كَأَنّيas though I لَمnot أَكُنI was شَجَناًa source of sorrow لِفَوزٍto Fawz
كَأَنّي لَم أَكُن شَجَناً لِفَوزٍ
وَلَمand not يَكثُرbe plentiful عَلَيَّover me لَهاof hers عَويلُwailing
وَلَم يَكثُر عَلَيَّ لَها عَويلُ
As though I had never grieved for Fawz,
As though I had never been a source of sorrow to Fawz,
nor had her wailing ever troubled me;
and she had never lamented so much over me;
وَلَمand not يَسَعَhasten الرَسولُthe messenger إِليَّto me مِنهاfrom her
وَلَم يَسَعَ الرَسولُ إِليَّ مِنها
بِأَحسَنِwith the best ماwhat يَجيءُcomes بِهِwith it الرَسولُthe messenger
بِأَحسَنِ ما يَجيءُ بِهِ الرَسولُ
nor had a messenger hastened to me from her,
and no messenger had hastened to me from her
bearing the finest thing a messenger can bring;
with the best a messenger can bring;
وَلَمand not نَجلِسwe sit جَميعاًtogether فيin خَلاءٍseclusion
وَلَم نَجلِس جَميعاً في خَلاءٍ
نُسَرُّwe are delighted بِماby what أَقولُI say وَماand what تَقولُshe says
نُسَرُّ بِما أَقولُ وَما تَقولُ
nor had we ever sat together in seclusion,
and we had never sat together in seclusion,
delighting in what I say and what she says.
delighting in what I said and what she said.
وَلَوand if حُدِّثتُمyou were told عَنيabout me وَعَنهاand about her
وَلَو حُدِّثتُم عَني وَعَنها
عَلِمتُمyou would know أَنَّthat قِصَّتَناour story تَطولُruns long
عَلِمتُم أَنَّ قِصَّتَنا تَطولُ
Had you been told of me and her,
And if you were told about me and her,
you would know that ours is a long story.
you would know that our story runs long.
وَكُنّاand we were آيَّةًan example لِلناسِto people دَهراًfor an age
وَكُنّا آيَّةً لِلناسِ دَهراً
إِذاwhenever وُصِفَwere described الخَليلَةُthe beloved woman وَالخَليلُand the beloved man
إِذا وُصِفَ الخَليلَةُ وَالخَليلُ
For an age we were a wonder among the people,
And for an age we were an example to people,
whenever two lovers—or a lover—were spoken of.
whenever lovers, woman and man, were described.
أَلاah ياO فَوزُFawz أَنتِyou صَرَمتِyou severed حَبليmy cord
أَلا يا فَوزُ أَنتِ صَرَمتِ حَبلي
وَصَرمُكِand your severing عِندَناto us خَطبٌa calamity جَليلُgrave
وَصَرمُكِ عِندَنا خَطبٌ جَليلُ
Ah, Fawz! You have severed my bond,
Ah, Fawz, you have severed my cord,
and your severing it is, in our eyes, a grave calamity.
and your severing it is a grave calamity to us.
وَكُنتُand I was أَظُنُّI think أَنّاthat we سَوفَwill نَبلىwe wear away
وَكُنتُ أَظُنُّ أَنّا سَوفَ نَبلى
وَماand what بَينيbetween me وَبَينَكِand you لاnot يَزولُfades away
وَما بَيني وَبَينَكِ لا يَزولُ
I had thought that we ourselves would wear away,
And I had thought we would wear away,
while what lay between you and me would never fade.
while what is between you and me would never fade.
فَلَوso if قَوِيَتwere strong لَعَزَّتwould have stood proud عَنكِaway from you نَفسيmy soul
فَلَو قَوِيَت لَعَزَّت عَنكِ نَفسي
وَلَكِنَّbut المُحِبَّthe lover هُوَhe الذَليلُthe abased one
وَلَكِنَّ المُحِبَّ هُوَ الذَليلُ
Had I the strength, I would hold myself proudly aloof from you;
So, had my soul been strong, it would have held itself aloof from you;
but I—the lover—am the one brought low.
but the lover is the abased one.
إِلىto الرَحمَنِthe Most Merciful أَشكوI complain of حُبَّlove for فَوزٍFawz
إِلى الرَحمَنِ أَشكو حُبَّ فَوزٍ
وَأُنكِرُهاand I disavow her وَذاكَand that لَهاfor her قَليلُlittle
وَأُنكِرُها وَذاكَ لَها قَليلُ
To the All-Merciful I complain of my love for Fawz,
To the Most Merciful I complain of my love for Fawz,
and I reproach her—though that is little beside what she deserves.
and I disavow her—and that is little enough for her.
وَأَكتُمُand I conceal سِرَّهاher secret ماas long as عِشتُI live حَتّىuntil
وَأَكتُمُ سِرَّها ما عِشتُ حَتّى
أَموتَI die وَلاand not أَخونُI betray وَلاand not أَحولُI change
أَموتَ وَلا أَخونُ وَلا أَحولُ
I shall conceal her secret as long as I live, until
And I conceal her secret as long as I live, until
I die—never betraying, never turning away.
I die, and I neither betray nor change.
