مُنايَmy desire هواكَlove for you لاnot ساعدتُI favored سُعدىSu‘da
مُنايَ هواكَ لا ساعدتُ سُعدى
ولاnor سقتُI conveyed السّلاَمgreetings إلىto سُليَمىSulayma
ولا سقتُ السّلاَم إلى سُليَمى
Your love is my desire; I have not favored Su‘da,
My desire for you did not aid my bliss,
Nor conveyed greetings to Sulayma.
Nor did I convey greetings to Sulayma.
سأسرجُI shall saddle مركبَيْthe two mounts of مُلكٍsovereignty وهُلكٍand ruin
سأسرجُ مركبَيْ مُلكٍ وهُلكٍ
فأركبُthen I shall ride واحداُone إيْماeither وإيْماor
فأركبُ واحداُ إيْما وإيْما
I shall saddle the two mounts of sovereignty and ruin,
I will saddle my ship of kingdom and ruin,
Then ride one—either this or that.
So I ride one now, and one later.