلمة في الليالي

The shore's lovers deserted it and went away.

The shore’s lovers deserted it and left.

So the shore became darkness through the nights.

So it became darkness in the nights.

ما مقامي وقد غدا الشط قفراً

ما مقامي وقد غدا الشط قفراً

لا ترى فيه لحظ ذاك الغزال

لا ترى فيه لحظ ذاك الغزال

Why should I stay, when the shore has become desolate?

How can I stay when the shore has become a wasteland,

You see there neither that gazelle's gaze,

Where you see no trace of that gazelle,

والبنات المكحلات بكحل

والبنات المكحلات بكحل

هو في روحه شقيق الدلال

هو في روحه شقيق الدلال

Nor the girls with eyes darkened with kohl,

Or the kohl-eyed maidens with their kohl.

Which in its spirit is coquetry's brother.

It is in spirit the twin of vanishing.

أين ولين أين أين أجبني

أين ولين أين أين أجبني

يا نديمي بالروح والآمال

يا نديمي بالروح والآمال

Where have they gone? Where, where? Answer me,

Where, oh where, oh where are you? Answer me,

O my boon companion in spirit and hopes.

My companion in spirit and hopes!

قد خبا الصيف قد خبت جمرات

قد خبا الصيف قد خبت جمرات

كن يلذّذن كالرحيق ببالي

كن يلذّذن كالرحيق ببالي

Summer has died down; embers have gone out.

Summer has waned, its embers have cooled,

They used to delight my mind like nectar.

That once delighted me like syrup in my mind.

وشتاء أتى وبرد ثقيل

وشتاء أتى وبرد ثقيل

هو أردى من طلعة العذال

هو أردى من طلعة العذال

And winter has come, with a heavy chill.

And a harsh, heavy winter has come

It is worse than the sight of the reproachers.

Harsher than the rising of a foe.

لا أبالي ما يرجفون سفاها

لا أبالي ما يرجفون سفاها

فنعيمي في قيلهم بعد قال

فنعيمي في قيلهم بعد قال

I do not care what rumors they foolishly spread,

I care not what the foolish shake about.

For my bliss lies in their gossip, talk upon talk.

My bliss is in their words, after their words.

جهلوا العشق فاستطالوا علينا

جهلوا العشق فاستطالوا علينا

يلعن اللَه عصبة الجهال

يلعن اللَه عصبة الجهال

They knew nothing of love, so they lorded it over us.

They are ignorant of love, so they impose on us.

May God curse the band of the ignorant!

May God curse the troop of the ignorant!

لا أبالي بكيدهم لا أبالي

لا أبالي بكيدهم لا أبالي

لا أبالي بكيدهم لا أبالي

لا أبالي بكيدهم لا أبالي

I do not care about their scheming; I do not care.

I care not for their plots, I care not,

I do not care about their scheming; I do not care.

I care not for their plots, I care not!