بِأَبيwith my father as ransom جُفونُeyelids مُعَذِّبيmy tormentor وَجُفونيand my eyelids
بِأَبي جُفونُ مُعَذِّبي وَجُفوني
فَهِيَfor they are الَّتيwhat جَلَبَتbrought إِلَيَّto me مَنونيmy death
فَهِيَ الَّتي جَلَبَت إِلَيَّ مَنوني
My father be ransom for my tormentor's eyelids and mine,
By my tormented eyelids and my eyelids
for they are what brought my death upon me.
Which have brought my demise upon me
ماnot كُنتُI was أَحسَبُI think أَنَّthat جَفنيmy eyelid قَبلَهاbefore them
ما كُنتُ أَحسَبُ أَنَّ جَفني قَبلَها
يَقتادُنيleads me مِنfrom نَظرَةٍa glance لِفُتونِinto infatuation
يَقتادُني مِن نَظرَةٍ لِفُتونِ
Before them, I never thought my eyelid
I never thought before her that my eyelids
could lead me, at a glance, into infatuation.
Would lead me astray with a glance of passion
ياah! قاتَلَmay curse اللَهُGod العُيونَeyes لِأَنَّهاbecause they
يا قاتَلَ اللَهُ العُيونَ لِأَنَّها
حَكَمَتpassed judgment عَلَيناupon us بِالهَوىto passion وَالهونِand humiliation
حَكَمَت عَلَينا بِالهَوى وَالهونِ
Ah, may God curse eyes, for they
Oh may God destroy the eyes for they
have sentenced us to passion and humiliation.
Have judged us with love and weakness
وَلَقَدand indeed كَتَمتُI concealed الحُبَّlove بَينَbetween جَوانِحيmy ribs
وَلَقَد كَتَمتُ الحُبَّ بَينَ جَوانِحي
حَتّىuntil تَكَلَّمَit spoke فيin دُموعِtears شُؤونيmy tear ducts
حَتّى تَكَلَّمَ في دُموعِ شُؤوني
And indeed, I concealed love between my ribs,
And I had concealed love in my bosom
until it spoke through the tears of my tear ducts.
Until it spoke through the tears of my passion
هَيهاتَfar from it! لاnot تَخفىare hidden عَلاماتُsigns الهَوىpassion
هَيهاتَ لا تَخفى عَلاماتُ الهَوى
كادَalmost المُريبُthe suspect بِأَنto يَقولَsay خُذونيseize me!
كادَ المُريبُ بِأَن يَقولَ خُذوني
Impossible! The signs of passion cannot be hidden;
Alas you cannot conceal the signs of love
the suspect almost says, 'Seize me!'
My confidant almost said take me
وَبِمُهجَتيand with my lifeblood as ransom أَلحاظُglances ظَبيَةِa gazelle وَجرَةٍWajra
وَبِمُهجَتي أَلحاظُ ظَبيَةِ وَجرَةٍ
حُرّاسُguards مَسكِنِهاher dwelling أُسودُlions عَرينِa lair
حُرّاسُ مَسكِنِها أُسودُ عَرينِ
And my lifeblood be ransom for the glances of Wajra's gazelle;
And my dear one has the gazes of a startled gazelle
her dwelling's guards are lions in their lair.
The black lions guarding her abode have barred my way
سَدّواthey barred عَلَيَّagainst me الطُرقَthe roads خَوفَfor fear of طَريقِهِمtheir night visitor
سَدّوا عَلَيَّ الطُرقَ خَوفَ طَريقِهِم
فَالطَيفُso the dream-phantom لاnot يَسريtravels by night عَلىwith تَأمينِassurance of safety
فَالطَيفُ لا يَسري عَلى تَأمينِ
They barred the roads against me, fearing their night visitor;
They closed the paths to me fearing for their road
so the dream-phantom cannot travel by night in safety.
So the specter cannot travel with ease
أَوَماand was it not كَفاهُمenough for them مَنعُهُمtheir prohibition حَتّىuntil رَمَواthey pelted
أَوَما كَفاهُم مَنعُهُم حَتّى رَمَوا
مِنهاof her مُبَرَّأَةًan innocent woman بِرَجمِwith the stoning of ظُنونِsuspicions
مِنها مُبَرَّأَةً بِرَجمِ ظُنونِ
Was their barring me not enough for them, that they pelted
Was it not enough they prevented me that they blamed
her innocent self with stones of suspicion?
