حلفتI swore برُمَّانby the pomegranates الثُدِيِّof the breasts النواهدِthe swelling ones
حلفت برُمَّان الثُدِيِّ النواهدِ
إذاwhen ماan emphatic particle تناغىcooed together فيin صدورthe bosoms الخرائدِof the bashful maidens
إذا ما تناغى في صدور الخرائدِ
I swore by the pomegranates of swelling breasts,
I swore by the swaying breasts of the maidens
when they coo together in the bosoms of bashful maidens:
When they murmur within the hearts of the young men
لماsurely not وَجَدَتْshe felt وجديmy yearning بكمfor you (plural) أُمُّa mother واحدٍof an only son
لما وَجَدَتْ وجدي بكم أُمُّ واحدٍ
تَعُوذُshe seeks refuge منfrom الأَسْواءthe harms فيهconcerning him بواحدِin the One (God)
تَعُوذُ من الأَسْواء فيه بواحدِ
no mother of an only son has felt yearning like mine for you,
Since my passion for you all became that of one mother
seeking refuge in the One from the harms that threaten him.
Seeking refuge from harm in the One God
وإنيand indeed I وإنand even if أضحىcame to be لسانيَmy tongue جاحداًa denier
وإني وإن أضحى لسانيَ جاحداً
لذوsurely possessed of مدْمعٍa tearful eye يُضْحيgreets the morning وليسand is not بجاحدِa denier
لذو مدْمعٍ يُضْحي وليس بجاحدِ
And I, though my tongue may come to deny it,
And even if my tongue denies in the morning
surely have a tearful eye that greets the morning without denying it.
I am a weeping lover, not a denier
فكيفhow, then بإقرارِwith the confession المحبِّof the lover وإنماand only
فكيف بإقرارِ المحبِّ وإنما
يروحhe goes in the evening ويغدوand he goes in the morning بينbetween باغٍan oppressor وحاسدِand an envier
يروح ويغدو بين باغٍ وحاسدِ
How, then, can the lover confess, when he only
So how could a lover's confession deny
goes evening and morning between an oppressor and an envier?
This spirit wandering gardens midst enviers