مُقِيمٌabiding لِلمُقِيمَةِfor her who dwells فيin فُؤَادِيmy heart
مُقِيمٌ لِلمُقِيمَةِ في فُؤَادِي
هَوَىًlove بَيْنَbetween السُّوَيْدَاthe heart's dark core والسَّوَادِand the eye's black pupil
هَوَىً بَيْنَ السُّوَيْدَا والسَّوَادِ
Abiding for her who abides within my heart
Abiding, for her who dwells in my heart,
is a love lodged between its deepest core and darkness.
is love between the heart's dark core and the eye's black pupil.
وَوَجْدٌand longing مَاnot تُغَيِّرُهُalter it اللَّيَاليthe nights
وَوَجْدٌ مَا تُغَيِّرُهُ اللَّيَالي
حَفِظْتُI kept بِهِthrough it عُهُودَpledges هَوَىlove سُعادِSu'ad
حَفِظْتُ بِهِ عُهُودَ هَوَى سُعادِ
And a passion that the passing nights cannot alter—
And a longing that the nights do not alter;
through it I have kept the covenants of my love for Suʿād.
through it I have kept the pledges of love for Su'ad.
دَعىlet مَنْwhoever شَاءَwishes فِيكِon your account يَلُمْlet him blame كَثِيباًa sand dune
دَعى مَنْ شَاءَ فِيكِ يَلُمْ كَثِيباً
غَرِيقاًdrowned فيin المَدَامِعَthe tears وَهْوَyet he is صَادِthirsty
غَرِيقاً في المَدَامِعَ وَهْوَ صَادِ
Let whoever wishes reproach, for loving you, a dune
Let whoever wishes blame a sand dune on your account,
drowned in tears, yet parched with thirst.
drowned in tears, yet thirsty.
وَحَقِّby the sanctity of هَوَاكِlove for you مَاnot فَقَدَتْlost عُيُونيmy eyes
وَحَقِّ هَوَاكِ مَا فَقَدَتْ عُيُوني
مَدَامِعَهَاtheir tears وَلاَnor وَجَدَتْfound رُقَادِيmy sleep
مَدَامِعَهَا وَلاَ وَجَدَتْ رُقَادِي
By the sanctity of your love, my eyes have never lost
By the sanctity of loving you, my eyes have never lost
their tears, nor have they found my sleep.
their tears, nor have they found my sleep.
سَقَىmay water مَغْنَاكِyour dwelling مِنْamong هَضَبَاتِhills نَجْدٍNajd
سَقَى مَغْنَاكِ مِنْ هَضَبَاتِ نَجْدٍ
كُؤُوسُcups القَطْرِthe rain مِنْfrom أَيْدِيhands الغَوَادِيthe morning rainclouds
كُؤُوسُ القَطْرِ مِنْ أَيْدِي الغَوَادِي
May cups of rain from the highlands of Najd water your dwelling,
May your dwelling among the hills of Najd be watered
poured by the hands of the morning rainclouds.
by cups of rain from the hands of morning clouds.
فَكَمْfor how many لِيfor me فِيهِin it مِنْof وَطَرٍa desire تَقَضَّىwas fulfilled
فَكَمْ لِي فِيهِ مِنْ وَطَرٍ تَقَضَّى
بِأَحْيَانٍat times عَلىin وَفْقِaccord with المُرَادِwhat is desired
بِأَحْيَانٍ عَلى وَفْقِ المُرَادِ
How many a desire of mine was fulfilled there,
For many a wish of mine was fulfilled there,
in moments that accorded with every wish—
at times in accord with what I desired,
بِحَيْثُwhere دُنُوُّnearness سُعْدَىSu'da مِنْfrom تَدَانٍdrawing together
بِحَيْثُ دُنُوُّ سُعْدَى مِنْ تَدَانٍ
كَمَاas نَهْوَىwe desire وبُعْدٍand distance مِنْfrom بُعَادِيmy separation
كَمَا نَهْوَى وبُعْدٍ مِنْ بُعَادِي
where Suʿdā's nearness came through an intimate drawing-near,
where Su'da's nearness came from drawing together,
just as we desired, and her distance sprang from my own.
as we wished, and from keeping far from separation from me;
وَإِذْand when أَنَاI والمَلِيحَةُand the lovely one فِيin عِتَابٍreproach
وَإِذْ أَنَا والمَلِيحَةُ فِي عِتَابٍ
يُلِينُsoftens بِلُطْفِهِwith its gentleness عِطْفَthe flank of الجَمَادِlifeless matter
يُلِينُ بِلُطْفِهِ عِطْفَ الجَمَادِ
And when the lovely one and I exchanged reproaches,
and when the lovely one and I exchanged reproaches,
their tenderness could soften even the unyielding side of stone.
whose gentleness would soften the flank of lifeless matter.
إِذَاwhen ضَلَّتْgo astray بِطُرَّتِهَاin her forelock عُيُونِيmy eyes
إِذَا ضَلَّتْ بِطُرَّتِهَا عُيُونِي
فَلِيthen I have مِنْfrom ثَغْرِهَاher mouth البَسَّامِever-smiling هَادِa guide
فَلِي مِنْ ثَغْرِهَا البَسَّامِ هَادِ
Whenever my eyes lose their way within her forelock,
When my eyes lose their way in her forelock,
her smiling mouth provides me with a guide.
I have a guide in her ever-smiling mouth.
مِنَamong الشُّعَرَاءِthe poets دَمْعيmy tears فيin هَوَاهَاlove for her
مِنَ الشُّعَرَاءِ دَمْعي في هَوَاهَا
تَهِيمُwander aimlessly سُيُولُهُits torrents فيin كُلِّevery وَادِvalley
تَهِيمُ سُيُولُهُ في كُلِّ وَادِ
My tears are poets in their love for her:
My tears for love of her are among the poets;
their torrents wander, enraptured, through every valley.
their torrents wander through every valley.
فَدَيْتُكِI would ransom you هَلْhave ...? أَذَبْتِyou melted سِوَىother than جَمِيعيall of me
فَدَيْتُكِ هَلْ أَذَبْتِ سِوَى جَمِيعي
وَمِنيِّand of me هَلْhave ...? تَرَكْتِyou left سِوَىother than وِدَادِيmy love
وَمِنيِّ هَلْ تَرَكْتِ سِوَى وِدَادِي
I would ransom you! Have you melted away anything but the whole of me?
May I be your ransom! Have you melted anything but all of me?
And of me, have you left anything except my love?
And of me, have you left anything but my love?
وكَيْفَand how يَكُونُbe فِيكِfor you خَفَاءُconcealment وَجْديmy longing
وكَيْفَ يَكُونُ فِيكِ خَفَاءُ وَجْدي
وَهَذَاand this حُسْنُكِyour beauty الفَتَّانُbewitching بَادِplainly visible
وَهَذَا حُسْنُكِ الفَتَّانُ بَادِ
How could my passion for you possibly remain concealed,
And how can my longing for you be concealed,
when this bewitching beauty of yours stands manifest?
when this bewitching beauty of yours is plain to see?
