لَمdid not يَطُلgrow long لَيليmy night وَلَكِنand yet لَمdid not أَنَمI sleep
لَم يَطُل لَيلي وَلَكِن لَم أَنَم
وَنَفىand drove away عَنّيfrom me الكَرىslumber طَيفٌa phantom أَلَمvisited
وَنَفى عَنّي الكَرى طَيفٌ أَلَم
My night was not long, yet I did not sleep.
My night was not long, yet I did not sleep
And a visiting phantom drove slumber away from me.
And a painful specter kept sorrow from me
وَإِذاand when قُلتُI said لَهاto her جوديbe generous لَناto us
وَإِذا قُلتُ لَها جودي لَنا
خَرَجَتshe withdrew بِالصَمتِthrough silence عَنfrom لاno وَنَعَمand yes
خَرَجَت بِالصَمتِ عَن لا وَنَعَم
And when I said to her, 'Be generous to us,'
When I say "Be kind to us,"
She avoided 'no' and 'yes' by keeping silent.
She answers with silence, neither yes nor no
نَفِّسيgive respite ياO عَبدَʿAbda عَنّيfrom me وَاِعلَميand know
نَفِّسي يا عَبدَ عَنّي وَاِعلَمي
أَنَّنيthat I ياO عَبدَʿAbda مِنof لَحمٍflesh وَدَمand blood
أَنَّني يا عَبدَ مِن لَحمٍ وَدَم
Give me respite, O ʿAbda, and know
Sigh for me, o slave, and know
That I, O ʿAbda, am of flesh and blood.
That I, o slave, am made of flesh and blood
إِنَّindeed فيin بُردَيَّmy two cloaks جِسماًa body ناحِلاemaciated
إِنَّ في بُردَيَّ جِسماً ناحِلا
لَوif تَوَكَّأتِyou leaned عَلَيهِon it لَاِنهَدَمit would collapse
لَو تَوَكَّأتِ عَلَيهِ لَاِنهَدَم
Indeed, within my two cloaks is an emaciated body,
In my thin body there is a frail frame
If you leaned upon it, it would collapse.
Were you to lean on it, it would collapse
خَتَمَstamped a seal الحُبُّlove لَهاfor her فيon عُنُقيmy neck
خَتَمَ الحُبُّ لَها في عُنُقي
مَوضِعَin the place of الخاتَمِthe seal مِنamong أَهلِthe people of الذِمَمcovenants of protection
مَوضِعَ الخاتَمِ مِن أَهلِ الذِمَم
Love stamped its seal for her upon my neck,
Love has sealed her neck with me
Where the seal is set on those under covenant.
In the place of a seal ring of the indebted
فَاِهجُرِso abandon الشَوقَthe longing إِلىfor رُؤيَتِهاseeing her
فَاِهجُرِ الشَوقَ إِلى رُؤيَتِها
أَيُّهاO you المَهجورُthe forsaken one إِلّاexcept فيin الحُلُمdreams
أَيُّها المَهجورُ إِلّا في الحُلُم
So abandon your longing to see her,
So abandon yearning to see her
O forsaken one, except in dreams.
O you who are abandoned except in dreams
حَدِّثينيtell me عَنabout كِتابٍa letter جاءَنيcame to me
حَدِّثيني عَن كِتابٍ جاءَني
مِنكِfrom you بِالذَمِّwith censure وَماand not كُنتُI was أُذَمI am censured
مِنكِ بِالذَمِّ وَما كُنتُ أُذَم
Tell me about a letter that came to me
Tell me of a book that came to me
From you, bearing censure, though I had not been censured.
From you, blaming me though I did no wrong
Sol 6.1