أَلَمْhas it not يَأْنِbe time أَنْto تَرْوِيyou quench قُلَيْبَlittle heart مُتَيَّمٍone enslaved by love
أَلَمْ يَأْنِ أَنْ تَرْوِي قُلَيْبَ مُتَيَّمٍ
تَفِيضُoverflow أَمَاقِيthe inner corners of جَفْنِهِhis eyelid وَهْوَand he يَظْمَأُhe thirsts
تَفِيضُ أَمَاقِي جَفْنِهِ وَهْوَ يَظْمَأُ
Is it not time for you to quench a lovesick lover's little heart?
His eyelid's corners overflow, yet he thirsts.
أَصَابَتْهُstruck him عَيْنٌan eye أَغْمَدَتْsheathed نَصْلَthe blade of فَصْلِهِhis separation
أَصَابَتْهُ عَيْنٌ أَغْمَدَتْ نَصْلَ فَصْلِهِ
وَقَلْبُand the heart of الهَوىlove مَنْwhoever كَانَmay be قَلْبٌa heart مُرَزَّأُafflicted by loss
وَقَلْبُ الهَوى مَنْ كَانَ قَلْبٌ مُرَزَّأُ
A gaze struck him, sheathing the blade of his separation.
And a heart in love, whoever its owner, is a heart stricken by grief.
أُحِبُّI love حَبِيباًa beloved لاَnot أُسَمِّيهِI name him هَيْبَةًout of awe
أُحِبُّ حَبِيباً لاَ أُسَمِّيهِ هَيْبَةً
وَكَتْمُand concealing الهَوَىlove لِلقَلْبِto the heart أَنْكَىmore hurtful وَأَنْكَأُand more wounding
وَكَتْمُ الهَوَى لِلقَلْبِ أَنْكَى وَأَنْكَأُ
I love a beloved whom I do not name, out of awe.
And concealing love is more hurtful to the heart, more wounding.
أَخَافَI fear عَلَيْهِfor him مِنْfrom هَوَاىَmy love فَكَيْفَso how لاَnot
أَخَافَ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ هَوَاىَ فَكَيْفَ لاَ
أَغَارُI am jealous عَلَيْهِover him مِنْof سِوَاىَothers besides me وَأَبْرَأُand I recover
أَغَارُ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ سِوَاىَ وَأَبْرَأُ
I fear for him from my own love; how, then, could I not
Be jealous over him of anyone else, and recover?
أَبِيتُI spend the night أُعَانِيI endure فِيهِfor him حَرَّthe heat of جَوَانِحِيmy ribs
أَبِيتُ أُعَانِي فِيهِ حَرَّ جَوَانِحِي
وَبَيْنَand between جُفُونيmy eyelids مَدْمَعٌa flow of tears لَيْسَdoes not يَرْقَأُcease
وَبَيْنَ جُفُوني مَدْمَعٌ لَيْسَ يَرْقَأُ
I spend the night enduring, for him, the heat within my ribs.
And between my eyelids flows a stream of tears that never ceases.
أَرَاهُI see him بِقَلبِيwith my heart كُلَّevery يَوْمٍday وَلَيْلَةٍand night
أَرَاهُ بِقَلبِي كُلَّ يَوْمٍ وَلَيْلَةٍ
وَإنْand though كُنتُI am عَنْfrom وِرْدِthe watering-place of الوِصالِunion أُحَلأُI am driven away
وَإنْ كُنتُ عَنْ وِرْدِ الوِصالِ أُحَلأُ
I see him with my heart every day and night,
Even though I am driven from the watering-place of union.
أَتانيcame to me كِتَابُa letter مِنْهُfrom him قُمْتُI attended بِحَقِّهِto its due
أَتاني كِتَابُ مِنْهُ قُمْتُ بِحَقِّهِ
فَهَاso here أَنَاI أبْكيI weep مَاas much as اسْتَطَعْتُI can وأَقْرَأُand I read
فَهَا أَنَا أبْكي مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ وأَقْرَأُ
A letter came to me from him; I gave it its due.
So here I am, weeping as much as I can, and reading.
أَتَانيِcame to me هَوَاهُlove for him مِلءُfilling سَمْعِيmy hearing وَنَاظِرِيand my eye
أَتَانيِ هَوَاهُ مِلءُ سَمْعِي وَنَاظِرِي
وَقَلْبيand my heart فَمَالِيso I have no مِنْهُfrom it مَلْجاًrefuge وَمَنْجَأُand escape
وَقَلْبي فَمَالِي مِنْهُ مَلْجاً وَمَنْجَأُ
Love for him came upon me, filling my hearing and my sight,
And my heart; I have no refuge or escape from it.
أَغِثْنيcome to my aid بِيَوْمٍwith a day مِنْof لِقَائِكَmeeting you وَاحِدٍone
أَغِثْني بِيَوْمٍ مِنْ لِقَائِكَ وَاحِدٍ
فَإنيfor indeed I بِيَوْمٍwith a day مِنْof لِقَائِكَmeeting you أُجْزَأُI am satisfied
فَإني بِيَوْمٍ مِنْ لِقَائِكَ أُجْزَأُ
Come to my aid with a single day of meeting you,
For one day of meeting you is enough for me.
أُغَالِطُI delude نَفْسِيmyself مِنْكَfrom you بِالوَصْلِwith union وَالرِّضَىand favor
أُغَالِطُ نَفْسِي مِنْكَ بِالوَصْلِ وَالرِّضَى
وَمَنْand who ليfor me بِهِwith it وَهْوَand it is النَّعِيمُbliss المُهَنَّأُuntroubled
وَمَنْ لي بِهِ وَهْوَ النَّعِيمُ المُهَنَّأُ
I delude myself with union and favor from you.
And who can secure it for me—that untroubled bliss?