حَدِيثُthe tale غَرامِيof my love فِيin هَواكَyour love قَديمُis old
حَدِيثُ غَرامِي فِي هَواكَ قَديمُ
وَفَرْطُand the excess عَذابِيof my torment فيin هَواكَyour love نَعيمُis bliss
وَفَرْطُ عَذابِي في هَواكَ نَعيمُ
The tale of my love for you is old.
And the excess of my torment in loving you is bliss.
بِمَاwith whatever شِئْتَyou wish عَذِّبْtorment غَيْرَexcept سُخْطِكَyour displeasure إِنَّهُfor it
بِمَا شِئْتَ عَذِّبْ غَيْرَ سُخْطِكَ إِنَّهُ
وَصدِّقand believe ولائيmy devotion فيin هَواكَyour love أليمُis painful
وَصدِّق ولائي في هَواكَ أليمُ
Torment me however you wish, except with your displeasure; for it—
And believe me—my devotion in loving you is painful.
تُمَثِّلُكَconjures you الأَشْواقُlonging وَهْماًas a vision لِخاطِريto my mind
تُمَثِّلُكَ الأَشْواقُ وَهْماً لِخاطِري
فَيُدْرِكنيthen overtakes me بالخَوْفِwith fear مِنْكَof you وُجُومُsilence
فَيُدْرِكني بالخَوْفِ مِنْكَ وُجُومُ
Longing conjures your image as a vision in my mind,
And a fearful silence overtakes me before you.
وَتَقْنَعُand is content مِنْكَwith you الرُّوحُthe soul لَمْحَwith a glimpse تَوَهُّمٍof imagining
وَتَقْنَعُ مِنْكَ الرُّوحُ لَمْحَ تَوَهُّمٍ
فَتَحْياso revive بِهَاthrough it الأَعضَاءُthe limbs وَهْيَthough they رَمِيمُare crumbling
فَتَحْيا بِهَا الأَعضَاءُ وَهْيَ رَمِيمُ
My soul is content with a fleeting imagined glimpse of you,
And through it my limbs revive, though they are crumbling.
هَنِيئاًblessed لِطَرْفٍis an eye فِيكَover you لاdoes not يَعْرِفُknow الكَرَىsleep
هَنِيئاً لِطَرْفٍ فِيكَ لا يَعْرِفُ الكَرَى
وَتَبّاًand woe لِقَلْبٍto a heart فِيكَover you لَيْسَdoes not يَهيمُadore
وَتَبّاً لِقَلْبٍ فِيكَ لَيْسَ يَهيمُ
Blessed is an eye that loses all sleep over you,
And woe to a heart that does not adore you.
وَلمَّاand when جَلاكَrevealed you الفِكْرُthought ياO غَايةَsummit المُنَىof hopes
وَلمَّا جَلاكَ الفِكْرُ يا غَايةَ المُنَى
فَظلَّthen remained بِقَلْبِيin my heart مُقْعِدٌsettled ومُقيمُand abiding
فَظلَّ بِقَلْبِي مُقْعِدٌ ومُقيمُ
When thought revealed you, O summit of my hopes,
You remained settled and abiding in my heart.
وَمَاand nothing الكَوْنُthe universe إلّاbut صُورةًa form أنْتَyou رُوحُهَاare its soul
وَمَا الكَوْنُ إلّا صُورةً أنْتَ رُوحُهَا
وَجِسْمٌand a body بِغَيْرِwithout الرُّوحِa soul كَيْفَhow يَقُومُcan stand
وَجِسْمٌ بِغَيْرِ الرُّوحِ كَيْفَ يَقُومُ
The universe is only a form, and you are its soul;
How can a body stand without a soul?
تَوَّهَمimagined صَحْبيmy companions أَنَّthat بيin me مَسُّa touch جِنَّةٍof madness
تَوَّهَم صَحْبي أَنَّ بي مَسُّ جِنَّةٍ
وأَنْكَرَand found strange حَاليmy condition صَاحِبٌa friend وَحَميمُand an intimate
وأَنْكَرَ حَالي صَاحِبٌ وَحَميمُ
My companions imagined that I was touched by madness,
And friends and intimates found my condition strange.
