أحبّكُمI love you حبَّwith the love of النُّفوسِsouls بقاءَهاtheir survival
أحبّكُم حبَّ النُّفوسِ بقاءَها
وأشتاقكمand I long for you شوقَwith the longing of الظِّماءِthe thirsty إلىfor الوردِthe watering place
وأشتاقكم شوقَ الظِّماءِ إلى الوردِ
I love you as souls love their own survival;
I love you as souls love their own survival.
I yearn for you as the thirsty yearn for the watering place.
And I long for you as the thirsty long for the watering place.
ترحَلتُI departed عنكمfrom you والفؤادُand the heart بحالهِin its former state
ترحَلتُ عنكم والفؤادُ بحالهِ
صبورٌpatient علىunder البلوىaffliction مقيمٌabiding علىin الوجدpassionate longing
صبورٌ على البلوى مقيمٌ على الوجد
I journeyed away from you, while my heart remains as it was:
I departed from you, while my heart remained unchanged:
patient under affliction, abiding in passionate longing.
Patient under affliction, abiding in passionate longing.
فإنْso if رمتُمُyou seek غدريto betray me فإنّيthen I علىsteadfast in الوفاfidelity
فإنْ رمتُمُ غدري فإنّي على الوفا
وإنْand if خنتمُyou betray عهديmy covenant فإنّيthen I علىtrue to العهدِthe covenant
وإنْ خنتمُ عهدي فإنّي على العهدِ
Even if my betrayal should assail you, I remain faithful;
So if you seek to betray me, I hold fast to fidelity;
and if you betray my covenant, I remain true to the bond.
And if you betray my covenant, I hold fast to the covenant.
نزلناwe alighted بأرضin the land of المُنيتينal-Munyatayn (the Two Wishes) ومُنيتيand my wish
نزلنا بأرض المُنيتين ومُنيتي
لقاؤكمmeeting you الشافيhealing ووصلكمand union with you المجديbeneficial
لقاؤكم الشافي ووصلكم المجدي
We have alighted in the land of sinners, and my heart’s desire is—
We alighted in the land of al-Munyatayn, and my wish
to meet you, which heals, and to be united with you, which avails.
Is a healing meeting with you and a rewarding union with you.
سأَبلَىI shall decay ولاand not تَبْلىit decays سريرةُthe inward feeling of ودّكمlove for you
سأَبلَى ولا تَبْلى سريرةُ ودّكم
وتؤنسنيand it keeps me company إنْif متُّI die فيin وحشةِthe loneliness of اللّحدthe grave
وتؤنسني إنْ متُّ في وحشةِ اللّحد
I shall decay, but my secret—love of you—shall not;
I shall decay, but my inward love for you shall not decay,
and if I die, it will keep me company in the grave’s loneliness.
And, if I die, it will keep me company in the loneliness of the grave.