Her innocent with the stoning of suspicions
وَتَوَهَّمواand they imagined أَنthat قَدalready تَعاطَتshe had drunk قَهوَةًwine
وَتَوَهَّموا أَن قَد تَعاطَت قَهوَةً
لَمّاwhen رَأَوهاthey saw her تَنثَنيshe sways مِنfrom لينِsuppleness
لَمّا رَأَوها تَنثَني مِن لينِ
And they imagined she had drunk wine,
And imagined she had taken coffee
when they saw her sway with suppleness.
When they saw her bending with softness
وَاِستَفهِموهاand they asked her مَنwho سَقاكِgave you drink وَماand not دَرَواthey knew
وَاِستَفهِموها مَن سَقاكِ وَما دَرَوا
ماwhat اِستودِعَتshe was endowed with مِنof مَبسِمٍa smiling mouth وَجُفونِand eyelids
ما اِستودِعَت مِن مَبسِمٍ وَجُفونِ
And they asked her, 'Who gave you drink?'—not knowing
And they questioned her who gave you to drink and they did not know
what she had been endowed with: a smiling mouth and eyelids.
What her smile and eyelids concealed
وَمِنَand among العَجائِبِthe wonders أَنَّهُمthat they قَدindeed عَرَّضواthey exposed
وَمِنَ العَجائِبِ أَنَّهُم قَد عَرَّضوا
بيme لِلفُتونِto infatuation وَبَعدَهُand after it عَذَلونيthey reproached me
بي لِلفُتونِ وَبَعدَهُ عَذَلوني
And it is a wonder that they exposed
And of wonders that they exposed me
me to infatuation, and after it reproached me.
To passion and after seduced me
خَدَعواthey beguiled فُؤاديmy heart بِالوِصالِwith union وَعِندَماand when
خَدَعوا فُؤادي بِالوِصالِ وَعِندَما
شَبّواthey kindled الهَوىpassion فيin أَضلُعيmy ribs هَجَرونيthey abandoned me
شَبّوا الهَوى في أَضلُعي هَجَروني
They beguiled my heart with union, and when
They deceived my heart with union and when
they kindled passion in my ribs, they abandoned me.
They ignited love in my ribs they deserted me
لَوif لَمnot يُريدواthey wanted قَتلَتيmy death لَمnot يُطعِمواthey fed
لَو لَم يُريدوا قَتلَتي لَم يُطعِموا
فيin القُربِnearness قَلبَthe heart of مُتَيَّمٍa lovesick man مَفتونِspellbound
في القُربِ قَلبَ مُتَيَّمٍ مَفتونِ
Had they not wanted my death, they would not have fed
Had they not wanted my murder they would not have fed
with nearness the heart of a lovesick, spellbound man.
A coveting heart proximity in the past
لَمnot يَرحَمونيthey pitied me حينَwhen حانَthe time came فِراقُهُمparting from them
لَم يَرحَموني حينَ حانَ فِراقُهُم
ماwhat ضَرَّهُمharmed them لَوif أَنَّهُمthat they رَحَمونيthey pitied me
ما ضَرَّهُم لَو أَنَّهُم رَحَموني
They did not pity me when it was time to part from them;
They did not have mercy when it was time for their separation
what harm would it have done them, had they pitied me?
What harm if they had mercy upon me
وَمِنَand among العَجائِبِthe wonders أَنthat تَعَجَّبَwas amazed عاذِليmy reproacher
وَمِنَ العَجائِبِ أَن تَعَجَّبَ عاذِلي
مِنat أَنthat يَطولَlasts long تَشَوُّقيmy yearning وَحَنينيand my longing
مِن أَن يَطولَ تَشَوُّقي وَحَنيني
And it is a wonder that my reproacher was amazed
And of wonders that my critic was astonished
that my yearning and longing should last so long.
That my longing and my yearning prolonged
ياO عاذِليmy reproacher ذَرنيleave me وَقَلبيand my heart وَالهَوىand passion
يا عاذِلي ذَرني وَقَلبي وَالهَوى
أَأَعَرتَنيdid you lend me قَلباًa heart لِحَملِfor bearing شُجونيmy sorrows
أَأَعَرتَني قَلباً لِحَملِ شُجوني
O my reproacher, leave me, my heart, and passion alone;
Oh my critic leave me and my heart and love
did you lend me a heart to bear my sorrows?
