ياO عروساًa bride فيin ثيابgarments الرقthe dance (opening fragment)
يا عروساً في ثياب الرق
صcompletion of 'dance' وارقصينيand make me dance
ص وارقصيني
O bride in the garments of
O bride in robes of silk
dance, and make me dance.
Dance and make me dance with you
وارقصيand dance فيin ثوبكyour dress الthe
وارقصي في ثوبك ال
شفافtransparent رقصاًa dance يستبينيthat takes me captive
شفاف رقصاً يستبيني
And dance in your dress—
Dance in your sheer robe
transparent—with a dance that takes me captive.
That reveals you to me
وارقصيand dance فوقabove الزهورthe flowers
وارقصي فوق الزهور
وارقصيand dance فوقabove السماءthe sky
وارقصي فوق السماء
And dance above the flowers,
Dance atop the flowers
And dance above the sky.
Dance atop the sky
أنتyou عطرa fragrance منfrom عطورfragrances
أنت عطر من عطور
انتyou ضوءlight منfrom ضياءradiance
انت ضوء من ضياء
You are a fragrance among fragrances,
You are a fragrance amongst fragrances
You are light from radiance.
You are a light amongst lights
واذاand if غنيتyou sing شيئاًsomething
واذا غنيت شيئاً
فادنيthen draw near منيto me واسمعينيand let me hear you
فادني مني واسمعيني
And if you sing something,
And if you were to sing something
Then draw near to me and let me hear you.
Come near me and let me hear you
ودعينيand let me فيin جنانgardens الthe
ودعيني في جنان ال
خلدeternity احيىI live واطربينيand enrapture me
خلد احيى واطربيني
And let me, in the gardens of
And let me revel in eternal gardens revived and enraptured by you
eternity, live, and enrapture me.
Then incline to me however you wish
ثمthen ميليsway كيفhowever شئتyou wish
ثم ميلي كيف شئت
واخطفيand snatch منيfrom me اللهيبthe flame
واخطفي مني اللهيب
Then sway however you wish,
And seize from me the flame
And snatch the flame from me.
You are my soul as long as I live
انتyou روحيmy soul ماas long as حييتI live
انت روحي ما حييت
بدرa full moon تمٍfullness لنwill not يغيبset
بدر تمٍ لن يغيب
You are my soul as long as I live,
A full moon that will never set
A full moon that will never set.
Then if you wish darken me
ثمthen انif شئتyou wish اظلمينيwrong me
ثم ان شئت اظلميني
ثمthen انif شئتyou wish ارحمينيhave mercy on me
ثم ان شئت ارحميني
Then, if you wish, wrong me;
Then if you wish have mercy on me
Then, if you wish, have mercy on me.
I love you and expend myself
اناI اهواكI love you وأفنىand I perish
انا اهواك وأفنى
فيin هواكlove for you فافهمينيso understand me
في هواك فافهميني
I love you and waste away
In love for you so understand me
in my love for you—so understand me.
Rise between the starry flowers
واطلعيand appear بينamong النجومthe stars الزthe shining (opening fragment)
واطلعي بين النجوم الز
هرcompletion of 'shining' اوor بينamid الشرابthe wine
هر او بين الشراب
And appear among the stars that
Or between drinks
shine, or amid the wine;
Rise like a brilliant full moon
تطلعيyou will appear بدراًa full moon سنياًradiant
تطلعي بدراً سنياً
وغشاءand a veil منof حبابbubbles
وغشاء من حباب
You will appear as a radiant full moon
Veiled in mist
And a veil of bubbles.
And wear the red and white garments
وارتديand wear الأثوابthe garments منin حمred (opening fragment)
وارتدي الأثواب من حم
رcompletion of 'red' وبيضand white ones تجذبينيyou will attract me
ر وبيض تجذبيني
And wear garments in
That attract me to you
red and white—you will attract me.
And if you wish wear blue
واذاand if شئتyou wish فزرقthen blue ones
واذا شئت فزرق
واذاand if شئتyou wish فجونِthen black ones
واذا شئت فجونِ
And if you wish, then blue;
And if you wish wear passionate red
And if you wish, then black.
Wear a long robe
وارتديand wear ثوباًa dress طويلاًlong
وارتدي ثوباً طويلاً
اوor قصيراًa short one فيin قصيرa short one
او قصيراً في قصير
And wear a long dress,
Or a short revealing one
Or a short one, short within short.
Let it be a silken robe
وليكنand let it be ثوبa dress حريرsilk
وليكن ثوب حرير
وليكنand let it be غيرother than حريرsilk
وليكن غير حرير
And let it be a silk dress,
Or let it be other than silk
And let it be other than silk.
You enchant me no matter how you are
تخلبينيyou bewitch me كيفhowever كنتyou are
تخلبيني كيف كنت
وبدلّand with coy charm تأسرينيyou take me captive
وبدلّ تأسريني
You bewitch me however you are,
And however you change you captivate me
And with coy charm you take me captive.
You reveal yourself only
انتyou لاnot تبدينyou appear الاexcept
انت لا تبدين الا
فيin شفاهlips وعيونand eyes
في شفاه وعيون
You appear only
In lips and eyes
as lips and eyes,
And rosy cheeks
وخدودand cheeks منof حريرsilk
وخدود من حرير
ونهودand breasts بارزاتprominent
ونهود بارزات
And cheeks of silk,
And protruding breasts
And prominent breasts,
And a figure like a willow
وقوامand a figure مثلlike بانa bān tree
وقوام مثل بان
مستديمunceasing الحركاتthe movements
مستديم الحركات
And a figure like a bān tree,
Ever swaying in its motions
Ever in motion.
If you loved dance and melodies
انif عشقتyou love الرقصdancing والاand the melodies (opening fragment)
ان عشقت الرقص والا
لحانcompletion of 'melodies' فيin جوفdepths السكونstillness
لحان في جوف السكون
If you love dancing and
In the stillness of the heart
melodies in the depths of stillness,
Then I am kindred to song and dance
فأناthen I للحنto melody والرقand the dance (opening fragment)
فأنا للحن والرق
صcompletion of 'dance' نسيبkin فاعشقينيso love me
ص نسيب فاعشقيني
Then I, to melody and
So love me
dance, am kin—so love me.
Partial English translation: 43 of 44 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1