جثا لديها وأذرى الدمع ناظره

جثا لديها وأذرى الدمع ناظره

وعاتَبَتها بأن قالت محاجره

وعاتَبَتها بأن قالت محاجره

He knelt before her, and his eye shed tears.

He knelt before her as tears filled his eyes,

And his eyes reproached her, saying:

And reproached her, saying:

يا دلّ هذا الهوى إن كان أوّله

يا دلّ هذا الهوى إن كان أوّله

ما قد رأيتِ فدُلِّى كيف آخره

ما قد رأيتِ فدُلِّى كيف آخره

O Dall, if the beginning of this love was

"Oh heart, is this love - if it started like this,

What you have seen, then tell me what its end will be.

Have you not seen? So guide me, how will it end?"

وعدت بالقلب ملكا ليس يملكه

وعدت بالقلب ملكا ليس يملكه

وليس تبلغه يوما عساكره

وليس تبلغه يوما عساكره

You promised your heart to a king who does not possess it,

I had promised you my heart, a king none could possess,

Nor will his armies ever reach it.

Nor could armies reach, even one day.

هبيه قمبيز أو قيروش والده

هبيه قمبيز أو قيروش والده

فإن تيمان يوم الروع قاهرة

فإن تيمان يوم الروع قاهرة

Suppose him to be Cambyses, or Cyrus his father:

Give it to Habib al-Qimr or Qayrawan and his father,

For Timan, on the day of dread, is the conqueror.

For the hosts of Taiman are victorious in fright.

فأطرقت خجلا من عتبه وجرى

فأطرقت خجلا من عتبه وجرى

دمع الندامة لا ترقا بوادره

دمع الندامة لا ترقا بوادره

Then she bowed her head, ashamed at his reproach, and there flowed

So she bowed her head in shame at his reproach,

Tears of remorse, whose gushes would not cease.

And tears of regret flowed, uncontrollably.

تقبل الرأس من تيمان تائبة

تقبل الرأس من تيمان تائبة

عن ذنبها وحبيب القلب غافره

عن ذنبها وحبيب القلب غافره

She kisses Timan's head, repenting

She accepted the head of repentant Taiman

Of her sin, while her heart's beloved forgives it.

For her sin, and her loving heart forgave her.

كأنما فمها في شعر عاشقها

كأنما فمها في شعر عاشقها

خمر يخامرها مسك تخامره

خمر يخامرها مسك تخامره

As though her mouth, amid her lover's hair,

As if her mouth, in the poetry of her lover,

Were wine mingled with musk, each mingling with the other.

Was wine intoxicating her, musk intoxicating him.

تقول تيمان ماذا كنتُ صانعة

تقول تيمان ماذا كنتُ صانعة

وهل يردّ قضاء الله حاذره

وهل يردّ قضاء الله حاذره

She says: Timan, what was I to do?

Taiman says: "What could I have done?

And can one who fears God's decree avert it?

Can the decree of God be resisted by the cautious?

لكُم لدىّ هوى والقلب حافظه

لكُم لدىّ هوى والقلب حافظه

وللبلاد هوى والقلب ناصره

وللبلاد هوى والقلب ناصره

I have love for you, and my heart guards it,

For you I have love, and my heart is its keeper,

And love for my country, and my heart champions it.

And for my country I have love, and my heart its supporter.

إن لم يكن وطن لي في الهوى ولكم

إن لم يكن وطن لي في الهوى ولكم

فأي دوح الهوى تأوي طوائره

فأي دوح الهوى تأوي طوائره

If there is no homeland in love for me and for you,

If I have no homeland in love for you and for them,

Then in which of love's great trees would its birds find shelter?

Then what bosom of love shelters its birds?"