ياO أَعَزَّdearest الناسِof people عِنديin my eyes وَعَلَيَّand to me
يا أَعَزَّ الناسِ عِندي وَعَلَيَّ
وَحَبيباًand a beloved هُوَhe مِنّيof me وَإِلَيَّand to me
وَحَبيباً هُوَ مِنّي وَإِلَيَّ
O dearest of all people in my sight, and dearest to me,
O dearest and most precious of all people to me,
My beloved is of me and unto me.
And O beloved, who is part of me and belongs to me.
لَيتَif only مَولايَmy lord بِحاليof my condition عالِمٌaware
لَيتَ مَولايَ بِحالي عالِمٌ
وَبِماand of what عِندِيَwith me مِنهُfrom him وَلَدَيَّand in my possession
وَبِما عِندِيَ مِنهُ وَلَدَيَّ
Would that my lord knew of my condition,
If only my lord were aware of my plight,
And of what I have from him, and what is with him.
And of what I have from him and keep with me.
ماwhat لَهُis with him أَصبَحَhas become عَنّيfrom me مُعرِضاًturning away
ما لَهُ أَصبَحَ عَنّي مُعرِضاً
تَحتَbeneath ذاthis الإِعراضِturning away مِنfrom مَولايَmy lord شَيَّsomething
تَحتَ ذا الإِعراضِ مِن مَولايَ شَيَّ
What ails him, that he has grown aloof from me?
Why has he begun to turn away from me?
Beneath this aloofness on my lord’s part lies something.
Something lies beneath this turning away by my lord.
ياO حَبيبيmy beloved أَينَwhere ماwhat أَعهَدُهُI used to know it
يا حَبيبي أَينَ ما أَعهَدُهُ
ياoh تُرىone wonders مَنwho ذاthis one الَّذيwho زادَsurpassed عَلَيَّbeyond me
يا تُرى مَن ذا الَّذي زادَ عَلَيَّ
O my beloved, where is he as I have known him?
O my beloved, where is what I once knew?
I wonder: who is this who has surpassed me?
Who, I wonder, is the one who has surpassed me?
فاتَنيhe passed me by إِذwhen مَرَّhe passed ماnot كَلَّمتُهُI spoke to him
فاتَني إِذ مَرَّ ما كَلَّمتُهُ
كِدتُI nearly أَنto آكُلَeat مِنfrom غَيظيmy rage يَدَيَّmy two hands
كِدتُ أَن آكُلَ مِن غَيظي يَدَيَّ
He slipped past me as he went by; I did not speak to him.
I missed him as he passed; I did not speak to him.
In my rage, I nearly devoured both my hands.
I nearly ate both my hands in my rage.
أَشرَقَتshone مِنfrom وَجهِهِhis face شَمسُthe sun الضُحىof midmorning
أَشرَقَت مِن وَجهِهِ شَمسُ الضُحى
لَمdid not تَجِدfind مِنfrom حَرِّهاits heat العُشّاقُthe lovers فِيَّshade
لَم تَجِد مِن حَرِّها العُشّاقُ فِيَّ
From his face rose the morning sun;
The midmorning sun shone from his face.
Against its heat, the lovers found no shade.
The lovers found no shade from its heat.
وَبَدَتand appeared فيin الخَدِّthe cheek مِنهُof him جَمرَةٌan ember
وَبَدَت في الخَدِّ مِنهُ جَمرَةٌ
وَلَعَمريand, by my life كَوَتِit seared الأَكبادَthe livers كَيَّa searing
وَلَعَمري كَوَتِ الأَكبادَ كَيَّ
And upon his cheek appeared a glowing ember—
And an ember appeared on his cheek,
By my life, it seared the very livers—a terrible searing.
And, by my life, it fiercely seared the livers.
أَناI مَنthe one who قَدindeed مُتُّhave died فيin العِشقِlove بِهِfor him
أَنا مَن قَد مُتُّ في العِشقِ بِهِ
هَنِّئونيcongratulate me مَيِّتُthe dead one العُشّاقِof the lovers حَيَّis alive
هَنِّئوني مَيِّتُ العُشّاقِ حَيَّ
I am one who has already died for love of him;
I am the one who has died of love for him.
Congratulate me: the lovers’ dead man is alive!
Congratulate me: the dead one among lovers is alive!
