مِنfrom عاشِقٍa lover كَلِفِlove-stricken الفُؤادِthe heart مُتَيَّمِenthralled by love
مِن عاشِقٍ كَلِفِ الفُؤادِ مُتَيَّمِ
يُهديhe sends السَلامَgreetings إِلىto المَليحَةِthe lovely woman كُلثُمِKulthum
يُهدي السَلامَ إِلى المَليحَةِ كُلثُمِ
From a lover, love-stricken at heart and enthralled,
From a lover with a weary heart
who sends greetings to the lovely Kulthum,
Sending greetings to the beautiful rosebud
وَيَبوحُand he speaks openly بِالسِرِّof the secret المَصونِguarded وَبِالهَوىand of love
وَيَبوحُ بِالسِرِّ المَصونِ وَبِالهَوى
يُدريhe makes known لِيُعلِمَهاto inform her بِماof what لَمnot تَعلَمِshe knew
يُدري لِيُعلِمَها بِما لَم تَعلَمِ
and reveals his guarded secret and his love,
He confides his hidden love and passion
making it known to tell her what she did not know,
So she knows what she did not before
كَيso that لاnot تَشُكَّshe doubts عَلىdespite التَجَنُّبِkeeping apart أَنَّهاthat she
كَي لا تَشُكَّ عَلى التَجَنُّبِ أَنَّها
عِنديwith me بِمَنزِلَةِin the position of المُحِبِّthe lover المُكرَمِhonored
عِندي بِمَنزِلَةِ المُحِبِّ المُكرَمِ
so that, despite estrangement, she may not doubt that she
Lest she doubt that to me she is
holds with me the place of an honored lover.
Like a dear and honored beloved
أَخَذَتshe took hold مِنَof القَلبِthe heart العَميدِlovesick بِقُوَّةٍwith strength
أَخَذَت مِنَ القَلبِ العَميدِ بِقُوَّةٍ
وَمِنَand of الوِصالِunion بِمَتنِby the stout body of حَبلٍa cord مُبرَمِtightly twisted
وَمِنَ الوِصالِ بِمَتنِ حَبلٍ مُبرَمِ
She has taken firm hold of the lovesick heart,
She has firmly gripped my stalwart heart
and of union's stout, tightly twisted cord.
With the rope of fulfilled union
وَتَمَكَّنَتand she took hold فيin النَفسِthe soul حَيثُas تَمَكَّنَتtook hold
وَتَمَكَّنَت في النَفسِ حَيثُ تَمَكَّنَت
نَفسُthe soul المُحِبِّof the lover مِنَof الحَبيبِthe beloved المُغرَمِenthralled by love
نَفسُ المُحِبِّ مِنَ الحَبيبِ المُغرَمِ
And she has taken hold within my soul, as
She is anchored in my soul anchored
a lover's soul takes hold of a beloved enthralled by love.
As the soul of the doting lover
وَلَقَدand indeed قَرَأتُI read كِتابَهاher letter فَفَهِمتُهُso I understood it
وَلَقَد قَرَأتُ كِتابَها فَفَهِمتُهُ
لَوif كانَit were غَيرَother than كِتابَهاher letter لَمnot أَفهَمِI would understand
لَو كانَ غَيرَ كِتابَها لَم أَفهَمِ
Indeed, I read her letter and understood it;
Indeed I read her book and understood it
had it been a letter other than hers, I would not have understood.
Had it been other than her book, I'd not understand
عَجَمَتshe dotted عَلَيهِupon it بِكَفِّهاwith her palm وَبَنانِهاand her fingertips
عَجَمَت عَلَيهِ بِكَفِّها وَبَنانِها
مِنfrom ماءِwater مُقلَتِهاher eye بِغَيرِwithout المُعجَمِdotted script
مِن ماءِ مُقلَتِها بِغَيرِ المُعجَمِ
She dotted it with her palm and fingertips,
She obscured it with her palm and fingers
with the water of her eye, not with dotted script.
With the water of her eyes, uncoded
وَمَشىand went الرَسولُthe messenger بِحاجَةٍon an errand مَكتومَةٍkept secret
وَمَشى الرَسولُ بِحاجَةٍ مَكتومَةٍ
لَولاwere it not for مَلاحَةُthe charm بَعضِهاpart of it لَمnot تُكتَمِit would be concealed
لَولا مَلاحَةُ بَعضِها لَم تُكتَمِ
And the messenger went on a secret errand—
The messenger walked with a secret need
but for the charm of part of it, it would not have been concealed—
Had some of it not leaked, it'd stay concealed
فيin غَفلَةٍunawareness مِمَّنof whoever نُحاذِرُwe fear قَولَهُhis words
في غَفلَةٍ مِمَّن نُحاذِرُ قَولَهُ
وَسَوادِand the blackness of لَيلٍa night ذيhaving دَواجٍveils of darkness مُظلِمِdark
وَسَوادِ لَيلٍ ذي دَواجٍ مُظلِمِ
while the one whose words we fear was unaware,
Unbeknownst to those whose talk we fear
and in the blackness of a dark night wrapped in veils.
In the darkness of a gloomy night
دينيmy faith وَدينُكِand your faith ياO كُليثِمُKulaythim واحِدٌone
ديني وَدينُكِ يا كُليثِمُ واحِدٌ
نَرفُضwe renounce وَقَيتُكِmay I shield you دينَناour faith أَوor نُسلِمِwe submit
نَرفُض وَقَيتُكِ دينَنا أَو نُسلِمِ
My faith and yours, O Kulaythim, are one;
My faith and yours, O Kullthum, are one
either we renounce our faith—may I shield you—or submit.
We reject your time or surrender to our faith
Sol 6.1