أتُرىdo you think البرُوقُthe lightning flashes إذاwhen علَتrose وتراءَتِand appeared
أتُرى البرُوقُ إذا علَت وتراءَتِ
تدنيكَbrings you nearer منto دارٍa dwelling خلتbecame deserted وتناءَتand grew distant
تدنيكَ من دارٍ خلت وتناءَت
Do you think the lightning flashes, when they rise and appear,
Do you see the lightning when it rises high
bring you nearer a dwelling deserted and far away?
Over the ruins of a home left desolate?
فعلامَthen what for تطمَعُyou hope حينَwhen تلمحُyou glimpse لمعةًa flash
فعلامَ تطمَعُ حينَ تلمحُ لمعةً
خفقتflickered علىover أطلالهمtheir ruined dwellings وأضاءتِand shone
خفقت على أطلالهم وأضاءتِ
Then what do you hope for when you glimpse a flash
Why do you covet when you glimpse a flash
that flickered over their ruined dwellings and shone?
That flickers over their relics and illuminates?
كمhow often تستفزُّكَstirs you نسمةٌa breeze معتلَّةٌailing
كم تستفزُّكَ نسمةٌ معتلَّةٌ
ذهبتwent away وبالأرَجِand with the fragrance المَّسكِmusk جاءتِcame
ذهبت وبالأرَجِ المَّسكِ جاءتِ
How often an ailing breeze stirs you,
How an errant breeze incites you,
having gone away and returned with the fragrance of musk!
That drifts away while musk's perfume comes!
لاdo not تُخدعَنَّever be deceived فماfor ... not شَذاهاits fragrance مُصلحٌable to mend
لا تُخدعَنَّ فما شَذاها مُصلحٌ
لكَfor you حالةa condition فيin حُبِّlove for ليلىLayla ساءتِgrew worse
لكَ حالة في حُبِّ ليلى ساءتِ
Do not be deceived, for its fragrance cannot mend
Don't be deceived - it's healing is not for you,
your plight, which has worsened in your love for Layla.
You whose love-sick state for Layla worsened!
ماwhat is wrong للعواذلِwith the reproachers ألزمُونيthey charged me with ذَنبَهمtheir sin
ما للعواذلِ ألزمُوني ذَنبَهم
هلis ...? غيرُother than ليلىLayla والغرامِand passion إِساءَتيmy offense
هل غيرُ ليلى والغرامِ إِساءَتي
What ails the reproachers? They charge me with their own sin.
Why do they blame me for the lovers' sins?
Is my offense anything but Layla and passion?
Is it not just Layla and passion that misled me?
قالواthey said إلىuntil كمhow long ذاthis الشَّقاmisery فأجبتُهمso I answered them
قالوا إلى كم ذا الشَّقا فأجبتُهم
ماnot كنتُI was أعرفُI know ماwhat الشَّقاmisery لوif شاءتِshe wished
ما كنتُ أعرفُ ما الشَّقا لو شاءتِ
They said, 'How long this misery?' So I answered them:
When asked how long this agony, I told them:
'I would not have known what misery is, had she so wished.'
I knew not what agony was ere she came to be!
مَهenough ياO عذولُreproacher فلستَfor you are not أولَthe first طالبٍseeker
مَه يا عذولُ فلستَ أولَ طالبٍ
أمراًsomething إليهto it بنوthe sons of الهَوىpassion ماnot فاءتِreturned
أمراً إليه بنو الهَوى ما فاءتِ
Enough, O reproacher, for you are not the first to seek
Away, you blamer - for you're not the first
something to which the sons of passion have never returned.
Seeker of what the passionate cannot attain!
لاdo not تحسَبنَّever think بأنَّthat لومَكَyour reproach حُجةٌproof
لا تحسَبنَّ بأنَّ لومَكَ حُجةٌ
اللهُGod يشهدُbears witness منهof it ليfor me ببراءتيto my innocence
اللهُ يشهدُ منه لي ببراءتي
Do not think that your reproach is proof;
Think not your blame gives you cause -
God bears witness on my behalf that I am innocent of it.
God knows I'm innocent of what they maintain!
Sol 6.1