ظَلومُẒalūm ياO زَينَadornment نِساءِwomen العِبادhumankind
ظَلومُ يا زَينَ نِساءِ العِباد
حُبّيmy love لَكُمfor you حُبّانِtwo loves خافٍhidden وَبادand manifest
حُبّي لَكُم حُبّانِ خافٍ وَباد
Ẓalūm, O adornment of the women of humankind,
Unjust are you, oh beautiful women of mankind
My love for you is twofold: hidden and manifest.
My love for you is a fleeting, vanishing love
أُقسِمُI swear ماnot أَدريI know أَمُستَيقِظاًwhile awake?
أُقسِمُ ما أَدري أَمُستَيقِظاً
أَبصَرتُI saw ماwhat أَبصَرتُI saw أَمor فيin رُقادslumber
أَبصَرتُ ما أَبصَرتُ أَم في رُقاد
I swear, I do not know: was I awake
I swear I know not if I'm awake
when I saw what I saw, or in slumber?
Or if what I saw was in a dream
تُفّاحَةٌan apple مِنfrom عِندِthe presence of تُفّاحَةٍan apple
تُفّاحَةٌ مِن عِندِ تُفّاحَةٍ
جاءَتcame فَماذاso what صَنَعَتdid it do بِالفُؤادto the heart
جاءَت فَماذا صَنَعَت بِالفُؤاد
An apple from an apple
An apple among apples
came—what, then, did it do to the heart?
Came and did what to my heart?
ياO لَيتَif only شِعريmy knowledge أَصَلاحيmy well-being? بِهاthrough it
يا لَيتَ شِعري أَصَلاحي بِها
كُنتُمyou were أَرَدتُمyou intended أَمor أَرَدتُمyou intended فَسادruin
كُنتُم أَرَدتُم أَم أَرَدتُم فَساد
If only I knew: was my well-being through it
Oh, if only I knew, is my salvation in it?
what you had intended, or did you intend ruin?
Did you want it, or did you want ruin?
Sol 6.1