رعياprotection لساجيfor the languid one الكحيلthe kohl-eyed one
رعيا لساجي الكحيل
روحيmy soul فداa ransom لهfor him منfrom جميعall الأسوىharms
روحي فدا له من جميع الأسوى
May the languid, kohl-eyed one be protected.
For the one with kohl-darkened eyes I long
May my soul ransom him from every harm.
My soul I sacrifice for him from all sorrow
فليسfor there is no عنهin his place بديلsubstitute
فليس عنه بديل
ذاكthat one الذيwho يعشقis adored وحيثand wherever يهوىhe wishes
ذاك الذي يعشق وحيث يهوى
For there is no substitute for him.
For he has no equal
That is the one to be adored, wherever he wishes.
He who loves and where he desires
قالواthey said تسلىconsole yourself قليلa little
قالوا تسلى قليل
فقلتso I said واللَهby God ليسthere is no عنهfrom him سلوىforgetting
فقلت واللَه ليس عنه سلوى
They said, “Console yourself a little.”
They said be consoled a little
So I said, “By God, there is no forgetting him.”
But I said by Allah there is no consoling me
انindeed السلوّforgetting مستحيلimpossible
ان السلوّ مستحيل
عمنof the one who لهhe has وسطin the midst of القليبthe little heart مثوىa dwelling
عمن له وسط القليب مثوى
Indeed, forgetting is impossible
From the one who dwells amid my heart
Of him whose dwelling is within the little heart.
He whom I yearn for and whom I want
ذاكthat one الذيwhom نهوىwe love وذيand the one whom نريدهwe desire him
ذاك الذي نهوى وذي نريده
هوhe رأسprincipal ماليmy wealth والذيand what أفيدهI gain it
هو رأس مالي والذي أفيده
That is the one we love and the one we desire.
He is my capital and the one I benefit
He is my capital and what I gain.
My limbs belong to him and in his fist
جوارحيmy limbs ملكهhis property وقبضةand the grasp of إيدهhis hand
جوارحي ملكه وقبضة إيده
My limbs are his property, in the grasp of his hand.
Is there for the afflicted any way
My master, or will you hear my lament
هلis there? للقاto meeting منany سبيلway
هل للقا من سبيل
ياO سيديmy master أوor تستمعyou listen لشكوىto a complaint
يا سيدي أو تستمع لشكوى
Is there any way to meet?
Patience is beautiful
O my master, or will you listen to my complaint?
But your abandonment is pure affliction
الصبرpatience كلهall of it جميلbeautiful
الصبر كله جميل
أماbut as for علىwith هجركyour desertion فمحضthen sheer بلوىaffliction
أما على هجرك فمحض بلوى
Patience is altogether beautiful;
Your blame has increased and prolonged
But patience with your desertion is sheer affliction.
My blamer, in the gathering of lovers
قدindeed زادincreased عذلكyour reproach وطالand lasted long
قد زاد عذلك وطال
ياO عاذليmy reproacher فيover حانيcurving الوشامهthe tattoo-mark
يا عاذلي في حاني الوشامه
Your reproach has increased and lasted long,
His mention in any state
O you who blame me for the one with the curved tattoo-mark.
Is paradise even if with rebuke or blame
ذكرهremembering him علىin كلّevery حالcircumstance
ذكره على كلّ حال
جنةparadise ولوand even if فيهin it عتبreproach أوor ملامهblame
جنة ولو فيه عتب أو ملامه
Remembering him in every circumstance
He has attained all beauty
Is paradise, even if it holds reproach or blame.
Haram, Haram upon Saji al-Babil
قدindeed حازattained كلّall الجمالbeauty
قد حاز كلّ الجمال
حرامforbidden ساجيlanguid-eyed البابليthe Babylonian حرامهhis being forbidden
حرام ساجي البابلي حرامه
He has attained all beauty.
By Allah, he has no equal
Forbidding the languid Babylonian is forbidden.
Not Hind, not Layla, not the beauty of Ali
واللَهby God مالهhe has no مثيلequal
واللَه ماله مثيل
ماwhat is هندHind ماwhat is ليلىLayla وحسنand the beauty of علوىʿAlwā
ما هند ما ليلى وحسن علوى
By God, he has no equal.
I sacrifice myself for you, with all I have
What are Hind, Layla, and ʿAlwā’s beauty beside him?
And for your sake, I sacrifice in both worlds my murder
أفديكI ransom you ياO كليmy all بكلّwith all of كلىmy whole self
أفديك يا كلي بكلّ كلى
وبيحand I permit لكto you فيin العالمينthe worlds قتليkilling me
وبيح لك في العالمين قتلي
I ransom you, O my all, with my whole self.
It pleases me, whatever you love, to humble myself
And I permit you to kill me in all the worlds.
Your slave by your sword slain
يلذّis sweet ليto me فيماin whatever تحبّyou love ذليmy abasement
يلذّ لي فيما تحبّ ذلي
My abasement in whatever you love is sweet to me.
So no wergild you fear, and necessity of claim
This by the text of evidence
عبدكyour slave بسيفكby your sword قتيلslain
عبدك بسيفك قتيل
فلاso no قودretaliatory execution تخشىyou fear ولزمand liability for دعوىa legal claim
فلا قود تخشى ولزم دعوى
Your slave is slain by your sword.
True, and the fatwa most correct fatwa
So fear neither retaliation nor liability to a lawsuit.
هذاthis بنصّby the explicit wording of الدليلthe proof
هذا بنصّ الدليل
صحيحsound والفتوىand the legal ruling أصحّthe soundest فتوىlegal ruling
صحيح والفتوى أصحّ فتوى
This, by the explicit wording of the proof,
Is sound, and the legal ruling is the soundest of rulings.
Partial English translation: 27 of 30 Arabic lines translated.