ياO زَيدُZayd كَيفَhow نَسيتَyou forgot عَمرَكَyour Amr
يا زَيدُ كَيفَ نَسيتَ عَمرَكَ
وَأَطَلتَand you prolonged بَعدَafter الوَصلِunion هَجرَكyour estrangement
وَأَطَلتَ بَعدَ الوَصلِ هَجرَك
O Zayd, how have you forgotten your Amr
O Zaid, how could you forget your life
and prolonged your estrangement after union?
And prolong your separation after union
مَهلاًbe gentle فَماfor … not غادَرتَyou left ليfor me
مَهلاً فَما غادَرتَ لي
جَلَداًendurance يُقاسيendures مِنكَfrom you غَدرَكyour treachery
جَلَداً يُقاسي مِنكَ غَدرَك
Be gentle, for you have left me no
Patience, for you have not left me
strength to endure your treachery.
A resilient soul to withstand your betrayal
قَدindeed سَرَّنيit pleased me هَذاthis الَّذيwhich
قَد سَرَّني هَذا الَّذي
بيin me مِنof ضَنىًwasting sickness إِنif كانَwas سَرَّكit pleased you
بي مِن ضَنىً إِن كانَ سَرَّك
This has indeed pleased me—
This pleases me, that which is
the wasting sickness I suffer—if it has pleased you.
A consolation, if it pleases you
إِنif كانَwas ذَلِكَthat عَنwith رِضاconsent
إِن كانَ ذَلِكَ عَن رِضا
كَyour (suffix to ‘consent’) وَقَدand already عَلِمتَyou knew بِهِof it فَأَمرَكthen your command
كَ وَقَد عَلِمتَ بِهِ فَأَمرَك
If this is with your consent,
If this is out of consent
and you know of it, then yours is the command;
And you know it, then command your matter
أَوor كانَwas قَصدُكَyour purpose فيin الهَوىlove
أَو كانَ قَصدُكَ في الهَوى
قَتليkilling me يُطيلُmay prolong اللَهُGod عُمرَكyour life
قَتلي يُطيلُ اللَهُ عُمرَك
or if your purpose in love is
Or if your intention in passion
to kill me—may God prolong your life!
Is to kill me, may God prolong your life
مَولايَmy lord ماhow أَحلاكَsweet you are فيin
مَولايَ ما أَحلاكَ في
قَلبِheart المُحِبِّthe lover وَماand how أَمَرَّكbitter you are
قَلبِ المُحِبِّ وَما أَمَرَّك
My lord, how sweet you are in
My master, how beautiful you are in
the lover’s heart, and how bitter you are!
The heart of the lover, and how bitter
تِهbe proud كَيفَhowever شِئتَyou wish مِنَbecause of الجَماthe beau- (start of ‘beauty’)
تِه كَيفَ شِئتَ مِنَ الجَما
لِ-ty (completes ‘beauty’) فَلَستُfor I am not أَجهَلُignorant of فيهِin it قَدرَكyour worth
لِ فَلَستُ أَجهَلُ فيهِ قَدرَك
Be as proud as you please of your beauty;
Whatever you wish of beauty
for I am not unaware of your worth in it.
I do not underestimate your worth
Sol 6.1