Did you fault me a heart to carry my passion
ياO ظَبيَةًgazelle تَلويshe delays payment دُيونيdebts owed to me فيin الهَوىlove
يا ظَبيَةً تَلوي دُيوني في الهَوى
كَيفَhow السَبيلُthe way إِلىto اِقتِضاءِcollecting دُيونيdebts owed to me
كَيفَ السَبيلُ إِلى اِقتِضاءِ دُيوني
O gazelle, who delays paying my dues in love,
Oh gazelle twisting my debts in love
how can I find a way to collect my dues?
What is the way to collect my debts
بَينيbetween me وَبَينَكِand between you حينَwhen تَأخُذُthey take ثَأرَهاtheir revenge
بَيني وَبَينَكِ حينَ تَأخُذُ ثَأرَها
مَرضىailing قُلوبٍhearts مِنagainst مِراضِlanguid جُفونِeyelids
مَرضى قُلوبٍ مِن مِراضِ جُفونِ
Between me and you, when they exact their vengeance,
Between me and you when it takes its revenge
stand ailing hearts against languid eyelids.
Are hearts sick from the illness of eyelids
ماwhat كانَwould have ضَرَّكِharmed you ياO شَقيقَةَtwin sister of مُهجَتيmy soul
ما كانَ ضَرَّكِ يا شَقيقَةَ مُهجَتي
أَنthat لَوif بَعَثتِyou had sent تَحِيَّةًa greeting تُحيِينيwould revive me
أَن لَو بَعَثتِ تَحِيَّةً تُحيِيني
What harm would it have done you, O twin of my soul,
What harm would it have done you, oh sister of my dear one
if you had sent a greeting to revive me?
If you had sent a greeting to give me life
زَكّيpay alms on جَمالاًbeauty أَنتِyou فيهِin it غَنِيَّةٌrich
زَكّي جَمالاً أَنتِ فيهِ غَنِيَّةٌ
وَتَصَدَّقيand give in charity مِنهُof it عَلىto المِسكينِthe poor man
وَتَصَدَّقي مِنهُ عَلى المِسكينِ
Pay the alms due on the beauty in which you are rich,
Beautify perfection you are rich in it
and give some of it in charity to the poor man.
And give charity from it to the pauper
مُنّيbestow favor عَلَيَّupon me وَلَوand even if بِطَيفٍwith a dream-phantom طارِقٍvisiting by night
مُنّي عَلَيَّ وَلَو بِطَيفٍ طارِقٍ
ماwhat قَلَّis little يَكثُرُbecomes much مِنfrom نَوالِthe bounty of ضَنينِone who withholds
ما قَلَّ يَكثُرُ مِن نَوالِ ضَنينِ
Bestow your favor upon me, if only with a dream-phantom visiting by night;
Favor me even with a visiting specter
a little becomes much from the bounty of one who withholds.
Little does not decrease from the bestowal of the stingy
ماnot كُنتُI was أَحسَبُI think قَبلَbefore حُبِّكِlove for you أَنthat أَرىI see
ما كُنتُ أَحسَبُ قَبلَ حُبِّكِ أَن أَرى
فيin غَيرِother than دارِthe abode of الخُلدِeternity حورَhouris العينِwide-eyed
في غَيرِ دارِ الخُلدِ حورَ العينِ
Before loving you, I never thought I would see
I never thought before your love that I would see
wide-eyed houris outside the abode of eternity.
In a house other than eternal, maidens of paradise
قَسَماًan oath بِحُسنِكِby your beauty ماnot بَصُرتُI have seen بِمِثلِهِits like
قَسَماً بِحُسنِكِ ما بَصُرتُ بِمِثلِهِ
فيin العالَمينَthe worlds شَهادَةًtestimony بِيَمينِwith an oath
في العالَمينَ شَهادَةً بِيَمينِ
I swear by your beauty: I have never seen its like
By your beauty, I swear I have not seen the likes of it
in all the worlds—testimony sworn on oath.
In both worlds, so true is my oath
Sol 6.1