عَسَىmay لَيْلُthe night of آمَالِيmy hopes بِوَجْهِكَthrough your face يُصْبِحُturn to morning
عَسَى لَيْلُ آمَالِي بِوَجْهِكَ يُصْبِحُ
وَيْسعِفُنِيand come to my aid الدَّهْرُTime البَخِيلُthe miserly وَيَسْمَحُand be generous
وَيْسعِفُنِي الدَّهْرُ البَخِيلُ وَيَسْمَحُ
May your face bring dawn to the night of my hopes,
and may miserly Time come to my aid and be generous.
وَيَسْكُنُand grow calm قَلْبٌa heart قَدْindeed تَمَادَىhas persisted خُفُوقُهُits throbbing
وَيَسْكُنُ قَلْبٌ قَدْ تَمَادَى خُفُوقُهُ
ويَخْلُصُand find release طَرْفٌan eye رَاحَhas gone on لِلدَّمْعِtears يَسْفَحُshedding
ويَخْلُصُ طَرْفٌ رَاحَ لِلدَّمْعِ يَسْفَحُ
And may a heart whose throbbing has persisted grow calm,
and may an eye that has been shedding tears find release.
أُؤَمِلَI hope أَنْthat يَبْدُوmay appear لِعَيْنِيto my eye جَمَالُهاher beauty
أُؤَمِلَ أَنْ يَبْدُو لِعَيْنِي جَمَالُها
عَسَىmay لَحْظُهَاits gaze فيin رَوْضَةِthe garden of الحُسْنِbeauty يَسرَحُroam freely
عَسَى لَحْظُهَا في رَوْضَةِ الحُسْنِ يَسرَحُ
I hope her beauty will appear before my eye;
may its gaze roam in the garden of beauty.
فَلَماbut when بَدَتْshe appeared أَطَرَقْتُI bowed my head فيat الحِينِthat moment هَيْبَةٌawe
فَلَما بَدَتْ أَطَرَقْتُ في الحِينِ هَيْبَةٌ
وَمَنْand who ذاis it لِعَيْنِat the orb of الشَّمْسِthe sun بالعَيْنِwith the eye يَلْمِحُglimpses
وَمَنْ ذا لِعَيْنِ الشَّمْسِ بالعَيْنِ يَلْمِحُ
But when she appeared, I bowed my head at once in awe—
and who can glance at the sun’s orb with his eye?
تَعَرَّضْexpose yourself لآرامِto the gazelles of الصَّرِيمِthe thicket لَعَلَّهَاperhaps they
تَعَرَّضْ لآرامِ الصَّرِيمِ لَعَلَّهَا
بِأَلْحَاظِهَاwith their glances تَرْمِيshoot at حَشَاكَyour heart وتَجْرَحُand wound
بِأَلْحَاظِهَا تَرْمِي حَشَاكَ وتَجْرَحُ
Expose yourself to the thicket’s gazelles; perhaps they
will shoot at your heart with their glances and wound it.
فَمَاfor none عَاشَlives إِلاَّexcept مَيِّتٌone who is dead فيin حِمَاهُمُtheir sanctuary
فَمَا عَاشَ إِلاَّ مَيِّتٌ في حِمَاهُمُ
ومَاand none مَاتَdies إِلاَّexcept مَنone who لأَهْليهِfor its people يَصْلُحُis fit
ومَا مَاتَ إِلاَّ مَن لأَهْليهِ يَصْلُحُ
For none lives in their sanctuary but one who is dead,
and none dies but one worthy of its people.
إِذَاwhen أَسَرَتْcapture قَلْبِيmy heart عُيونُthe eyes of أُهَيْلِهِits dear folk
إِذَا أَسَرَتْ قَلْبِي عُيونُ أُهَيْلِهِ
فَلاَthen may not عِشْتُI live إنْif أَمَّلْتُI hope أَنَّيthat I أُسَرْحُam set free
فَلاَ عِشْتُ إنْ أَمَّلْتُ أَنَّي أُسَرْحُ
When the eyes of its dear folk capture my heart,
may I not live if I hope to be set free.
وَأَيْنَand where جَمِيلٌJamil مِنْcompared with غَرَامِيmy passion وقَدْand already غَدَاhas become
وَأَيْنَ جَمِيلٌ مِنْ غَرَامِي وقَدْ غَدَا
لَدِيهِbefore it جَمِيلُbeautiful الصَّبْرِpatience فِيin الحُبِّlove يَقْبُحُturns ugly
لَدِيهِ جَمِيلُ الصَّبْرِ فِي الحُبِّ يَقْبُحُ
And where is Jamil beside my passion, now that
before it, beautiful patience in love has turned ugly?