أَناI الوامِقُthe lover المَشغوفُthe love-consumed وَاللَهُand God ناصِريmy helper
أَنا الوامِقُ المَشغوفُ وَاللَهُ ناصِري
وَمُنتَقِميand my avenger مِمَّنagainst whoever يَجورُacts unjustly وَيَظلِمُand oppresses
وَمُنتَقِمي مِمَّن يَجورُ وَيَظلِمُ
I am the lover, consumed by passion, and God is my helper,
and my avenger against whoever acts unjustly and oppresses.
أَناI الناحِلُthe gaunt one المَهمومُthe careworn one وَالقائِمُand the wakeful one الَّذيwho
أَنا الناحِلُ المَهمومُ وَالقائِمُ الَّذي
أُراعيI watch الثُرَيّاthe Pleiades وَالخَلِيّونَwhile the carefree نُوَّمُare asleep
أُراعي الثُرَيّا وَالخَلِيّونَ نُوَّمُ
I am the gaunt, careworn one who stands awake,
watching the Pleiades while the carefree sleep.
أَظَلُّI remain بِحُزنٍin sorrow دائِمٍunceasing وَتَحَسُّرٍand regret
أَظَلُّ بِحُزنٍ دائِمٍ وَتَحَسُّرٍ
وَأَشرَبُand I drink كَأساًa cup فيهِin it سُمٌّpoison وَعَلقَمُand bitter colocynth
وَأَشرَبُ كَأساً فيهِ سُمٌّ وَعَلقَمُ
I remain in unceasing sorrow and regret,
and drink a cup containing poison and bitter colocynth.
فَحَتّامَso how long ياO لَيلىLayla فُؤاديmy heart مُعَذَّبٌtormented
فَحَتّامَ يا لَيلى فُؤادي مُعَذَّبٌ
بِروحِيَover my soul تَقضيshe decrees ماwhat تُحِبُّshe wishes وَتَحكُمُand she rules
بِروحِيَ تَقضي ما تُحِبُّ وَتَحكُمُ
So how long, Layla, must my heart be tormented?
She does with my soul what she pleases, and holds sway.
لَعَمرِيَby my life ماnot لاقىexperienced جَميلُJamil بنُson of مَعمَرٍMa'mar
لَعَمرِيَ ما لاقى جَميلُ بنُ مَعمَرٍ
كَوَجديlike my anguish بِلَيلىfor Layla لاno وَلَمand did not يَلقَexperience مُسلِمُMuslim
كَوَجدي بِلَيلى لا وَلَم يَلقَ مُسلِمُ
By my life, Jamil ibn Ma'mar never suffered
anguish like mine for Layla—no, nor did Muslim;
وَلَمand did not يَلقَexperience قابوسٌQabus وَقَيسٌand Qays وَعُروَةٌand Urwa
وَلَم يَلقَ قابوسٌ وَقَيسٌ وَعُروَةٌ
وَلَمand did not يَلقَهُexperience it قَبليbefore me فَصيحٌan eloquent speaker وَأَعجَمُand an inarticulate one
وَلَم يَلقَهُ قَبلي فَصيحٌ وَأَعجَمُ
nor did Qabus, Qays, or Urwa,
nor did anyone before me, eloquent or inarticulate.
صَباfell in love يوسُفٌYusuf وَاِستَشعَرَand felt inwardly الحُبَّlove قَلبُهُhis heart
صَبا يوسُفٌ وَاِستَشعَرَ الحُبَّ قَلبُهُ
وَلاand not كادَalmost داوُودٌDawud مِنَfrom الحُبِّlove يَسلَمُescape unharmed
وَلا كادَ داوُودٌ مِنَ الحُبِّ يَسلَمُ
Yusuf fell in love, and his heart felt love within;
and Dawud could scarcely escape love.
وَبِشرٌand Bishr وَهِندٌand Hind ثُمَّthen سَعدٌSa'd وَوامِقٌand Wamiq
وَبِشرٌ وَهِندٌ ثُمَّ سَعدٌ وَوامِقٌ
وَتَوبَةُand Tawba أَضناهُwasted him away الهَوىpassion المُتَقَسِّمُrending
وَتَوبَةُ أَضناهُ الهَوى المُتَقَسِّمُ
And Bishr and Hind, then Sa'd and Wamiq,
and Tawba, whom rending passion wasted away.
وَهاروتُand Harut لاقىexperienced مِنfrom جَوىthe burning anguish الحُبِّof love سَطوَةًan onslaught
وَهاروتُ لاقى مِن جَوى الحُبِّ سَطوَةً
وَماروتُand Marut فاجَأهُtook him unawares البَلاءُaffliction المُصَمِّمُrelentless
وَماروتُ فاجَأهُ البَلاءُ المُصَمِّمُ
And Harut suffered an onslaught of love's burning anguish,
and relentless affliction took Marut unawares.
وَلَمand was not يَخلُfree مِنهُof it المُصطَفىthe Chosen One سَيِّدُmaster الوَرىof humankind
وَلَم يَخلُ مِنهُ المُصطَفى سَيِّدُ الوَرى
أَبوfather of القاسِمِal-Qasim الزاكيthe pure النَبيُّthe Prophet المُكَرَّمُthe honored
أَبو القاسِمِ الزاكي النَبيُّ المُكَرَّمُ
Nor was the Chosen One, master of humankind, free of it:
Abu al-Qasim, the pure, the honored Prophet.
