أبلِغtell سَلامَةَSalama أَنّىthat I لَستُI am not ناسِيهاforgetting her
أبلِغ سَلامَةَ أَنّى لَستُ ناسِيها
وَلاand not مُطِيعٌheeding بِظَهرِbehind the back of الغَيبِthe unseen واشِيهَاher slanderer
وَلا مُطِيعٌ بِظَهرِ الغَيبِ واشِيهَا
Tell Salama that I do not forget her,
Tell Salama I've not forgotten her
Nor heed her slanderer in her absence.
Nor in her absence been untrue
ياoh لَيتَناif only we فَردَاtwo solitary ones وِحشٍwild beasts نَعِيشُwe live مَعاًtogether
يا لَيتَنا فَردَا وِحشٍ نَعِيشُ مَعاً
نَرعَىwe graze المِتانِthe uplands وَنَخفَىand we hide فِىin فَيافِهاtheir desert wastes
نَرعَى المِتانِ وَنَخفَى فِى فَيافِها
Oh, if only we were two wild creatures, living together,
If only we were beasts in the wild
Grazing the uplands and hiding in their desert wastes.
To graze the meadow and hide in its grove
ولَيتَand if only كَدرَdusky ones القَطاthe sandgrouse حَلَّقنَthey soared بِىwith me وبِهاand with her
ولَيتَ كَدرَ القَطا حَلَّقنَ بِى وبِها
دُونَbelow السَّماءِthe sky فَنَخفَىso we hide فِىin خَوافِيهاtheir inner wing-feathers
دُونَ السَّماءِ فَنَخفَى فِى خَوافِيها
And if only the dusky sandgrouse would carry me and her aloft,
If only fate had caused us to meet
Below the sky, so we could hide in their inner wing-feathers.
In the sky's sanctuary concealed above
قَدindeed حالَhas intervened دُونَin the way to سُلَيمَىSulayma مَعشَرٌa band قَزَمٌbase men
قَد حالَ دُونَ سُلَيمَى مَعشَرٌ قَزَمٌ
وَهُمand they علىdespite ذاكَthat دُونِىbeneath me مِنamong مَوالِيهاher kinsmen
وَهُم على ذاكَ دُونِى مِن مَوالِيها
A band of base men has come between me and Sulayma,
Yet between us stand a contemptible folk
Yet they are beneath me—kinsmen of hers.
Who claim greater right to possess my love
أكثَرتُI have done much مِنof لَيتَنِىif only I لوif كانَit were يَنفَعُنِىbenefits me
أكثَرتُ مِن لَيتَنِى لو كانَ يَنفَعُنِى
وَمِنand of مُنَىwishes النَّفسِthe soul لَوif only تُعطَىit is granted أَمانِهَاits wishes
وَمِن مُنَى النَّفسِ لَو تُعطَى أَمانِهَا
I have dwelt so often on 'If only I...'—if it could help me—
Long have I wished if wishes brought gain
And on the soul's longings—if only it were granted its wishes.
Or longing sated the soul it would tame
إِنَّindeed الفُؤَادَthe heart لَيَهوَىsurely longs أَنto أُناقِلَهاI exchange with her
إِنَّ الفُؤَادَ لَيَهوَى أَن أُناقِلَها
رَجعَreplies الكلامِspeech وَإِنand even if عارَتshied away أَدَانِيهَاher closest kin
رَجعَ الكلامِ وَإِن عارَت أَدَانِيهَا
My heart truly longs to exchange with her
For my heart desires to convey to her
Replies in conversation, even if her closest kin recoil.
Words though shaming I hardship must name
ودُونَهاand before her قَومُpeople سَوءٍevil يَنذُرُونَthey vow دَمِىmy blood
ودُونَها قَومُ سَوءٍ يَنذُرُونَ دَمِى
فَالمَوتُso death إِتيانُهاgoing to her وَالمَوتُand death هَجرِيهَاmy forsaking her
فَالمَوتُ إِتيانُها وَالمَوتُ هَجرِيهَا
And evil men bar the way to her, vowing to shed my blood;
Ill-natured people threaten my life
So going to her is death, and my forsaking her is death.
To see her or leave her, death just the same
ياoh قاتَلَmay He confound اللهُGod سَلمىSalma كَيفَhow تُعجِبُنِىshe delights me
يا قاتَلَ اللهُ سَلمى كَيفَ تُعجِبُنِى
وَأُخبِرُand I tell النَّاسَpeople أَنِّىthat I لاnot أُبالِيهَاI care about her
وَأُخبِرُ النَّاسَ أَنِّى لا أُبالِيهَا
Oh, may God confound Salma—how she delights me!
Curse you Salma for capturing me so
Yet I tell people that I care nothing for her.
That I boast to people I just don't care
إِنِّىindeed, I لَيَأخُذُنِىsurely seizes me مِنfrom حُبِّهاlove of her عَرَضٌa fit
إِنِّى لَيَأخُذُنِى مِن حُبِّها عَرَضٌ
عِندَat الصَّلاةِprayer فأَنسَىso I forget أَنto أُصَلِّيهَاI perform it
عِندَ الصَّلاةِ فأَنسَى أَن أُصَلِّيهَا
Indeed, a fit brought on by love of her seizes me
When praying she enters my thoughts anon
At prayer time, so I forget to perform it.
Distracting me from my duties in prayer
لَنظرَةٌsurely, a glance مِنfrom سُلَيمَىSulayma اليَومَtoday وَاحِدةٌa single one
لَنظرَةٌ مِن سُلَيمَى اليَومَ وَاحِدةٌ
أَشهَىmore desirable إِلىَّto me مِنَthan الدُّنياthe world وماand what فِيهَاis in it
أَشهَى إِلىَّ مِنَ الدُّنيا وما فِيهَا
Surely, a single glance from Sulayma today
One glance from Salma today would appease
Is more desirable to me than the world and all it contains.
More than all the wealth this world can bear
Sol 6.1