وِصَالُكَunion with you أَنْهَىultimate مَطْلَبِيmy aim وَمُرَادِيand my desire
وِصَالُكَ أَنْهَى مَطْلَبِي وَمُرَادِي
وَحُسْنُكَand your beauty أَبْهَىfairest مَرْتَعِيmy pasture وَمَزادِيand my waterskins
وَحُسْنُكَ أَبْهَى مَرْتَعِي وَمَزادِي
Union with you is my ultimate aim and desire.
Your union fulfilled my wish and desire
And your beauty is my fairest pasture and my waterskins.
And your beauty outshone my paradise and provision
ودُونَكَand before reaching you لَوْif وَافَيْتُI came to رَبْعَكَyour dwelling زَائِراًas a visitor
ودُونَكَ لَوْ وَافَيْتُ رَبْعَكَ زَائِراً
خِطابُspeech جِدَالٍdispute فِيin خُطُوبِordeals جِلَادِcombat
خِطابُ جِدَالٍ فِي خُطُوبِ جِلَادِ
And before reaching you, were I to visit your dwelling,
Without you, even if I visited your abode as a pilgrim
There would be words of dispute amid ordeals of combat.
It would be futile debate, wooing an executioner
حَبيبيmy beloved لَقَدْindeed رَوَّيْتَyou drenched عَيْنِيmy eye بِدَمْعِهَاwith its tears
حَبيبي لَقَدْ رَوَّيْتَ عَيْنِي بِدَمْعِهَا
وَغَادَرْتَand you left قَلْبِيmy heart لِلتَّصبّرِfor patient endurance صَادِيthirsty
وَغَادَرْتَ قَلْبِي لِلتَّصبّرِ صَادِي
My beloved, you have drenched my eye with its own tears,
My love, you have satiated my eyes with their tears
And left my heart thirsting for patience.
And left my heart to patience, my companion
وَنَقَّصْتَand you diminished فيin حَظِّيmy fortune كَمَاjust as زِدْتَyou increased فِيin الهَوَىlove
وَنَقَّصْتَ في حَظِّي كَمَا زِدْتَ فِي الهَوَى
صُدُودِيَmy turning away يَاO كُلَّall المُنَىwishes وبُعَادِيand my separation
صُدُودِيَ يَا كُلَّ المُنَى وبُعَادِي
And you lessened my fortune, just as you increased in love
You diminished my fortune as you increased my passion
My turning away, O all I long for, and my separation.
My adversary, O epitome of all I wish and distance from me
فَوَfor, by اللَّهِGod لَمْdid not أُطْلِقْI let loose لِغَيْرِكَfor anyone but you مُهْجَتِيmy soul
فَوَ اللَّهِ لَمْ أُطْلِقْ لِغَيْرِكَ مُهْجَتِي
غَرَاماًin passion وَلَمْand did not أَمْنَحْI grant سِوَاكَanyone but you وِدَادِيmy affection
غَرَاماً وَلَمْ أَمْنَحْ سِوَاكَ وِدَادِي
For, by God, I have not let my soul go out to anyone but you
By Allah, I unleashed my love for none but you
In passion, nor given my affection to anyone else.
And granted my affection to none but you
بِعَيْشِكَby your life نَبِّهْawaken نَاظِرَيْكَyour two eyes لَعلَّهاperhaps they
بِعَيْشِكَ نَبِّهْ نَاظِرَيْكَ لَعلَّها
تَرُدُّrestore عَلَىto طَرْفِيmy eye لَذِيذَsweet رُقَادِيmy slumber
تَرُدُّ عَلَى طَرْفِي لَذِيذَ رُقَادِي
By your life, awaken your eyes; perhaps they
By your life, awaken your sleepy eyes, perhaps
Will restore my sweet slumber to my eye.
They will return to me the sweetness of their slumber
إِلىto اللَّهِGod أَشْكُوI complain فِيin الغَرامِlove مُحَجَّباًone veiled
إِلى اللَّهِ أَشْكُو فِي الغَرامِ مُحَجَّباً
بِقَلْبِيwithin my heart فَلاso not تَلْقَاهُmeets him عَيْنِيmy eye بَادِيvisible
بِقَلْبِي فَلا تَلْقَاهُ عَيْنِي بَادِي
To God I complain, in love, of one veiled
To Allah I complain secretly of passion
Within my heart, so my eye never sees him revealed.
With my heart, so my eyes reveal it not
أُحَاذِرُI fear طُولاًlength مِنْof ذُؤَابةِa tress شَعْرِهِhis hair
أُحَاذِرُ طُولاً مِنْ ذُؤَابةِ شَعْرِهِ
فَقَدْfor indeed وَصَلتْit has reached مِنْfrom قَدِّهِhis figure لفُؤَادِيto my heart
فَقَدْ وَصَلتْ مِنْ قَدِّهِ لفُؤَادِي
I fear the length of a tress of his hair,
I fear the long tresses of his hair
For it has reached from his figure to my heart.
For they have reached from his nape to my heart