هاكَtake this عَهديmy pledge فَلاso not أَخونُكَI betray you عَهداًa pledge
هاكَ عَهدي فَلا أَخونُكَ عَهداً
ياO مَليحاًlovely one لَدَيهِin whose presence أَمَسيَتُI have become عَبداa slave
يا مَليحاً لَدَيهِ أَمَسيَتُ عَبدا
Take my pledge: I shall not break faith with you,
O lovely one, whose slave I have become.
لاnot وَحَقِّby the sanctity of الهَوىlove سَلوَتُكَI ceased loving you يَوماًfor a single day
لا وَحَقِّ الهَوى سَلوَتُكَ يَوماً
وَكَفىand sufficient is بِالهَوىlove itself ذِماماًas a pledge وَعَقداand a covenant
وَكَفى بِالهَوى ذِماماً وَعَقدا
No, by love's sanctity, I have never ceased loving you, even for a day;
and love is pledge and covenant enough.
إِنَّindeed قَلبيmy heart يَضيقُis too narrow أَنto يَسَعَcontain الصَبpatience (first part)
إِنَّ قَلبي يَضيقُ أَن يَسَعَ الصَب
رَ(completes 'patience') لِأَنّيbecause I فَنَيتُI have wasted away عَظماًin bone وَجِلداand skin
رَ لِأَنّي فَنَيتُ عَظماً وَجِلدا
Indeed, my heart is too narrow to hold patience,
for I have wasted away, bone and skin.
وَفُؤاديand my heart لاnot يَعتَريهِaffects it هَوىlove for الغَيanother (first part)
وَفُؤادي لا يَعتَريهِ هَوى الغَي
رِ(completes 'another') لِأَنّيbecause I مَلَأتُهُI filled it بِكَfor you وَجداwith yearning
رِ لِأَنّي مَلَأتُهُ بِكَ وَجدا
And my heart is untouched by love for another,
for I have filled it with yearning for you.
ياO مَهاةَoryx الصَريمِof the thicket عَيناًin eyes وَجيداًand neck
يا مَهاةَ الصَريمِ عَيناً وَجيداً
وَأَخاand brother to الوَردِthe rose فيin الطَروَةِfreshness خَدّاof cheek
وَأَخا الوَردِ في الطَروَةِ خَدّا
O oryx of the thicket in eyes and neck,
and brother to the rose in freshness of cheek,
وَشَقيقَand brother of الخَنساءِal-Khansa فيamong الناسِpeople قَلباًin heart
وَشَقيقَ الخَنساءِ في الناسِ قَلباً
وَقَضيبَand a bough الأَراكِof the arak tree ليناًin suppleness وَقَدّاand stature
وَقَضيبَ الأَراكِ ليناً وَقَدّا
and, in heart, al-Khansa's brother among men,
and an arak bough in suppleness and stature,
كَيفَماhowever كُتتَyou may be لَيسَthere is not ليfor me عَنكَwithout you بُدٌّan alternative
كَيفَما كُتتَ لَيسَ لي عَنكَ بُدٌّ
فَأَبِعنيso sell me وُدّاًaffection وَإِنand if شِئتَyou wish صَدّاrejection
فَأَبِعني وُدّاً وَإِن شِئتَ صَدّا
however you may be, I cannot do without you.
So sell me affection—or, if you wish, rejection.
وَمَلَكتَand you have possessed الفُؤادَthe heart مِنِّيَfrom me كُلاentirely
وَمَلَكتَ الفُؤادَ مِنِّيَ كُلا
فَاِتلِفَنso do destroy ماwhat أَورَدتُI have brought هَزلاًin jest وَجِداand in earnest
فَاِتلِفَن ما أَورَدتُ هَزلاً وَجِدا
And you have taken possession of my whole heart;
so destroy what I have brought, in jest and in earnest.
ياO لَياليnights الوَصلِof union كَمhow many لَكare yours عِنديwith me
يا لَيالي الوَصلِ كَم لَك عِندي
خَلَواتٌprivate trysts مَعَwith الغَزالِthe gazelle المُفَدّىthe one I would ransom
خَلَواتٌ مَعَ الغَزالِ المُفَدّى
O nights of union, how many have I known in you—
private trysts with the gazelle I would ransom!
كَمhow often جَنَيناwe plucked ثِمارَكَyour fruits وَهيَand they عِنديto me
كَم جَنَينا ثِمارَكَ وَهيَ عِندي
مِنfrom يَدٍa hand كانَwas شُكرُهاthanks due to it لاnot يُؤَدّىrendered
مِن يَدٍ كانَ شُكرُها لا يُؤَدّى
How often we plucked your fruits, which to me were
from a hand whose due thanks could never be rendered.
فَسَقَتكَso may they water you الدُموعَthe tears مِنfrom وابِلِa downpour of الغَيrain (first part)
فَسَقَتكَ الدُموعَ مِن وابِلِ الغَي
ثِ(completes 'rain') مَديدَfar-reaching البِحارِthe seas جَزراًin ebb وَمَدّاand flood
ثِ مَديدَ البِحارِ جَزراً وَمَدّا
So may tears water you with a downpour of rain,
vast as the seas in ebb and flood.
وبكَتْكِand may they weep for you دماًblood عُيونيmy eyes منinstead of دمْmy tears (first part)
وبكَتْكِ دماً عُيوني من دمْ
عي(completes 'my tears') بديلاًas a substitute فهُنّfor they أغزرُmore abundant وِرْداin flow
عي بديلاً فهُنّ أغزرُ وِرْدا
And may my eyes weep blood for you instead of
my tears, for they yield a more abundant flow.
هلis there لِماضيكَfor your past عَودةٌa return فلقدfor indeed آthe time has come (first part)
هل لِماضيكَ عَودةٌ فلقد آ
نَ(completes 'the time has come') جَمالُthe beauty الحبيبِof the beloved أَنto يَتَبدّىappear
نَ جَمالُ الحبيبِ أَن يَتَبدّى
Will your past return? For the time has surely come
for the beloved's beauty to appear.