مَنْwho لِيfor me بِهِto him رَقَّgrew delicate مَعْنىًa beauty فِيهِin him رَوْنَقُهُits radiance
مَنْ لِي بِهِ رَقَّ مَعْنىً فِيهِ رَوْنَقُهُ
مَاhow كَانhe would be أَكْمَلَهُmost perfect لَوْif صَحَّheld true مَوْثِقُهُhis promise
مَا كَان أَكْمَلَهُ لَوْ صَحَّ مَوْثِقُهُ
How can I reach him? A delicate beauty shines within him.
How perfect he would be, if only his promise held true.
لَدِنُsupple القَوامِof stature حَلتْgrew sweet أَلفاظُهُhis words فَسَبىand captivated
لَدِنُ القَوامِ حَلتْ أَلفاظُهُ فَسَبى
قَلْبيmy heart مُمَنْطَقُهُhis girdle الزاهيgleaming وَمَنْطِقُهُand his speech
قَلْبي مُمَنْطَقُهُ الزاهي وَمَنْطِقُهُ
Supple in stature, with words so sweet, he captivated
my heart with his gleaming girdle and his speech.
أَسْتَنْظِرُI wait for الدَّهْرَtime يَغْفُوto doze off عَنْfrom مُمانَعَتِيresisting me
أَسْتَنْظِرُ الدَّهْرَ يَغْفُو عَنْ مُمانَعَتِي
فيهِover him كأَنّيas though I مِنَfrom الأَيّامِthe days أَسْرِقُهُsteal him
فيهِ كأَنّي مِنَ الأَيّامِ أَسْرِقُهُ
I wait for time to doze off and cease resisting me
over him, as though I were stealing him from the days.
ياO حُسْنَهُhis beauty أَنْتَyou تَدْرِيknow فَرْطَthe excess of جَفْوَتِهِhis coldness
يا حُسْنَهُ أَنْتَ تَدْرِي فَرْطَ جَفْوَتِهِ
فَلِمْso why أَمرْتَdid you command قُلوبَthe hearts of النّاسِpeople تَعْشَقُهُto love him
فَلِمْ أَمرْتَ قُلوبَ النّاسِ تَعْشَقُهُ
O Beauty, you know how exceedingly cold he is;
why, then, did you command people’s hearts to love him?
بِاللَّهِby God ياO رَاقِدَresting one الأَجْفَانِof eyelids رقَّshow tenderness علىtoward
بِاللَّهِ يا رَاقِدَ الأَجْفَانِ رقَّ على
ذِيone with ناظِرٍan eye لمhas not يَزَلْceased هَمٌّa worry يُؤَرِّقُهُkeeps him awake
ذِي ناظِرٍ لم يَزَلْ هَمٌّ يُؤَرِّقُهُ
By God, you whose eyelids rest, show tenderness to
one whose eyes are kept awake by unceasing care.
مُجدِّدُrenewing مَطْلthe delay of مِيعَادِيmy appointed meeting وَمُخْلِفُهُand breaking it
مُجدِّدُ مَطْل مِيعَادِي وَمُخْلِفُهُ
مُجَرِّدُstripping off ثَوْبَthe garment of سُلْوانِيmy consolation وَمُخْلِقُهُand wearing it thin
مُجَرِّدُ ثَوْبَ سُلْوانِي وَمُخْلِقُهُ
He renews the delay of our meeting and breaks his promise;
he strips away my garment of solace and wears it thin.
ماdid not ضَنَّwithhold بالدَّمْعِthe tears يَوْمَon the day of البَيْنِparting فيكَfor you فَهَلْso will you
ما ضَنَّ بالدَّمْعِ يَوْمَ البَيْنِ فيكَ فَهَلْ
إِنْif ظَنَّhe hopes مِنْكَfrom you لهfor him وَصْلاًunion تُحَقِّقُهُmake it real
إِنْ ظَنَّ مِنْكَ له وَصْلاً تُحَقِّقُهُ
My tears were not withheld from you on the day we parted; will you,
if my heart hopes for union with you, make that hope come true?
ياO آخذَtaker of القَلْبِthe heart أَرْدُدهُreturn it علىto جَسَدِيmy body
يا آخذَ القَلْبِ أَرْدُدهُ على جَسَدِي
أَوْor حَاذِرfear اللَّهGod فيهِconcerning it أَنْlest تُحرِّقَهُyou burn it
أَوْ حَاذِر اللَّه فيهِ أَنْ تُحرِّقَهُ
You who have taken my heart, return it to my body,
or fear God lest you burn it.
لاI do not أَشْتَكِيcomplain مِنْكَof you فيover وَجْدٍa longing تَخُصُّyou afflict بِهِwith it
لا أَشْتَكِي مِنْكَ في وَجْدٍ تَخُصُّ بِهِ
قَلْبِيmy heart وَدَمْعٍand tears بأَجْفانِيin my eyes تُرقْرِقُهُyou make well up
قَلْبِي وَدَمْعٍ بأَجْفانِي تُرقْرِقُهُ
I do not complain of the longing with which you afflict
my heart, or the tears you make well up in my eyes.
فإِنَّfor indeed ليI have بَعْضُsome صَبْرٍpatience أَسْتَعِينُI sustain myself بِهِwith it
فإِنَّ لي بَعْضُ صَبْرٍ أَسْتَعِينُ بِهِ
تَرْفُوهُmends it كَفُّthe hand of التّأَسِّيconsolation إذْas تُمَزِّقُهُyou tear it
تَرْفُوهُ كَفُّ التّأَسِّي إذْ تُمَزِّقُهُ
For I have a little patience left to sustain me;
the hand of consolation mends it as you tear it.
ياO رَبِّmy Lord قَدْindeed ضَاعَis lost قَلْبِيmy heart فيin مَحَبَّتِهِlove for him
يا رَبِّ قَدْ ضَاعَ قَلْبِي في مَحَبَّتِهِ
مَاbetween بَيْنَbetrayal غَدْرٍand an excuse وعُذْرٍfor myself ليI piece it together أُلفِّقُهُfor him
مَا بَيْنَ غَدْرٍ وعُذْرٍ لي أُلفِّقُهُ
My Lord, my heart is lost in love for him,
caught between betrayal and an excuse I piece together.
Sol 6