بأبيmy father as your ransom أنْتَyou لمdid not تَبِيتيyou stay the night فَوَافَىso it arrived
بأبي أنْتَ لم تَبِيتي فَوَافَى
طارِقاًas a night visitor طيفُكyour phantom المَلِيحُthe lovely فَبَاتَاand it stayed the night
طارِقاً طيفُك المَلِيحُ فَبَاتَا
May my father be your ransom! You did not stay the night, so there came
By my father you did not spend the night, so
Your lovely phantom as a night visitor, and it stayed.
Your beautiful apparition kept visiting,
وتأبَّيْتِand you refused أنْto تُغَنّيyou sing فَغَنَّىso it sang
وتأبَّيْتِ أنْ تُغَنّي فَغَنَّى
عنكِin your stead مِمّاfrom what اقْتَرَحْتُهI requested it أَصْواتَاsongs
عنكِ مِمّا اقْتَرَحْتُه أَصْواتَا
And you refused to sing, so it sang
And you refused to sing, so he sang
In your stead, songs from those I had requested.
On your behalf with voices he put forth,
ونَظَمْناand we composed شعراًverse مليحاًlovely فغنّناهthen we sang it
ونَظَمْنا شعراً مليحاً فغنّناه
بِلَحْنِto a melody يُحْييbrings to life بهwith it الأمْواتَاthe dead
بِلَحْنِ يُحْيي به الأمْواتَا
And we composed lovely verse, then sang it
And we composed a beautiful poem and sang it
To a melody that brings the dead to life,
To a melody that revives the dead,
فيin الثقيلِthe heavy rhythm الثانيthe second فَزُوريso visit إذاif شِئْwish (continued in next line)
في الثقيلِ الثاني فَزُوري إذا شِئْ
تِyou (feminine; completes preceding verb) لكنماbut نُفيدُكِwe give you الأبْياتَاthe verses
تِ لكنما نُفيدُكِ الأبْياتَا
In the second heavy rhythm; so visit if you wish—
In the second heavy meter, so visit if you wish,
But we shall give you the verses.
But we only benefit you with verses.
Sol 6.1