خَبِّرونيTell me عَنِabout الهَوىlove أَوor سَلونيask me
خَبِّروني عَنِ الهَوى أَو سَلوني
نارُthe fire of قَلبيmy heart تَمُدُّfeeds ماءَthe water of جُفونيmy eyelids
نارُ قَلبي تَمُدُّ ماءَ جُفوني
Tell me about love, or ask me.
The fire in my heart feeds the water of my eyelids.
تِلكَthat نارٌa fire فيin القَلبِthe heart أَوقَدَهاkindled it الحُbeginning of 'love'
تِلكَ نارٌ في القَلبِ أَوقَدَها الحُ
بُّcompletion of 'love' فَباحَتso it spoke openly بِالمُضمَرِof what was concealed المُكنونِhidden away
بُّ فَباحَت بِالمُضمَرِ المُكنونِ
That is a fire within the heart, kindled by
love; it revealed what was hidden and concealed.
فَقَدَتhas lost عَينَيَmy eye الحَبيبَthe beloved فَماand how أَخbeginning of 'afraid I am'
فَقَدَت عَينَيَ الحَبيبَ فَما أَخ
وَفَنيcompletion of 'afraid I am' أَنthat تَكونَit may be أَشقىthe most wretched of العُيونِeyes
وَفَني أَن تَكونَ أَشقى العُيونِ
My eye has lost the beloved; how afraid
I am that it may be the most wretched of eyes!
ذِكرُهُremembrance of him لازِمٌinseparable لِقَلبيfrom my heart وَلاyet no عَهbeginning of 'acquaintance'
ذِكرُهُ لازِمٌ لِقَلبي وَلا عَه
دَcompletion of 'acquaintance' لِعَينيfor my eye بِوَجهِهِwith his face مُنذُfor حينِsome time
دَ لِعَيني بِوَجهِهِ مُنذُ حينِ
Remembrance of him clings to my heart, yet my eye has had no
sight of his face for some time.