فَبُحْتُso I disclosed بِماwhat ألقاهُI suffer from it مِنْكَfrom you مُصَرِّحاًopenly
فَبُحْتُ بِما ألقاهُ مِنْكَ مُصَرِّحاً
وَمَاand never نالَattained لَذّاتِthe delights الغَرامِof love كَتُومُa silent one
وَمَا نالَ لَذّاتِ الغَرامِ كَتُومُ
So I spoke openly of what I suffer because of you;
One who keeps silent never tastes the delights of love.
أَغُصْنَO branch النَّقاof the sandhill إنّيindeed I أَغارُgrow jealous إِذَاwhen غَدَاit comes
أَغُصْنَ النَّقا إنّي أَغارُ إِذَا غَدَا
يُلاعِبُplaying with عِطْفيْكَyour two sides الرّشاقَgraceful نَسِيمُa breeze
يُلاعِبُ عِطْفيْكَ الرّشاقَ نَسِيمُ
O branch of the sandhill, I grow jealous whenever
A breeze plays with your graceful sides.
وَلَمّاand when بَدَتْappeared فيon طَوْرِthe Sinai خَدِّكَof your cheek جَذْوَةٌa flame
وَلَمّا بَدَتْ في طَوْرِ خَدِّكَ جَذْوَةٌ
وَلاحتْand flashed لِقلبيbefore my heart عادَit returned وهُوَwhile it كَليمُwas wounded
وَلاحتْ لِقلبي عادَ وهُوَ كَليمُ
And when a flame appeared on the Sinai of your cheek
And flashed before my heart, it returned wounded.
يَلذُّis sweet لِقلْبيto my heart فيin هَوَاكَyour love عَذابُهُits torment
يَلذُّ لِقلْبي في هَوَاكَ عَذابُهُ
وَلِمْand why لاnot وَبِالأحْوالِwhen of the states أَنْتَyou عَليمُare knowing
وَلِمْ لا وَبِالأحْوالِ أَنْتَ عَليمُ
My heart finds its torment in loving you sweet;
Why should it not, when you know its every state?
يَميناًI swear بِأَصْواتِby the voices الحَجيجِof the pilgrims علىat مِنىًMina
يَميناً بِأَصْواتِ الحَجيجِ على مِنىً
وَصَحْبٍand companions لَهُمْof theirs بِالمَأْزمينِin the two passes زَميمُthe sound of camels
وَصَحْبٍ لَهُمْ بِالمَأْزمينِ زَميمُ
I swear by the pilgrims’ voices at Mina
And by the companions whose camels sound in the two passes:
لأَنْتَsurely you وَإنْeven if أَصْبَحْتَyou have become بِالوَصْلِwith union باخِلاًsparing
لأَنْتَ وَإنْ أَصْبَحْتَ بِالوَصْلِ باخِلاً
عَليَّtoward me احْتِقاراًin scorn بِيof me لَديَّto me كَرِيمُare precious
عَليَّ احْتِقاراً بِي لَديَّ كَرِيمُ
Even if you have become sparing with your union,
And scorn me, you remain precious to me.
وَيَاand O شَرَفيmy honor لَمَّاwhen غَدَوْتَyou departed وَلِلْهَوىand love has
وَيَا شَرَفي لَمَّا غَدَوْتَ وَلِلْهَوى
عَلىupon جَسَدِيmy body المُضْنىwasted النَّحيلslender رُسُومُmarks
عَلى جَسَدِي المُضْنى النَّحيل رُسُومُ
What honor is mine, now that you have gone and love
Has left its marks upon my wasted, slender body.
