اللهُGod يَكْفِيkeeps at bay عاذِليmy reproacher وَرَقيبَهاand her watcher
اللهُ يَكْفِي عاذِلي وَرَقيبَها
حَتَّىso that تُثيبَshe rewards عَلىfor الهَوىlove وأُثيْبَهاand I reward her
حَتَّى تُثيبَ عَلى الهَوى وأُثيْبَها
May God keep my reproacher and her watcher at bay,
so she may reward my love, and I reward her.
ماwhat كانَhad ضرَّhurt وقَدْthough already عَصيْتُI defied عَواذِليmy reproachers
ما كانَ ضرَّ وقَدْ عَصيْتُ عَواذِلي
أنْthat لَمْdid not تَكُنْshe was تَعْصِيdefying كَذاكَlikewise رَقيْبَهاher watcher
أنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَعْصِي كَذاكَ رَقيْبَها
What hurt me, though I had defied my reproachers,
was that she did not likewise defy her watcher.
وأناand I الفَقِيْرُthe needy one إلىfor اخْتِلاسَةِa stealing لَحْظَةٍa glance
وأنا الفَقِيْرُ إلى اخْتِلاسَةِ لَحْظَةٍ
مِنْهاfrom her وتَقْتُلُand she kills بالصُّدودِwith rejection كَئِيبَهاher sorrowing lover
مِنْها وتَقْتُلُ بالصُّدودِ كَئِيبَها
And I am poor, in need of one stolen glance
from her, yet she kills her grieving lover with rejection.
أمِنَis it among المُباحthe permitted تَرَوْنَyou deem فيunder حُكمِthe rule الهَوىof love
أمِنَ المُباح تَرَوْنَ في حُكمِ الهَوى
أنْthat لاnot تَرَىsees عَيْنُthe eye المُحِبِّof the lover حَبِيْبَهاits beloved
أنْ لا تَرَى عَيْنُ المُحِبِّ حَبِيْبَها
Do you deem it lawful, under love's rule,
that the lover's eye should not see its beloved?
قَسَماًan oath بِمَنْby Him who تُحْدىَare driven with song الرِّكابُthe riding camels لِبَيْتِهِto His House
قَسَماً بِمَنْ تُحْدىَ الرِّكابُ لِبَيْتِهِ
فَتُبينُand so they express منfrom ألَمِthe pain البِعادِof separation نَحِيْبَهاtheir sobbing
فَتُبينُ من ألَمِ البِعادِ نَحِيْبَها
I swear by Him to whose House the riding camels are urged with song,
and they voice their sobbing from the pain of separation:
ماnot لِلنُّفوسِfor souls سِوىexcept الأحبَّةِbeloveds راحةٌrest
ما لِلنُّفوسِ سِوى الأحبَّةِ راحةٌ
دانُواthey requited بنُعْمَىwith kindness أمor رَضُواthey chose تَعذِيبَهاtormenting them
دانُوا بنُعْمَى أم رَضُوا تَعذِيبَها
souls have no rest save with their beloveds,
whether they repay with kindness or choose to torment them.
مَنْwho لِيfor me عَلىin عَطَليmy unadorned state بِباهِرَةِwith one resplendent الحُلىin jewels
مَنْ لِي عَلى عَطَلي بِباهِرَةِ الحُلى
تُنْسيshe makes forget النجومَthe stars الطَّالعاتِrising غُروبَهاtheir setting
تُنْسي النجومَ الطَّالعاتِ غُروبَها
Who will bring me, unadorned as I am, her of dazzling jewels,
who makes the rising stars forget their setting?
صَمتَتْfell silent خَلاخِلُهاher anklets وأنَّand moaned وِشاحُهاher sash
صَمتَتْ خَلاخِلُها وأنَّ وِشاحُها
وَكِلاهُماand both of them مِثْليlike me غَداbecame مَوْصُوبَهاafflicted by her
وَكِلاهُما مِثْلي غَدا مَوْصُوبَها
Her anklets fell silent, and her sash moaned;
both, like me, became afflicted by her.
