اللَهُGod أكبرُis greater منthan وَجدٍlonging أُقاسيهِI endure it
اللَهُ أكبرُ من وَجدٍ أُقاسيهِ
ومِنand than زَفيرٍa sigh بِنارِwith the fire of الصَدِّrejection يُورِيهِhe kindles it
ومِن زَفيرٍ بِنارِ الصَدِّ يُورِيهِ
God is greater than the longing I endure,
and than the sigh that the fire of rejection kindles,
ومِنand than لَهِيبٍa flame يَشِبُّthat flares اليومَtoday فيin كَبدِيmy heart
ومِن لَهِيبٍ يَشِبُّ اليومَ في كَبدِي
ومِنand than غرامٍpassion وَشَوقٍand yearning لستُI do not أُحصِيهِcount it
ومِن غرامٍ وَشَوقٍ لستُ أُحصِيهِ
and than the flame that flares today in my heart,
and than the love and yearning I cannot count,
ومِنand than سَعيرٍa blaze بَرىwore away قَلبيmy heart تَوقُّدُهits burning
ومِن سَعيرٍ بَرى قَلبي تَوقُّدُه
ومِنand than غليلٍanguish وحزنٍand sorrow زائدٍincreasing فيهِwithin it
ومِن غليلٍ وحزنٍ زائدٍ فيهِ
and than the blaze whose burning has worn my heart away,
and than the anguish and growing sorrow within it.
أَشكُوI complain إِلىto اللَهGod ذاكَof that الحِبَّbeloved مُبتعداًbeing distant
أَشكُو إِلى اللَه ذاكَ الحِبَّ مُبتعداً
فَماso what احتِياليis my recourse فقلبيfor my heart ليسَdoes not يُسليهِfind comfort in him
فَما احتِيالي فقلبي ليسَ يُسليهِ
I complain to God of that beloved being far away.
What can I do? My heart finds no comfort.
تَوقَّدَblazed الجمرُthe embers فيin قلبيmy heart لفُرقَتِهِbecause of parting from him
تَوقَّدَ الجمرُ في قلبي لفُرقَتِهِ
فليتَهُif only he بلَذيذِwith the sweetness of الوصلِunion يُطفيهِwould quench it
فليتَهُ بلَذيذِ الوصلِ يُطفيهِ
Embers have caught fire in my heart because of our parting;
if only the sweetness of union would let him quench them.
جَرتflowed عيونِيَmy eyes دَمعاًwith tears فاستَحالَthen they turned دماًto blood
جَرت عيونِيَ دَمعاً فاستَحالَ دماً
مِنfrom شدَّةِthe intensity of الوَجدِlonging عَلَّperhaps الحبَّlove يشفيهِwill heal it
مِن شدَّةِ الوَجدِ عَلَّ الحبَّ يشفيهِ
My eyes poured tears that turned to blood
from the force of longing; perhaps love will heal my heart.
ياO ذاthis الغَزالُgazelle لِماذاwhy كُنتَdo you تَجفُونيshun me
يا ذا الغَزالُ لِماذا كُنتَ تَجفُوني
بعدَafter الوصالِunion أَذَنباًwas it a sin كنتُI was جانِيهِcommitting it
بعدَ الوصالِ أَذَنباً كنتُ جانِيهِ
O gazelle, why do you shun me
after our union? Have I committed some offense?
إِنif كانَit was حقّاًtrue فَمِنكَthen from you العفوُis pardon عنfor دَنِفٍone sick with love
إِن كانَ حقّاً فَمِنكَ العفوُ عن دَنِفٍ
واخشَand fear الإِلَهGod ولاand do not تُشمِتmake rejoice أَعَادِيهِhis enemies
واخشَ الإِلَه ولا تُشمِت أَعَادِيهِ
If I have, then pardon one wasted by love;
fear God, and do not let my enemies rejoice over me.
وامنُنand bestow عليهِupon him بِوصلٍunion مِنكَfrom you إِنَّindeed لهُhe has
وامنُن عليهِ بِوصلٍ مِنكَ إِنَّ لهُ
قلباًa heart سَقيماًsick لعلَّperhaps الوصلَunion يُبريهِwill heal it
قلباً سَقيماً لعلَّ الوصلَ يُبريهِ
Grant him union with you, for he has
a sick heart that union may heal.
لِلَّهِwhat a marvel ظَبيٌa gazelle رَميshot قلبيmy heart بأسهُمِهِwith his arrows
لِلَّهِ ظَبيٌ رَمي قلبي بأسهُمِهِ
ومنهُand from him سَهمٌone arrow لقلبيfor my heart كانَwould have been يكفِيهِenough for it
ومنهُ سَهمٌ لقلبي كانَ يكفِيهِ
What a gazelle, who shot my heart with his arrows!
One arrow from him would have been enough for my heart.
ظَبيٌa gazelle غَداcame بِثيابِin garments of الحُسنِbeauty مُرتدياًclothed
ظَبيٌ غَدا بِثيابِ الحُسنِ مُرتدياً
إذfor ليسَthere is no ظبيٌgazelle ترىyou see فيهِin him يُحاكِيهِthat matches him
إذ ليسَ ظبيٌ ترى فيهِ يُحاكِيهِ
A gazelle who came clothed in beauty,
for no gazelle you see can match him.