أَبيتَI pass the night صَريعَstruck down by الحُبِّlove أَبكيI weep مِنَfrom الهَوىpassion
أَبيتَ صَريعَ الحُبِّ أَبكي مِنَ الهَوى
وَدَمعيand my tears عَلىupon خَدّيmy cheek يَفيضُoverflow وَيَسجُمُand stream down
وَدَمعي عَلى خَدّي يَفيضُ وَيَسجُمُ
I pass the night felled by love, weeping with longing,
and my tears overflow and stream down my cheek.
وَلَولاand were it not for طُروقُvisitation اللَيلِthe night أَودَتshe would have ended بِنَفسِهِhis life
وَلَولا طُروقُ اللَيلِ أَودَت بِنَفسِهِ
مُنَعَّمَةُtender اللَحظَينِin both glances تَبريwears him down وَتُسقِمُand makes him ill
مُنَعَّمَةُ اللَحظَينِ تَبري وَتُسقِمُ
But for visits by night, she would have ended his life—
she of the tender glances, who wastes him away and makes him ill.
إِذاwhenever هِيَshe زادَتincreases فيin النَوىseparation زادَhe increases فيin الهَوىpassion
إِذا هِيَ زادَت في النَوى زادَ في الهَوى
فَلاso not قَلبُهُhis heart يَسلوforgets its love وَلاnor هِيَshe تَرحَمُshows mercy
فَلا قَلبُهُ يَسلو وَلا هِيَ تَرحَمُ
Whenever she grows more distant, he grows more passionate;
so his heart does not forget, nor does she show mercy.
أَعارَتهُlent him أَنفاسُthe breaths الصَباof the east wind بِكِfor you صَبوَةًa yearning
أَعارَتهُ أَنفاسُ الصَبا بِكِ صَبوَةً
لَهاfor it بَينَbetween جَنبَيهِhis two sides سَعيرٌa blaze مُضَرَّمُfiercely kindled
لَها بَينَ جَنبَيهِ سَعيرٌ مُضَرَّمُ
The breaths of the east wind lent him a yearning for you,
whose fiercely kindled blaze burns between his ribs.
أَلاtake heed إِنَّindeed دَمعَthe tears الصَبِّof the lover عَمّاof what يُجِنُّهُhe conceals it
أَلا إِنَّ دَمعَ الصَبِّ عَمّا يُجِنُّهُ
وَإِنand even if لَمnot يَفُهhe speaks يَوماًever بِهِof it مُتَكَلِّمُspeaking
وَإِن لَم يَفُه يَوماً بِهِ مُتَكَلِّمُ
Indeed, of what the lover hides within, his tears
speak, even if he never once gives it voice.
لِسانيmy tongue عَيِيٌّinarticulate فيin الهَوىlove وَهوَthough it is ناطِقٌable to speak
لِساني عَيِيٌّ في الهَوى وَهوَ ناطِقٌ
وَدَمعيand my tears فَصيحٌeloquent فيin الهَوىlove وَهوَthough they are أَعجَمُwordless
وَدَمعي فَصيحٌ في الهَوى وَهوَ أَعجَمُ
My tongue is inarticulate in love, though it can speak,
and my tears are eloquent in love, though they are wordless.
وَكَيفَand how يُطيقُcan bear الصَبُّthe lover كِتمانَconcealing سِرِّهِhis secret
وَكَيفَ يُطيقُ الصَبُّ كِتمانَ سِرِّهِ
وَهَلand can يَكتُمُconceal الوَجدَpassionate longing اِمرُؤٌa man وَهوَwhile he is مُغرَمُlove-stricken
وَهَل يَكتُمُ الوَجدَ اِمرُؤٌ وَهوَ مُغرَمُ
And how can the lover bear to conceal his secret?
And can a man hide his longing while consumed by love?
عَذيرَيَwho will excuse me مِنfor طَيفٍa phantom أَتىcame بَعدَafter مَوهِنٍa late hour of night
عَذيرَيَ مِن طَيفٍ أَتى بَعدَ مَوهِنٍ
بَرامَةِat Rama حَزوىHazwa عَرفُهُits fragrance يَتَقَدَّمُgoes ahead
بَرامَةِ حَزوى عَرفُهُ يَتَقَدَّمُ
Who will excuse me for a phantom that came late at night,
at Ramat Hazwa, its fragrance going before it,
تَنَفُّسَthe breathing رَوضٍof a meadow جادَهُshowered it generously ماءُthe water مُزنَةٍof a raincloud
تَنَفُّسَ رَوضٍ جادَهُ ماءُ مُزنَةٍ
وَأَطرافُهُand its fringes تَبكيweep النَدىdew ثُمَّthen تَبسِمُsmile
وَأَطرافُهُ تَبكي النَدى ثُمَّ تَبسِمُ
like the breath of a meadow drenched with a raincloud's water,
whose fringes weep dew, then smile?
Sol 6.1