كُلُّevery مُحِبٍّlover سِوايَexcept me مَستورُconcealed
كُلُّ مُحِبٍّ سِوايَ مَستورُ
وَالناسُand the people إِلّاexcept عَنconcerning قِصَّتيmy story عورُblind
وَالناسُ إِلّا عَن قِصَّتي عورُ
Every lover but me is concealed,
Every lover except me is concealed,
And people are blind, except to my story.
And people are blind to all but my story.
كَأَنَّas though طَرفيmy gaze عَينٌa spy عَلَيَّupon me لَهُمfor them
كَأَنَّ طَرفي عَينٌ عَلَيَّ لَهُم
فَكُلُّso every طَيٍّfolded secret لَدَيَّwith me مَنشورُlaid open
فَكُلُّ طَيٍّ لَدَيَّ مَنشورُ
As though my gaze were their spy upon me,
It is as if my own glance acts as a spy for them against me,
So every secret I fold away is laid open.
So that every secret I keep folded is spread out.
ماnot إِنemphatic particle يَغِبُّgrows a day old الفَعالَthe deed أَفعَلُهُI do it
ما إِن يَغِبُّ الفَعالَ أَفعَلُهُ
حَتّىbefore تَهاداهُthey pass it around بَينَناamong us الدورُthe houses
حَتّى تَهاداهُ بَينَنا الدورُ
No deed I do has even grown a day old
No sooner do I perform a deed,
Before the houses pass it round among us.
Than the houses pass the news of it among us;
يَخرُجُit leaves مِنfrom هَذِهِthis one وَيَدخُلُand it enters فيinto
يَخرُجُ مِن هَذِهِ وَيَدخُلُ في
تِلكَthat one وَعَنهُand from it القِناعُthe veil مَحسورُstripped away
تِلكَ وَعَنهُ القِناعُ مَحسورُ
It leaves this house and enters
It leaves this one and enters into that,
That one, with the veil stripped from it.
With the veil stripped completely away from it.
كَأَنَّنيas though I عِندَwhen سَترِconcealing مَأرَبَتيmy desire
كَأَنَّني عِندَ سَترِ مَأرَبَتي
بِكُلِّby every طَرفٍeye إِلَيَّat me مَنظورُlooked upon
بِكُلِّ طَرفٍ إِلَيَّ مَنظورُ
It is as though, when I conceal my desire,
It is as if, when I attempt to cover my desire,
I were watched by every eye.
I am observed by every watching eye.
فَماso what اِحتِياليmy recourse وَقَدand already خُلِقتُI was created فَتىًa young man
فَما اِحتِيالي وَقَد خُلِقتُ فَتىً
تَجريrun their course بِماwith what ساءَنيhas grieved me المَقاديرُfate's decrees
تَجري بِما ساءَني المَقاديرُ
So what recourse have I, since I was born a youth
So what is my recourse, when I was created a youth
And fate's decrees run their course to my sorrow?
Against whom the fates decree what brings me sorrow?
لَكِنَّbut وَجهَthe face الَّذيthe one whom كَلِفتُI became enamored بِهِof him
لَكِنَّ وَجهَ الَّذي كَلِفتُ بِهِ
مُحتَمَلٌborne ذَنبُهُits fault وَمَغفورُand forgiven
مُحتَمَلٌ ذَنبُهُ وَمَغفورُ
Yet the face of the one I am enamored of—
Yet the face of the one with whom I am smitten—
Its fault is borne and forgiven.
His offense is bearable, and forgiven.
Sol 6.1