البدرُthe full moon يُخجِلُهُhe puts it to shame مِنهُby his تَدلُّلُهُcoyness
البدرُ يُخجِلُهُ مِنهُ تَدلُّلُهُ
والغُصنُand the branch يفضَحُهُhe exposes its inferiority مِنهُby his تَثنِّيهِswaying
والغُصنُ يفضَحُهُ مِنهُ تَثنِّيهِ
His coyness puts the full moon to shame,
and his swaying makes the branch look clumsy.
تَخشَىyou fear علىfor خَصرِهِhis waist إِنif مالَhe sways مِنfrom طربٍdelight
تَخشَى على خَصرِهِ إِن مالَ مِن طربٍ
مِنfrom ثقلِthe weight of أردافِهِhis hips أوor مالَhe sways مِنfrom تِيهِpride
مِن ثقلِ أردافِهِ أو مالَ مِن تِيهِ
You fear for his waist when he sways with delight,
under the weight of his hips, or sways with pride.
آهاًah سَقانيgave me to drink الهَوىpassion كأساًa cup سكرتُI grew drunk بهfrom it
آهاً سَقاني الهَوى كأساً سكرتُ به
فليتَهُif only it لخَليليto my beloved كانَwould يَسقِيهِgive it to drink
فليتَهُ لخَليلي كانَ يَسقِيهِ
Ah, passion gave me a cup to drink, and it made me drunk;
if only it would give my beloved a drink of it.
لعلَّهُperhaps he حينَwhen يدعُوهُit calls him الهواءُdesire إلىtoward
لعلَّهُ حينَ يدعُوهُ الهواءُ إلى
وصليunion with me يكونُthere will be لهfor him مِثليsomeone like me يُلَبِّيهِto answer him
وصلي يكونُ له مِثلي يُلَبِّيهِ
Perhaps, when desire calls him toward
union with me, he will have someone like me to answer him.
ياO لَهفِthe yearning of نَفسيmy soul لفخرِfor the proud rise of النَهدِthe breast منهُof him كذاand also
يا لَهفِ نَفسي لفخرِ النَهدِ منهُ كذا
وردthe roses الخُدودِof the cheeks عسانِيperhaps I مِنهُfrom him أجنيِهِmay pluck it
ورد الخُدودِ عسانِي مِنهُ أجنيِهِ
How my soul yearns for the proud rise of his breast, and for
the roses of his cheeks; perhaps I may pluck one from him.
إِنif زادَhe increases فيin البُعدِdistance زادincreases الشَوقُlonging واتَّقَدَتand blazes
إِن زادَ في البُعدِ زاد الشَوقُ واتَّقَدَت
نارُthe fire of الغَضاghada wood فيin فُؤاديmy heart مِنbecause of تَناسِيهِhis forgetting
نارُ الغَضا في فُؤادي مِن تَناسِيهِ
If he grows more distant, longing grows, and there blazes
a fire of ghada wood in my heart because he forgets me.
قَدindeed لامَنيhe reproached me فيin الهَوىlove ذاكَthat الخَلِيُّcarefree man عَسىperhaps
قَد لامَني في الهَوى ذاكَ الخَلِيُّ عَسى
أنّيthat I أراهُshall see him يُقاسيsuffer ماwhat أُقاسيهِI suffer it
أنّي أراهُ يُقاسي ما أُقاسيهِ
That carefree man has reproached me for love; perhaps
I shall see him suffer what I suffer.
ياO ذاthis النَسيمُbreeze عَليهِupon him إنif مَرَرتyou pass بِهِby him
يا ذا النَسيمُ عَليهِ إن مَرَرت بِهِ
اقرأdeliver سَلاميmy greeting وحَيِّand salute مَنthe one who يُحَيِّيهِreceives the greeting
اقرأ سَلامي وحَيِّ مَن يُحَيِّيهِ
O breeze, if you pass by him,
deliver my greeting and salute the one who receives it.
وَقلand tell لهُhim ذلكthat المِسكينُpoor man مُنشَغِفٌis deeply in love
وَقل لهُ ذلك المِسكينُ مُنشَغِفٌ
وصِفand describe لهُto him مِنof جَواهُhis anguish ماwhat أُلاقيهِI endure it
وصِف لهُ مِن جَواهُ ما أُلاقيهِ
Tell him, 'That poor man is deeply in love,'
and describe to him the anguish I endure.
لاmay he ever زالَmy Lord ربِّيَso long as ماthere is أضحَتa collared dove is present year after year مُطوَّقَةٌa collared one
لا زالَ ربِّيَ ما أضحَت مُطوَّقَةٌ
تشدُوshe sings بِصَوتٍwith a voice لهاof hers أوor ماas تُثنِّيهِshe sways it
تشدُو بِصَوتٍ لها أو ما تُثنِّيهِ
May my Lord, as long as a collared dove
sings in her voice or bends and sways,
يكلاهُprotect him مِنfrom ضُرِّthe harm of شانِيهِhis hater وحاسدِهِand his envier
يكلاهُ مِن ضُرِّ شانِيهِ وحاسدِهِ
ومِنand from عَدوٍّan enemy ولِلأَشرارِand against the wicked يَكفيهِsuffice him
ومِن عَدوٍّ ولِلأَشرارِ يَكفيهِ
protect him from harm by those who hate or envy him,
and suffice him against enemies and wicked people.
Sol 6