أَناI هاوٍenamored لِمُستَطيلٍof a tall one أَغَنِّnasal-voiced
أَنا هاوٍ لِمُستَطيلٍ أَغَنِّ
كُلَماwhenever اِشتَدَّhe grows harsh صارَتbecomes النَفسُthe soul رَخوَهsoft
كُلَما اِشتَدَّ صارَت النَفسُ رَخوَه
I am enamored of one long-drawn, rich with nasal resonance.
I am enamored of a tall, nasal-voiced one.
Whenever he grows constricted, breath becomes his flowing softness.
Whenever he grows harsh, the soul becomes soft.
أَهمِسُI whisper القَولَthe words وَهوَwhile he يَجهَرُvoices aloud سرّاًa secret
أَهمِسُ القَولَ وَهوَ يَجهَرُ سرّاً
وَإِذاand when ماemphatic particle اِنخَفَضتُI lower myself أَظهرَhe displays عُلوَهhis loftiness
وَإِذا ما اِنخَفَضتُ أَظهرَ عُلوَه
I whisper the utterance, while he voices a secret aloud.
I whisper the words, while he voices a secret aloud.
And whenever I lower myself, he displays his loftiness.
And when I lower myself, he displays his loftiness.
فَتحَhe opened الوَصلَunion ثُمَthen أَطبقَhe shut هَجراًin estrangement
فَتحَ الوَصلَ ثُمَ أَطبقَ هَجراً
بِصَفيرٍwith a whistle وَالقَلبand the heart قَلقلَstirred شَجوَهits sorrow
بِصَفيرٍ وَالقَلب قَلقلَ شَجوَه
He opened the way to union, then shut it tight in estrangement.
He opened the way to union, then shut it in estrangement,
With sibilance—while the heart made its sorrow quiver.
With a whistle, while the heart stirred its sorrow.
لانَhe was gentle دَهراًfor an age ثُمَthen اِغتَدىhe became ذاpossessing اِنحِرافٍwaywardness
لانَ دَهراً ثُمَ اِغتَدى ذا اِنحِرافٍ
وَفشاand spread السرُّthe secret مُذsince تَكرَّرتُI returned repeatedly نَحوَهtoward him
وَفشا السرُّ مُذ تَكرَّرتُ نَحوَه
For an age he was yielding; then he transgressed, possessed of deviation.
He was gentle for an age, then became wayward.
And the secret spread abroad from the moment I turned to him again and again.
And the secret spread once I returned to him again and again.
