وزائرةٍand a female visitor وافتْshe arrived فأجللتُso I revered خَّدهاher cheek
وزائرةٍ وافتْ فأجللتُ خَّدها
وقبَّلتُand I kissed إِكراماًin honor لموردِهاof her arrival الأرضَاthe ground
وقبَّلتُ إِكراماً لموردِها الأرضَا
A woman visitor arrived, and I revered her footsteps;
And a visitor came; I held her cheek in reverence,
I kissed the earth in homage to her coming.
and kissed the ground in honor of her arrival.
فياand oh زورةًa visit جاءتcame علىat غيرother than موعدٍan appointed time
فيا زورةً جاءت على غير موعدٍ
فقرَّتْso were gladdened عيونٌeyes واشتفتْand were healed أنفسٌsouls مرضىailing
فقرَّتْ عيونٌ واشتفتْ أنفسٌ مرضى
O flower who came outside the appointed time!
Oh, what a visit, arriving without an appointed time!
My eyes rejoiced, and ailing souls were healed.
Eyes were gladdened, and ailing souls were healed.
أتتshe came وجنودُand the armies الحُسْنِbeauty دونَbeneath لثامهاher veil
أتت وجنودُ الحُسْنِ دونَ لثامها
فنحَّتْهُthen she drew it aside بالكفينِwith both hands تعرِضُهمْparading them عَرْضَاin display
فنحَّتْهُ بالكفينِ تعرِضُهمْ عَرْضَا
She came with beauty’s hosts behind her veil;
She came with beauty's armies beneath her veil,
then drew it aside with both hands, displaying them in full.
then drew it aside with both hands, putting them on parade.
فلمso not أرَI saw إِلّاexcept ماwhat ألَذُّI relish وأشتهِيand I desire
فلم أرَ إِلّا ما ألَذُّ وأشتهِي
ولمand not يكُwas إلاexcept ماwhat أوَدُّI wish for وماand what أرضَىI am content with
ولم يكُ إلا ما أوَدُّ وما أرضَى
I saw nothing but what delighted me and what I desired,
So I saw only what I relish and desire,
and nothing was there but what I loved and what pleased me.
and there was only what I wished for and what pleased me.
علىdespite أنهاthe fact that she ولَّتْdeparted ولمand not أقضِI fulfilled سُنَّةًa rite
على أنها ولَّتْ ولم أقضِ سُنَّةً
منof الوطرِdesire الممطولِlong-deferred نَفْلاًa voluntary observance ولاnor فَرْضاan obligatory observance
من الوطرِ الممطولِ نَفْلاً ولا فَرْضا
Yet she departed before I could fulfill a single sunnah
Yet she departed, and I had fulfilled no rite
of desire so long deferred—neither voluntary act nor duty.
of long-deferred desire, voluntary or obligatory.
وماand not سوَّغَتْنَاshe granted us ليلةَon the night الوَصْلِunion قرضَهاher loan
وما سوَّغَتْنَا ليلةَ الوَصْلِ قرضَها
إِلىuntil أنْthat بدَاappeared الإِصباحُdawn يرتجِعُreclaiming القرضَاthe loan
إِلى أنْ بدَا الإِصباحُ يرتجِعُ القرضَا
The night of union granted us its loan only
Nor did she grant us her loan on the night of union
until daybreak appeared to reclaim the loan.
until dawn appeared, reclaiming the loan.
