أَتىcame دونَin the way of حُلوِsweetness الوَعدِthe promise منfrom تَكتمُTaktum المَطلُdelay
أَتى دونَ حُلوِ الوَعدِ من تَكتمُ المَطلُ
وَأَيُّand what هَوىًlove يَبقىendures إِذاif لَمnot يَكُنbe بَذلُgiving
وَأَيُّ هَوىً يَبقى إِذا لَم يَكُن بَذلُ
Delay came between me and Taktum’s sweet promise;
Delay has stood in the way of Taktum’s sweet promise.
and what love can last when there is no giving?
And what love endures if there is no giving?
فَقالَتthen she said وَأَبدىand revealed الوَجدُpassionate longing ماwhat دونَwithin صَدرِهاher breast
فَقالَت وَأَبدى الوَجدُ ما دونَ صَدرِها
فَلَمso not يَبقَremained بابٌa door دونَbefore سِرٍّa secret وَلاnor قِفلُa lock
فَلَم يَبقَ بابٌ دونَ سِرٍّ وَلا قِفلُ
She spoke, while longing revealed what lay within her breast;
Then she spoke, and longing laid bare what lay within her breast,
no door or lock remained to bar the way to my secret.
so no door or lock remained to guard a secret.
أَأَشعَرتَdid you inform بيabout me أَهليmy family عَشِيَّةَthe evening زُرتَناyou visited us
أَأَشعَرتَ بي أَهلي عَشِيَّةَ زُرتَنا
جهاراًopenly وَماand what عِنديwith me وَقَدand already شَعَرَbecame aware الأَهلُthe family
جهاراً وَما عِندي وَقَد شَعَرَ الأَهلُ
“Did you alert my family to me, that evening you visited us
“Did you tell my family about me the evening you visited us
openly? What recourse have I, now that the family knows?”
openly? And what recourse have I, now that my family knows?”
فَقالَتthen she said وَماand not أَزرىbrought disgrace بِناupon us مِنany تَحَفُّظٍwatchfulness
فَقالَت وَما أَزرى بِنا مِن تَحَفُّظٍ
عَلَيناover us وَقوليand my words فيin عَواقِبِهِits consequences الذَحلُvengeance
عَلَينا وَقولي في عَواقِبِهِ الذَحلُ
She said, “How we have been brought low by my caution
Then she said, “No disgrace has come upon us from watchfulness
for us, and by my saying that folly lay in its outcome!”
over us; and my words have vengeance in their wake.”
فَقُلتُso I said لَهاto her ماnot زرتُكُمI visited you قاصِداًaiming لَكُمfor you
فَقُلتُ لَها ما زرتُكُم قاصِداً لَكُم
وَإِنand though كانَwas ماnot فيamong الناسِpeople ليfor me وَلَكُمand for you مِثلُan equal
وَإِن كانَ ما في الناسِ لي وَلَكُم مِثلُ
I said to her, “I did not visit you with you as my purpose,
So I said to her, “I did not visit you with you as my aim,
though what happens among people provides a precedent for me and you.
though among people there is no equal to me or to you.
وَماand not زرتُكُمI visited you عَمداًdeliberately وَلَكِنَّand yet ذاone possessed of الهَوىlove
وَما زرتُكُم عَمداً وَلَكِنَّ ذا الهَوى
إِلىto حَيثُwhere يَهوىdesires القَلبُthe heart تَهويhastens بِهِwith him الرِجلُthe foot
إِلى حَيثُ يَهوى القَلبُ تَهوي بِهِ الرِجلُ
Nor did I visit you deliberately; but I, a man possessed by love—
Nor did I visit you deliberately; but the lover—
wherever the heart yearns, the foot bears him there.”
wherever the heart desires, the foot carries him swiftly.”
