ذَكَّرَني الوَردُ ريحَ إِنسانِ

ذَكَّرَني الوَردُ ريحَ إِنسانِ

أَذكُرُهُ عِندَ كُلِّ رَيحانِ

أَذكُرُهُ عِندَ كُلِّ رَيحانِ

The rose reminded me of someone's scent.

The rose reminded me of a person's scent

The rose brought back to me a human scent,

I remember him with every fragrant herb.

I remember him at every sweet basil

One I recall with every fragrant plant.

إِن فاحَ لَم أَملِكِ البُكا فَإِذا

إِن فاحَ لَم أَملِكِ البُكا فَإِذا

ما اِهتَزَّ قامَ النَديمُ يَنعاني

ما اِهتَزَّ قامَ النَديمُ يَنعاني

If it gives off fragrance, I cannot hold back my tears; and when

If it emanated I could not hold back tears so when

If it wafts, I cannot check my tears; and if

it sways, the drinking companion rises to announce my death.

The gentle breeze swayed, it consoled me

It sways, my comrade rises to mourn my doom.

فَقَد حَمَوني الرَيحانَ خَوفاً عَلى

فَقَد حَمَوني الرَيحانَ خَوفاً عَلى

نَفسِيَ تَقضي لِذِكرِ حَيّانِ

نَفسِيَ تَقضي لِذِكرِ حَيّانِ

So they have kept fragrant herbs from me, fearing for

So the basil shielded me out of fear for

For they denied me basil, out of fear

my soul, lest it perish at the mention of Hayyan.

My soul fulfilling the memory of a sweetheart

My soul would perish remembering Hayyan.

وَلَيسَ حَيّانَ مَن عَنَيتُ وَلَ

وَلَيسَ حَيّانَ مَن عَنَيتُ وَلَ

كِنَّهُما في الهِجاءِ سِيّانِ

كِنَّهُما في الهِجاءِ سِيّانِ

And Hayyan is not the one I meant, but

And it's not the sweetheart whom I meant but

Yet it is not Hayyan whom I truly meant,

the two are alike in spelling.

Both are equal in estrangement

Though in their spelling, the two appear the same.

وَيلي عَلَيها وَيلٌ يَحِلُّ مَعي

وَيلي عَلَيها وَيلٌ يَحِلُّ مَعي

في القَبرِ بَيني وَبَينَ أَكفاني

في القَبرِ بَيني وَبَينَ أَكفاني

Woe is me over her—a woe that dwells with me

Woe unto me and woe that befalls me

Woe is me for her, a woe that descends with me

in the grave, between me and my shrouds.

In the grave between me and my shroud

Into the grave, betwixt me and my shroud.

شاطِرَةٌ إِن مَشَت مُكَرَّهَةً

شاطِرَةٌ إِن مَشَت مُكَرَّهَةً

تَأخُذُ تَكريهَها بِسُلطانِ

تَأخُذُ تَكريهَها بِسُلطانِ

A wily woman: if she walks under compulsion,

A troublemaker, if she walks displeased

A cunning beauty: if she walks reluctantly,

she exacts redress for being coerced through authority.

Takes her displeasure by force

She wields that reluctance with a sultan's power.