مُتَنَصِّرٌa Christian convert صبغdyed الهوىlove جسميmy body بهthrough him
مُتَنَصِّرٌ صبغ الهوى جسمي به
فأذابَso melted قلبيmy heart فيin الهوىlove تَذكارُهُremembrance of him
فأذابَ قلبي في الهوى تَذكارُهُ
A Christian convert—love for him has dyed my body;
So remembrance of him has melted my heart in love.
فكأنَّنيso it is as though I منfrom صُفرةٍyellowness غِسلينُهhis wash-water
فكأنَّني من صُفرةٍ غِسلينُه
وكأنَّنيand it is as though I منfrom دقَّةٍthinness زُنّارُهُhis girdle
وكأنَّني من دقَّةٍ زُنّارُهُ
In my yellowness, I seem to be his wash-water,
And in my thinness, I seem to be his girdle.
وإذاand if جحدتُI denied هواهlove for him أوor أنكرتُهُI disavowed it
وإذا جحدتُ هواه أو أنكرتُهُ
شهدتbore witness عَليَّagainst me منfrom الهوىlove آثارُهُits traces
شهدت عَليَّ من الهوى آثارُهُ
And if I deny my love for him or disavow it,
The traces of that love bear witness against me.