أتُرىdo you suppose? يذكرونهthey remember him أمor نسوهُthey forgot him
أتُرى يذكرونه أم نسوهُ
همthey سَقوهthey gave him drink الهوىlove وهمand they أسكروهُthey made him drunk
هم سَقوه الهوى وهم أسكروهُ
Do you suppose they remember him, or have they forgotten him?
Do they remember me or have they forgotten?
They gave him love to drink, and they made him drunk.
They intoxicated him with passion, and made him drunk.
عللوهthey fed him hopes فكانand it was أقتلَmost deadly شيءٍthing
عللوه فكان أقتلَ شيءٍ
ذلكthat الصدُّthe rejection بعدماafter علَّلوهُthey had fed him hopes
ذلك الصدُّ بعدما علَّلوهُ
They fed him hopes, and the deadliest thing
They blamed him, so he became the dearest thing,
Was that rejection after they had fed him hopes.
That aloofness after they had blamed him.
عمرَكyour life (in an adjuration) اللهGod.. هلquestion marker عرفتَyou have known فؤاداًa heart
عمرَك الله.. هل عرفتَ فؤاداً
كفؤاديlike my heart عليهagainst it جارَacted unjustly ذووهُits own kin
كفؤادي عليه جارَ ذووهُ
I implore you by God: have you ever known a heart
May God grant you a long life... Have you known a heart,
Like mine, wronged by its own kin?
Like mine, with those who reside by it tormenting it?
ليتهمif only they يذكرونthey remember ليلةa night كنَّاwe were
ليتهم يذكرون ليلة كنَّا
وand الهوىlove نحنwe أمهits mother وand أبوهُits father
و الهوى نحن أمه و أبوهُ
If only they remembered the night we were together,
If only they would remember the night we had,
And Love—we were its mother and its father.
When passion was our mother and father,
وand عيونthe eyes النجومthe stars ترنوgaze إليناat us
و عيون النجوم ترنو إلينا
وand لسانthe tongue الدجىthe darkness يكادalmost يفوهُspeaks
و لسان الدجى يكاد يفوهُ
And the eyes of the stars gazed at us,
And the eyes of the stars gazed upon us,
And the tongue of darkness almost spoke,
And the tongue of the darkness almost revealed us,
وand النسيمthe breeze الخفيفgentle يلهوplays بثوبَيناwith our two garments
و النسيم الخفيف يلهو بثوبَينا
كطفلlike a child أهلوهhis family ماnot هذَّبوهُthey had taught him manners
كطفل أهلوه ما هذَّبوهُ
And the gentle breeze played with our two garments,
And the gentle breeze toyed with our clothes,
Like a child whose family had not taught him manners.
Like a child they adored without disciplining him,
ورشفناand we sipped كأسthe cup الحمياstrong wine فباحتand then revealed
ورشفنا كأس الحميا فباحت
بالذيof that which فيin الصدورthe breasts مناof us الوجوهُthe faces
بالذي في الصدور منا الوجوهُ
And we sipped the cup of strong wine; then spoke
And we drank from the cup of love, so smiles shone
Our faces, revealing what lay within our breasts.
On the faces among us, the bashful ones.
قلتُI said أهواكI love you ياO ملاكيmy angel فردَّتْand then replied
قلتُ أهواك يا ملاكي فردَّتْ
مقلتاهhis two eyes لكنbut تلعثمstammered فوهُhis mouth
مقلتاه لكن تلعثم فوهُ
I said, "I love you, my angel"; the reply came
I said "I love you, my angel," and her eyelids replied,
From his two eyes, but his mouth stammered.
But her mouth stammered, not speaking out.
Sol 6.1