أَذاتَO wearer of الطَوقِthe neck-ring لَمdid not أُقرِضكِlend you قَلبيmy heart
أَذاتَ الطَوقِ لَم أُقرِضكِ قَلبي
عَلىdespite ضَنّيmy jealous guarding بِهِof it لِيَضيعَso that it be lost دَينيthe debt owed me
عَلى ضَنّي بِهِ لِيَضيعَ دَيني
O wearer of the neck-ring, I did not lend you my heart
Afraid for my faith, I did not lend you my heart
despite my jealous care for it, only to lose what I am owed.
Though you adorn yourself with necklaces bright and serene
كَفاكِsuffices you حُلِيُّthe adornment of جيدِكِyour neck أَنto تَحَلَّيadorn yourself
كَفاكِ حُلِيُّ جيدِكِ أَن تَحَلَّي
بِأَطواقِwith necklaces of النُضارِgold أَوor اللُجَينِsilver
بِأَطواقِ النُضارِ أَو اللُجَينِ
Your neck’s adornment spares you the need to adorn yourself
It suffices that your neck is graced by your beauty
with necklaces of gold or silver.
With fresh blossoms or necklaces of pearl
سَكَنتِyou settled in القَلبَthe heart حَيثُwhere خُلِقتِyou were created مِنهُfrom it
سَكَنتِ القَلبَ حَيثُ خُلِقتِ مِنهُ
فَأَنتِso you مِنَare of الحَشىthe inmost self وَالناظِرَينِand the two eyes
فَأَنتِ مِنَ الحَشى وَالناظِرَينِ
You have settled in the heart, from which you were created;
You dwell in my heart where you were created
so you are of my inmost self and both my eyes.
So you are of my inner self and my sight
أُحِبُّكَI love you أَنbecause لَونَكِyour color لَونُthe color of قَلبيmy heart
أُحِبُّكَ أَن لَونَكِ لَونُ قَلبي
وَإِنeven though أُلبِستِyou were clothed in لَوناًa color غَيرَother than لَونيmy color
وَإِن أُلبِستِ لَوناً غَيرَ لَوني
I love you because your color is my heart’s color,
I love you for your color is my heart’s hue
though you are clothed in a color other than mine.
And if dressed in any other hue than mine
عِدينيpromise me وَاِمطُليand delay fulfilling وَعديthe promise made to me فَحَسبيso it suffices me
عِديني وَاِمطُلي وَعدي فَحَسبي
وِصالاًas union أَنthat أَراكِI see you وَأَنand that تَرَينيyou see me
وِصالاً أَن أَراكِ وَأَن تَرَيني
Promise me, and put off fulfilling that promise; enough for me
Promise me and keep me waiting, and waiting is enough
by way of union is to see you and have you see me.
That I see you and you see me, for that is connection
وَلاand do not تَستَهلِكيdestroy بِيَدَيكِwith your two hands قَلبيmy heart
وَلا تَستَهلِكي بِيَدَيكِ قَلبي
فَإِنَّfor indeed القَلبَthe heart بَينَكُمُbetween you all وَبَينيand between me
فَإِنَّ القَلبَ بَينَكُمُ وَبَيني
And do not destroy my heart with your two hands,
Consume not my heart with your hands
for the heart is between you and me.
For the heart is between you and I
سَمِعتُI heard لَهاof hers حِواراًspeech كانَwas فيهِin it
سَمِعتُ لَها حِواراً كانَ فيهِ
رُجوعُthe return of بَلابِليmy sorrows وَدُنُوُّand the approach of حَينيmy death
رُجوعُ بَلابِلي وَدُنُوُّ حَيني
I heard her speech; in it lay
I heard her speak words in which
the return of my sorrows and the approach of my death.
Were my nightingale’s return and my time drawing near
فَياoh, then لَكَfor you مَنطِقاًspeech لَوeven if كانَit were هُجراًfoul talk
فَيا لَكَ مَنطِقاً لَو كانَ هُجراً
لِسامِعِهِto its hearer تُلُقِّيَwould be received بِاليَدَينِwith both hands
لِسامِعِهِ تُلُقِّيَ بِاليَدَينِ
Oh, what speech! Even were it foul talk
Oh you who speak as though it were estrangement
to its hearer, it would be welcomed with both hands.
Casting it away with both hands to the hearer
كَأَنَّas though الظِبيَةَthe gazelle الأَدماءَthe pale-coated حارَتanswered
كَأَنَّ الظِبيَةَ الأَدماءَ حارَت
إِلَيَّto me بِناعِمِwith soft العَذَباتِcadences لَينِgentle
إِلَيَّ بِناعِمِ العَذَباتِ لَينِ
As though the pale gazelle had answered
As if the roe, softer than fresh date wine,
me in soft, gentle cadences.
Yearned toward me with pleasant gift so gentle
نَظَرتُكِI looked at you نَظرَةًa glance لَمّاwhen التَقَيناwe met
نَظَرتُكِ نَظرَةً لَمّا التَقَينا
عَلىwith وَجلَينِtwo fears مِنof هَجرٍestrangement وَبَينِand parting
عَلى وَجلَينِ مِن هَجرٍ وَبَينِ
I cast a glance at you when we met,
I looked at you a look when we met
with twin fears—of estrangement and parting.
Both of us uneasy from estrangement and in between
كَأَنّيas though I قَدindeed نَظَرتُI saw سَوادَthe black core of قَلبيmy heart
كَأَنّي قَد نَظَرتُ سَوادَ قَلبي
بِوَجهِكِin your face ظاهِراًvisible لِسَوادِto the black pupil of عَينيmy eye
بِوَجهِكِ ظاهِراً لِسَوادِ عَيني
As though I had seen the black core of my heart
As if I looked upon my heart’s blackness
in your face, visible to the black pupil of my eye.
Openly shown in the blackness of your eyes
Sol 6.1