اسمthe name الذيthe one who عذبنيtormented me حبهlove for him
اسم الذي عذبني حبه
وصارand became قلبيmy heart فيin يديهhis two hands رهينa hostage
وصار قلبي في يديه رهين
The name of him whose love has tormented me,
The name of the one whose love tortured me
and my heart has become a hostage in his hands,
And made my heart a hostage in his hands
علىon حروفletters ستةsix أصلهُits basis
على حروف ستة أصلهُ
والهاءُand the letter hāʾ منهُof it بمكانin a place مَكينsecure
والهاءُ منهُ بمكان مَكين
is based upon six letters,
Its origin is in six letters
and its hāʾ occupies a secure place.
With the "h" firmly in place
باحَdivulged بهabout it سريmy secret وأخفيتهand I concealed it
باحَ به سري وأخفيته
وصرتُand I became منfor اجلthe sake of الهوىpassion أستكينI grow submissive
وصرتُ من اجل الهوى أستكين
My secret divulged it, yet I concealed it;
I confessed my secret and hid it
and for passion's sake I became submissive.
And became humble for love's sake
دهانيassailed me الحبُّlove وكنتُand I had been امرءاًa man
دهاني الحبُّ وكنتُ امرءاً
ياO قومُpeople ذاpossessing لُبّunderstanding وعَقلٍand reason رَصينsound
يا قومُ ذا لُبّ وعَقلٍ رَصين
Love assailed me, though I had been a man—
Love possessed me though I was
O people—endowed with understanding and sound reason.
A man of intellect and composure
إذاwhen كتمتُI concealed الحبَّlove أبدىrevealed بهabout it
إذا كتمتُ الحبَّ أبدى به
نُحُولُemaciation جِسميmy body وارتفاعand the rising الأنينthe groaning
نُحُولُ جِسمي وارتفاع الأنين
Whenever I concealed love, it was revealed by
When I concealed love it showed through
the wasting of my body and the rising groans.
My body's frailty and loud sighs
لوif كانwere ماwhat بينbetween (unclear here) منكَfrom you فيin صخرةa rock
لو كان ما بين منكَ في صخرة
لانصدعتit would have split أوor بداوةBedouin life (unclear here) البُرِينthe rings
لانصدعت أو بداوة البُرِين
If what lies between [us], from you, were in a rock,
If what's between us was engraved in stone
it would have split—or [unclear: 'the Bedouin life of the rings'].
It would crack or split the desert dune
لافترقتit would have fallen apart منfor أجلهِits sake رِقَّةًout of tenderness
لافترقت من أجلهِ رِقَّةً
ولمand did not يُرَبِّnurture البردُthe cold (or hail) سُقياًwatering (unclear here) سمينplump
ولم يُرَبِّ البردُ سُقياً سمين
It would have fallen apart out of tenderness on its account,
For his sake I lost my composure
and the cold would not have nurtured [unclear: 'watering, a plump one'].
And the cold did not chill the plump water-bearer
هذاthis لعمريby my life اسمهُhis name كامِلاin full
هذا لعمري اسمهُ كامِلا
فيin كُلّeach بيتٍverse منهُof it حرفٌa letter مَكينfirmly placed
في كُلّ بيتٍ منهُ حرفٌ مَكين
This, by my life, is his name in full;
By my life, his full name
in each verse a letter of it is firmly placed.
Is firmly placed in each verse of mine
Sol 6.1