كأَنكas though you بيwith me قَدْalready مِتُّI have died بَعْدَafter قليلِa short while
كأَنك بي قَدْ مِتُّ بَعْدَ قليلِ
بماءِby the water of دُمُعيmy tears أَوor بنارby the fire of غَلِيليmy burning longing
بماءِ دُمُعي أَو بنار غَلِيلي
It is as though you see me dead before long,
It's as if you see me die soon
By the water of my tears or the fire of my burning longing.
By my tears or burning anguish
وأَتعبُand the weariest of خَلْقِthe creatures of اللهِGod قَلْبيmy heart لأَنَّهbecause it
وأَتعبُ خَلْقِ اللهِ قَلْبي لأَنَّه
أَلوفٌdevoted رماهُafflicted it دهرُهُits fate بَمَلُولِwith one easily bored
أَلوفٌ رماهُ دهرُهُ بَمَلُولِ
And the weariest of God's creatures is my heart, for it
And I burden the hearts of people because
Is devoted, yet its fate has afflicted it with one who soon tires.
Fate has wounded it with afflictions
قضىdecreed اللهُGod أَنَّthat العِشْقَlove يَقْضِيpasses sentence إِذاwhen قَضَىit judges
قضى اللهُ أَنَّ العِشْقَ يَقْضِي إِذا قَضَى
بقَتْلِby killing نُفُوسِsouls أَوor بأَسْرِby taking captive عُقُولِminds
بقَتْلِ نُفُوسِ أَو بأَسْرِ عُقُولِ
God decreed that love, whenever it judges, must sentence
God has decreed that love, when it rules
Souls to death or minds to captivity.
Kills souls or imprisons minds
وأَنَّand that كَثِيراًmuch صُنْعُهits doing بكُثَيِّرto Kuthayyir
وأَنَّ كَثِيراً صُنْعُه بكُثَيِّر
وغيرُand not جَمِيلٍbeautiful فعلُهits action بجميلto Jamil
وغيرُ جَمِيلٍ فعلُه بجميل
And that it wrought much upon Kuthayyir,
And that the deeds of many with many
And its treatment of Jamil was anything but beautiful.
Are ugly, though they themselves are beautiful
أَخُوthe companion of العِشْقِlove يَوْمَon the day of العَيْشِliving يُسْمَىis called بعاشِقٍa lover
أَخُو العِشْقِ يَوْمَ العَيْشِ يُسْمَى بعاشِقٍ
وثانيهand on the day after it يُسْمىis called بينهمamong them بِقَتيلa slain man
وثانيه يُسْمى بينهم بِقَتيل
Love's companion, on the day he lives, is called a lover,
The lover in life is called a lover
And the next day, among them, he is called a slain man.
And after death he's called the slain
وعيشتُهand his life معدُومةُnonexistent ووفاتُهand his death
وعيشتُه معدُومةُ ووفاتُه
بِيَوْمِon a day of مُقَامٍstaying أَوor بيَوْمِon a day of رحيلdeparture
بِيَوْمِ مُقَامٍ أَو بيَوْمِ رحيل
And his life is nonexistent, and his death
His life is ephemeral; his death
Comes on a day of staying or a day of departure.
On a day of bliss or day of departure
وطالand grew long عذابيmy torment إِذْwhen قُتِلتُI was slain لأَننيbecause I
وطال عذابي إِذْ قُتِلتُ لأَنني
قُتِلتُI was slain بسيفٍby a sword للحاظِof glances كليلblunt
قُتِلتُ بسيفٍ للحاظِ كليل
And my torment was prolonged as I was slain, for I
Long has my torment been since I was slain
Was slain by a blunt sword of glances.
For I was slain by a sword of smooth blade
وممّاand among what دهانيhas afflicted me أَنَّthat ليI have أَلفَa thousand حاسدٍenvier
وممّا دهاني أَنَّ لي أَلفَ حاسدٍ
علىover مَنْone who لهاshe has فيamong النَّاسthe people أَلْفَa thousand خَليلlover
على مَنْ لها في النَّاس أَلْفَ خَليل
And among my afflictions is that I have a thousand enviers
What pained me more is that I have thousands envious
Over one who has a thousand lovers among the people.
Of her who has thousands of friends
تَجيءُshe comes إِلىto هذاthis one بغيرِwithout رسالةٍa message
تَجيءُ إِلى هذا بغيرِ رسالةٍ
وتَعْقُدُand holds back عنfrom ذَاthat one بَعْدَafter أَلْفِa thousand رسُولِmessenger
وتَعْقُدُ عن ذَا بَعْدَ أَلْفِ رسُولِ
She comes to this one without a message,
You come to her without a message
And holds back from that one after a thousand messengers.
And neglect that one though a thousand messengers
فغايةُso the utmost of سؤليmy request أَصبحَتْhas become مَنْthe one whom أُحِبُّهاI love her
فغايةُ سؤلي أَصبحَتْ مَنْ أُحِبُّها
علىdespite أَنَّهاthat she وللهِand by God غايةُthe utmost of سُولِيmy desire
على أَنَّها وللهِ غايةُ سُولِي
So she whom I love has become all I ask for,
So the aim of my request has become that I love her
Though, by God, she is my utmost desire.
Though, by God, she is the aim of my madness
وقالتand she said لأَيّامِto the days of المسرَّةjoy قصِّريbe brief
وقالت لأَيّامِ المسرَّة قصِّري
وقلتand I said لليلاتِto the nights of الإِساءَةِmistreatment طُولِيgrow long
وقلت لليلاتِ الإِساءَةِ طُولِي
And she said to the days of joy: 'Be brief,'
And she said to the days of joy, be short
And I said to the nights of mistreatment: 'Grow long.'
And I said to the nights of misery, be long
Sol 6.1