وَأَديبَةٍand a cultured woman إِختَرتُهاI chose her عَرَبِيَّةًArab
وَأَديبَةٍ إِختَرتُها عَرَبِيَّةً
تُعزىis traced إِلىto الجَدِّthe forebear الكَريمِnoble وَتَنتَميand traces her descent
تُعزى إِلى الجَدِّ الكَريمِ وَتَنتَمي
And I chose a cultivated woman, an Arab,
And a cultured Arab woman whom I chose,
her ancestry traced to noble stock, from which she descends;
Whose lineage is traced to a noble forebear, from whom she descends.
مَحجوبَةٌsecluded لَمdid not تَبتَذِلdebase herself أَمّارَةٌone who commands
مَحجوبَةٌ لَم تَبتَذِل أَمّارَةٌ
لَمdid not تَأتَمِرtake orders مَخدومَةٌserved لَمdid not تَخدِمِserve
لَم تَأتَمِر مَخدومَةٌ لَم تَخدِمِ
secluded, never making common property of her secrets,
Secluded, never debased; commanding,
taking no orders—waited upon, she never served.
Never taking orders; served, never serving.
لَوif لَمnot يَكُنbe ليfor me فيكِin you إِلّاexcept أَنَّنيthat I
لَو لَم يَكُن لي فيكِ إِلّا أَنَّني
بِكِthrough you قَدindeed غُنيتِI needed no more (context; vocalized as 'you') عَنِfrom اِرتِكابِcommitting المَحرَمِthe forbidden
بِكِ قَد غُنيتِ عَنِ اِرتِكابِ المَحرَمِ
If I had nothing in you but this alone—that I,
If my only gain in you were that I
through you, have been spared committing the forbidden—
Through you had no need to commit what is forbidden—
وَلَقَدand indeed نَزَلتِyou have taken a place فَلاso do not تَظُنّيthink غَيرَهُanything other than that
وَلَقَد نَزَلتِ فَلا تَظُنّي غَيرَهُ
مِنّيwith me بِمَنزِلَةِin the position of المُحِبِّthe lover المُكرَمِthe honored one
مِنّي بِمَنزِلَةِ المُحِبِّ المُكرَمِ
you have indeed taken—think nothing otherwise—
And you have indeed come to occupy—so think nothing else—
with me the place of a lover held in honor.
With me the place of an honored lover.