تَلْويshe winds عَلىaround لَدْنِsupple الغصونِthe branches بُرودَهاher striped robes
تَلْوي عَلى لَدْنِ الغصونِ بُرودَها
وتَشُقُّand she parts عنto reveal بَدْرِthe full moon الدُّجونِof dark nights جُيوبَهاher robes' necklines
وتَشُقُّ عن بَدْرِ الدُّجونِ جُيوبَها
She winds her striped robes about a supple bough,
and parts her necklines to reveal the full moon of dark nights.
لَمْياءُdark-lipped تَبْسِمُshe smiles عنrevealing عُقودِstrings لآلىءof pearls
لَمْياءُ تَبْسِمُ عن عُقودِ لآلىء
ياO بَرْدَcoolness كبدِيof my liver لوif only رَشَفْتُI sipped شَنِيبَهاher sweet, cool mouth
يا بَرْدَ كبدِي لو رَشَفْتُ شَنِيبَها
Dark-lipped, she smiles, revealing strings of pearls.
How my liver would cool, if I sipped her sweet, cool mouth!
ماnot خِلْتُI thought أنَّthat الرِّيقَthe saliva مِنْهاfrom her خَمَرةٌwine
ما خِلْتُ أنَّ الرِّيقَ مِنْها خَمَرةٌ
حتَّىuntil رَأيتُI saw بِخَدِّهاon her cheek أُلْهُوبَهاits blaze
حتَّى رَأيتُ بِخَدِّها أُلْهُوبَها
I did not think her saliva was wine,
until I saw its blaze upon her cheek;
أوor أنَّthat عَرفَthe fragrance الرَّوْضِof the garden مِنْfrom أنفاسِهاher breath
أو أنَّ عَرفَ الرَّوْضِ مِنْ أنفاسِها
حتَّىuntil شَمَمْتُI smelled عَلىupon الأزاهرِthe blossoms طِيْبَهاher fragrance
حتَّى شَمَمْتُ عَلى الأزاهرِ طِيْبَها
or that the garden's fragrance came from her breath,
until I smelled her perfume upon the blossoms;
أوor أنَّthat مُقلتَهاher eye تُغيرُraids عَلىupon الوَرىhumankind
أو أنَّ مُقلتَها تُغيرُ عَلى الوَرى
حتَّىuntil غَدوتُI became طَعِينَهاher wounded victim وسَليبَهاand her plundered victim
حتَّى غَدوتُ طَعِينَها وسَليبَها
or that her eye raided humankind,
until I became her wounded and plundered victim.
ثُعَليَّةُThuʿal-like الألحاظِin glances أصْمَتْshe slew مُهْجَتيmy heart
ثُعَليَّةُ الألحاظِ أصْمَتْ مُهْجَتي
بِظُباwith the sharp tips of سِهامٍarrows لاmay not عَدِمْتُI lack نُدوبَهاtheir scars
بِظُبا سِهامٍ لا عَدِمْتُ نُدوبَها
Thuʿal-like in her glances, she slew my heart
with arrowheads—may I never be without their scars.
خَضَبَتْshe dyed أنامِلَهاher fingertips النَّواعِمَdelicate منfrom دَميmy blood
خَضَبَتْ أنامِلَها النَّواعِمَ من دَمي
عَمْداًdeliberately وقَلَّدتِand she burdened الفؤادَthe heart ذُنوبَهاher sins
عَمْداً وقَلَّدتِ الفؤادَ ذُنوبَها
She dyed her delicate fingertips with my blood,
deliberately, and hung her sins upon my heart.
ياO ربِّmy Lord إنْif حالَتْshe turned عَليَّagainst me ولَمْand did not أحُلI turn away
يا ربِّ إنْ حالَتْ عَليَّ ولَمْ أحُل
عَنهاfrom her فكُنْthen be يَوْمَon the Day الحِسابِof Reckoning حَسِيَبهاher reckoner
عَنها فكُنْ يَوْمَ الحِسابِ حَسِيَبها
O Lord, if she has turned against me while I have not turned
from her, then be her reckoner on the Day of Reckoning.
Sol 6.1