عَسَىmay لَيْلُnight آمَالِيmy hopes بِوَجْهِكَby your face يُصْبِحُdawn
عَسَى لَيْلُ آمَالِي بِوَجْهِكَ يُصْبِحُ
وَيْسعِفُنِيand aid me الدَّهْرُtime البَخِيلُmiserly وَيَسْمَحُand be generous
وَيْسعِفُنِي الدَّهْرُ البَخِيلُ وَيَسْمَحُ
May the night of my hopes dawn upon your face.
And may miserly time come to my aid and show generosity.
وَيَسْكُنُand grow still قَلْبٌa heart قَدْthat has تَمَادَىgone on too long خُفُوقُهُits beating
وَيَسْكُنُ قَلْبٌ قَدْ تَمَادَى خُفُوقُهُ
ويَخْلُصُand find relief طَرْفٌan eye رَاحَthat has gone on لِلدَّمْعِwith tears يَسْفَحُshedding
ويَخْلُصُ طَرْفٌ رَاحَ لِلدَّمْعِ يَسْفَحُ
May a heart whose beating has gone on too long grow still.
And may an eye that has been shedding tears find relief.
أُؤَمِلَI hope أَنْthat يَبْدُوwill appear لِعَيْنِيto my eye جَمَالُهاher beauty
أُؤَمِلَ أَنْ يَبْدُو لِعَيْنِي جَمَالُها
عَسَىperhaps لَحْظُهَاher gaze فيin رَوْضَةِthe garden الحُسْنِof beauty يَسرَحُwill wander
عَسَى لَحْظُهَا في رَوْضَةِ الحُسْنِ يَسرَحُ
I hope her beauty will appear before my eyes.
Perhaps her gaze will wander through the garden of beauty.
فَلَماbut when بَدَتْshe appeared أَطَرَقْتُI lowered my eyes فيat الحِينِonce هَيْبَةٌin awe
فَلَما بَدَتْ أَطَرَقْتُ في الحِينِ هَيْبَةٌ
وَمَنْand who ذاis there لِعَيْنِat the eye الشَّمْسِof the sun بالعَيْنِwith the eye يَلْمِحُcan look
وَمَنْ ذا لِعَيْنِ الشَّمْسِ بالعَيْنِ يَلْمِحُ
But when she appeared, I lowered my eyes at once in awe.
For who can look straight at the eye of the sun?
تَعَرَّضْpresent yourself لآرامِto the gazelles الصَّرِيمِof al-Ṣarīm لَعَلَّهَاperhaps they
تَعَرَّضْ لآرامِ الصَّرِيمِ لَعَلَّهَا
بِأَلْحَاظِهَاwith their glances تَرْمِيwill strike حَشَاكَyour innermost heart وتَجْرَحُand wound
بِأَلْحَاظِهَا تَرْمِي حَشَاكَ وتَجْرَحُ
Present yourself to the gazelles of al-Ṣarīm; perhaps
Their glances will strike your innermost heart and wound it.
فَمَاfor no one عَاشَhas lived إِلاَّexcept مَيِّتٌas one dead فيin حِمَاهُمُtheir domain
فَمَا عَاشَ إِلاَّ مَيِّتٌ في حِمَاهُمُ
ومَاand no one مَاتَhas died إِلاَّexcept مَنone who لأَهْليهِfor his family يَصْلُحُis of use
ومَا مَاتَ إِلاَّ مَن لأَهْليهِ يَصْلُحُ
No one lives in their domain except as one already dead.
And no one dies except one who would be of use to his family.
إِذَاif أَسَرَتْhave captured قَلْبِيmy heart عُيونُthe eyes أُهَيْلِهِof its people
إِذَا أَسَرَتْ قَلْبِي عُيونُ أُهَيْلِهِ
فَلاَthen may I not عِشْتُlive إنْif أَمَّلْتُI hope أَنَّيthat I أُسَرْحُwill be set free
فَلاَ عِشْتُ إنْ أَمَّلْتُ أَنَّي أُسَرْحُ
If the eyes of its people have taken my heart captive,
May I not live if I ever hope to be set free.
وَأَيْنَand where جَمِيلٌis Jamīl مِنْbeside غَرَامِيmy passion وقَدْwhen already غَدَاit has become
وَأَيْنَ جَمِيلٌ مِنْ غَرَامِي وقَدْ غَدَا
لَدِيهِfor him جَمِيلُthe beauty الصَّبْرِof patience فِيin الحُبِّlove يَقْبُحُugly
لَدِيهِ جَمِيلُ الصَّبْرِ فِي الحُبِّ يَقْبُحُ
And where is Jamīl beside my passion, when even
The beauty of patience in love has become ugly to him?
Sol 6