أَعَبدَO servant of الرَحيمthe Merciful أَناI فيin جَحيمٍhell
أَعَبدَ الرَحيم أَنا في جَحيمٍ
فَهَلso is there مِنany رَحيمmerciful person لِصَبٍّfor a lovesick lover غَريبِa stranger
فَهَل مِن رَحيم لِصَبٍّ غَريبِ
O ʿAbd al-Rahim, I am in torment—
O Abd al-Rahim, I am in hell.
Is there anyone merciful to a lovesick stranger?
Is there, then, anyone merciful to a lovesick stranger?
أَطَلتَyou prolonged البِعادَthe separation مَنَعتَyou denied الرقادَsleep
أَطَلتَ البِعادَ مَنَعتَ الرقادَ
سَلَبتَyou stole الفُؤادَthe heart بِحُسنٍwith beauty عَجيبِwondrous
سَلَبتَ الفُؤادَ بِحُسنٍ عَجيبِ
You have prolonged our separation and denied me sleep;
You prolonged the separation; you denied me sleep.
You have stolen my heart with wondrous beauty:
You stole my heart with wondrous beauty.
بِسِرِّby the secret of الجَمالِbeauty وَنورِand the light of الهِلالِthe crescent moon
بِسِرِّ الجَمالِ وَنورِ الهِلالِ
وَلَحظِand the glance of الغَزالِthe gazelle وَقَدِّand the stature of القَضيبِthe slender branch
وَلَحظِ الغَزالِ وَقَدِّ القَضيبِ
With beauty’s secret and the crescent moon’s radiance,
By beauty’s secret and the crescent moon’s light,
A gazelle’s glance and a willow-branch’s figure,
and the gazelle’s glance and the slender branch’s stature,
وَوَجهٍand a face بهيٍّradiant وَريقand saliva شَهيٍّdelectable
وَوَجهٍ بهيٍّ وَريق شَهيٍّ
وَعَرفٍand a scent ذَكيٍّintensely fragrant حَوىencompassed كُلّevery طيبِperfume
وَعَرفٍ ذَكيٍّ حَوى كُلّ طيبِ
A radiant face and delectable saliva,
and a radiant face and delectable saliva,
And a fragrant scent containing every perfume;
and a heady scent that encompassed every perfume:
أَريجٌa fragrance كَمسكٍlike musk وَثَغرٌand a mouth كَسلكlike a strand of pearls
أَريجٌ كَمسكٍ وَثَغرٌ كَسلك
بِهِthrough it زالَvanished نسكيmy piety وَزادَand increased نَحيبيmy sobbing
بِهِ زالَ نسكي وَزادَ نَحيبي
A fragrance like musk, and a mouth like a string of pearls—
a fragrance like musk, and a mouth like a strand of pearls.
Through it my devotions vanished and my sobbing grew.
Through it my piety vanished, and my sobbing grew.
تَرىdo you think صاحِO friend يَدريknows غَراميmy passion بَدريmy full moon
تَرى صاحِ يَدري غَرامي بَدري
فَإِنَّfor indeed بِصَدريin my breast حَريقَa blaze of لَهيبِflame
فَإِنَّ بِصَدري حَريقَ لَهيبِ
Tell me, friend: does my full moon know my passion?
Do you think, friend, my full moon knows my passion?
For within my breast is a fiercely blazing fire.
For a blazing fire burns within my breast.
دُموعيَmy tears تَجريflow وَقَدand indeed طالَhas lasted long هَجريmy estrangement
دُموعيَ تَجري وَقَد طالَ هَجري
فَجُدso be generous تَربَحyou will earn أَجريmy reward بِوَصلٍwith a reunion قَريبِnear at hand
فَجُد تَربَح أَجري بِوَصلٍ قَريبِ
My tears flow, and my estrangement has lasted long;
My tears flow, and my estrangement has lasted long.
So be generous with a reunion soon, and earn my recompense.
So be generous: earn my reward with a reunion soon.
