ياO ذاyou الَّذيwho عَنabout جِنانٍJinan ظَلَّkept يُخبِرُنيtelling me
يا ذا الَّذي عَن جِنانٍ ظَلَّ يُخبِرُني
بِاللَهِby God قُلtell وَأَعِدand repeat ياO طَيِّبَsweet الخَبَرِthe news
بِاللَهِ قُل وَأَعِد يا طَيِّبَ الخَبَرِ
O you who kept telling me of Jinan,
O you who from gardens kept has brought me news,
O you who kept recounting news of Jinan to me,
By God, tell me again, O bearer of sweet news.
For God's sake, tell and give good tidings, friend.
By God, speak and repeat, O bearer of sweet tidings.
قالَhe said اِشتَكَتكَshe complained of you وَقالَتand she said ماhow! بُليتُI have been afflicted بِهِwith him
قالَ اِشتَكَتكَ وَقالَت ما بُليتُ بِهِ
أَراهُI see him مِنfrom حَيثُماwherever أَقبَلتُI come فيin أَثَريmy wake
أَراهُ مِن حَيثُما أَقبَلتُ في أَثَري
He said, “She complained of you, saying, ‘How I am plagued by him!
He said, she pined for you and said, I'm tried
He said: She complained of you, saying, "How I am plagued by him;
Wherever I go, I see him following in my wake.
By what I see wherever I my steps do bend.
I see him, wherever I turn, following in my tracks.
وَيُعمِلُand he directs الطَرفَthe gaze نَحويtoward me إِنif مَرَرتُI pass بِهِby him
وَيُعمِلُ الطَرفَ نَحوي إِن مَرَرتُ بِهِ
حَتّىuntil لَيُخجِلُنيhe surely makes me blush مِنfrom حِدَّةِthe intensity of النَظَرِthe gaze
حَتّى لَيُخجِلُني مِن حِدَّةِ النَظَرِ
And he fixes his gaze on me if I pass him,
Her glances follow me wherever I pass by,
He fixes his eyes upon me whenever I pass him by,
Till he makes me blush with the intensity of his stare.
Until with bashfulness her stares my eyes offend.
Until he makes me blush from the intensity of his gaze.
وَإِنand if وَقَفتُI stop لَهُfor him كَيماso that يُكَلِّمُنيhe speaks to me
وَإِن وَقَفتُ لَهُ كَيما يُكَلِّمُني
فيin المَوضِعِthe place الخَلوِsecluded لَمdid not يَنطِقspeak مِنَfrom الحَصَرِbeing tongue-tied
في المَوضِعِ الخَلوِ لَم يَنطِق مِنَ الحَصَرِ
And if I stop for him so that he may speak to me
And if I stop so she might speak to me,
Yet if I stand still for him, that he might speak to me
In a secluded spot, he says nothing, tongue-tied.
In that lone place, no word her shyness does unpen.
In a secluded spot, he speaks not a word, tongue-tied by awe.
ماnot زالَceased يَفعَلُhe does فيin هَذاthis وَيُدمِنُهُand he persists in it
ما زالَ يَفعَلُ في هَذا وَيُدمِنُهُ
حَتّىuntil لَقَدindeed صارَhe became مِنof هَمّيmy preoccupation وَمِنand of وَطَريmy desire
حَتّى لَقَد صارَ مِن هَمّي وَمِن وَطَري
He kept acting this way, and persisted in it,
She still does this, and makes of it her wont,
He ceases not from doing this, persisting in it constantly,
Until, indeed, he became my preoccupation and my desire.’”
Until with care for her my heart is tightly bound.
Until he has become my constant worry and my heart's desire."