أَناI مَيتُdead وَلَئِنand if indeed مِتُّI die
أَنا مَيتُ وَلَئِن مِتُّ
فَمِنthen from حُبّيmy love أَموتُI die
فَمِن حُبّي أَموتُ
I am dead; and if indeed I die,
then it is of my love that I die,
لِغَزالٍfor a gazelle مِنfrom بَنيthe sons of الأَص'the Yellow One' (first part)
لِغَزالٍ مِن بَني الأَص
فَرِ'the Yellow One' (completion) فيهِin him جَبَروتُtyrannical might
فَرِ فيهِ جَبَروتُ
for a gazelle from the sons of al-Aṣ—
far, in whom is tyrannical might.
عَبَدَworshiped الخَلقُcreation لَهُto him بَي'between' (first part)
عَبَدَ الخَلقُ لَهُ بَي
نَ'between' (completion) يَدَيهِhis two hands المَلَكوتُthe dominion
نَ يَدَيهِ المَلَكوتُ
All creation worshiped him; before
him lies dominion.
يَمنَعُhe denies القُبلَةَthe kiss مَنthe one who يَه'loves him' (first part)
يَمنَعُ القُبلَةَ مَن يَه
واهُ'loves him' (completion) وَالتَسليمُand greeting قوتُsustenance
واهُ وَالتَسليمُ قوتُ
He denies a kiss to the one who loves
him, and a greeting is sustenance.
إِنif تَضَرَّعتُI plead بِنُطقٍwith words
إِن تَضَرَّعتُ بِنُطقٍ
فَحُماداهُthen his best response السُكوتُsilence
فَحُماداهُ السُكوتُ
If I plead in words,
then his best response is silence.