وَيَاand O سائِقاًdriver يُضْنِيwho wears out الرّكائِبَthe mounts طُلَّحاًweary
وَيَا سائِقاً يُضْنِي الرّكائِبَ طُلَّحاً
لَهَاthey have فيamong الرُّسومthe traces المُقْفراتِdeserted رَسيمُa swift pace
لَهَا في الرُّسوم المُقْفراتِ رَسيمُ
O driver who wears out the weary mounts,
As they hasten among deserted traces:
إِذَاwhen عايَنَتْbehold عَيْنَاكَyour eyes بَارِقَa flash أَبْرَقٍof Abraq
إِذَا عايَنَتْ عَيْنَاكَ بَارِقَ أَبْرَقٍ
يَلوحُshining كماas فيon الأُفقِthe horizon لاحshone نُجومُstars
يَلوحُ كما في الأُفقِ لاح نُجومُ
When your eyes behold a flash at Abraq
Shining as stars shine on the horizon,
وَباحتْand revealed بأسْرارِthe secrets الرُّباof the hills نَسْمَةُthe breeze الصَّباof the east wind
وَباحتْ بأسْرارِ الرُّبا نَسْمَةُ الصَّبا
وَعطَّرand scented أَقْطارَthe reaches القفارِof the wastes شَميمُa fragrance
وَعطَّر أَقْطارَ القفارِ شَميمُ
And the east wind whispers the hills’ secrets
And fragrance scents the reaches of the wastes,
وَعايَنْتَand you see سَلْعاًSalʿ قِفْstop وَسائِلْand ask أَحِبَّتِيmy beloved
وَعايَنْتَ سَلْعاً قِفْ وَسائِلْ أَحِبَّتِي
فَهَذاfor this الّذيis what أَصْبَحْتُI have become مِنْكَfrom you أَرومُI seek
فَهَذا الّذي أَصْبَحْتُ مِنْكَ أَرومُ
And you see Salʿ, stop and ask after my beloved;
That is what I now seek from you.
فَثمَّfor there رَشاًa young gazelle شَوْقيmy longing إليهfor him مُبَرِّحٌis fierce
فَثمَّ رَشاً شَوْقي إليه مُبَرِّحٌ
وَريمand a white gazelle فُؤاديmy heart عَنْهُfrom him لَيْسَdoes not يَريمُdepart
وَريم فُؤادي عَنْهُ لَيْسَ يَريمُ
For there is a young gazelle there for whom my longing is fierce,
A white gazelle from whom my heart cannot depart.
أُغالِطُI distract عَنْهُfrom him بِالكَلامwith talk مُجالِسيmy companions
أُغالِطُ عَنْهُ بِالكَلام مُجالِسي
وَفِيwhile in القَلْبِthe heart مِنْfrom ذِكْريmy mention سِواهof anyone but him كُلُومُare wounds
وَفِي القَلْبِ مِنْ ذِكْري سِواه كُلُومُ
I distract my companions with talk of other things,
While mention of anyone else wounds my heart.
لَهُhe has مِنْwithin سُوَيْداءِthe heart’s core الفُؤادِof the heart مَعاهِدٌdwelling places
لَهُ مِنْ سُوَيْداءِ الفُؤادِ مَعاهِدٌ
وَبَيْنَand between سَوادِthe black المُقْلَتَيْنِof the two pupils رُسُومُare traces
وَبَيْنَ سَوادِ المُقْلَتَيْنِ رُسُومُ
He has dwelling places in the innermost part of my heart,
And traces between the dark pupils of my eyes.
وَقُلْand say ياO غَرِيبَrare one الحُسْنِin beauty رِقّshow mercy لِنازِحٍto an exile
وَقُلْ يا غَرِيبَ الحُسْنِ رِقّ لِنازِحٍ
غَريبٍa stranger لَهُwho has قَلْبٌa heart لَدَيْكَwith you مُقيمُabiding
غَريبٍ لَهُ قَلْبٌ لَدَيْكَ مُقيمُ
And say: O one of rare beauty, show mercy to an exile,
A stranger whose heart dwells with you.
تَرحَّلَit departed عَنْهُfrom him مُذْsince تَرَحَّلْتَyou departed نافِراًturning away
تَرحَّلَ عَنْهُ مُذْ تَرَحَّلْتَ نافِراً
فَلَيْسso there is not لَهُfor him حَتّىuntil القُدومthe return قُدومُa return
فَلَيْس لَهُ حَتّى القُدوم قُدومُ
It left him when you departed and turned away;
It will not return to him until you return.
عَلَيْكَupon you سَلامٌbe peace مِنْfrom كَئيبٍa sorrowful one مُتيَّمٍdeeply in love
عَلَيْكَ سَلامٌ مِنْ كَئيبٍ مُتيَّمٍ
تَظَلُّmay you remain سليماًunharmed وَهْوَwhile he مِنْكَby you سَلِيمُis wounded
تَظَلُّ سليماً وَهْوَ مِنْكَ سَلِيمُ
Peace be upon you from a sorrowful lover;
May you remain unharmed, though he is wounded by you.
Sol 6