قَلبُheart المُعَنّىthe love-tormented one دائِمٌconstant خَفوقهُits throbbing
قَلبُ المُعَنّى دائِمٌ خَفوقهُ
إِذاwhenever الغُوَيرُal-Ghuwayr اِبتَسَمَتsmiled بروقُهُits lightning flashes
إِذا الغُوَيرُ اِبتَسَمَت بروقُهُ
The tormented lover's heart beats ceaselessly
The heart of meaning is ever throbbing
Whenever al-Ghuwayr's lightning smiles.
When the dear one smiles, its lightening flashes
فَلاso let not يَلُمنيblame me فيfor الغَرامِpassionate love لائِمٌa reproacher
فَلا يَلُمني في الغَرامِ لائِمٌ
الحُبُّlove كَأسٌa cup مُسكِرٌintoxicating رَحيقُهُits nectar
الحُبُّ كَأسٌ مُسكِرٌ رَحيقُهُ
So let no reproacher blame me for love;
So let no blamer blame me for loving
Love is a cup whose nectar intoxicates.
Love is an intoxicating cup, its wine excellent
ياO بانِmoringa tree بانِmoringa trees الحَيِّthe camp دونَthis side of حاجِرٍHajir
يا بانِ بانِ الحَيِّ دونَ حاجِرٍ
راتِعَةٌgrazing بَينَbetween الضُلوعِthe ribs نوقُهُits she-camels
راتِعَةٌ بَينَ الضُلوعِ نوقُهُ
O moringa among the camp's moringas, this side of Hajir,
O flex of the alive one, without any veil
Its she-camels graze between my ribs.
Nestling between the ribs, its bending
لاnot يَعلَمُknows النازِلُthe one lodging فيin رُبوعِهِمtheir dwellings
لا يَعلَمُ النازِلُ في رُبوعِهِم
بِدَلِّهاthrough her coyness أَيَّwhat هَوىًpassion يَسوقُهُdrives him
بِدَلِّها أَيَّ هَوىً يَسوقُهُ
He who lodges in their dwellings does not know
The lodger in their meadows knows not
What passion, through her coyness, drives him.
What passion drives him to them
تَسيرُjourney ألبابُminds الرِجالِthe men نَحوَهُtoward him
تَسيرُ ألبابُ الرِجالِ نَحوَهُ
إِذاwhen اِستَقَلَّset off ظاعِناًjourneying away فَريقُهُhis band
إِذا اِستَقَلَّ ظاعِناً فَريقُهُ
Men's minds journey toward him
The minds of men march towards it
When his band sets off, journeying away.
When its young camel slows down its troop
وَبَينَand among هاتيكَthose القِبابthe domed tents أَهيَفٌa slender-waisted one
وَبَينَ هاتيكَ القِباب أَهيَفٌ
مُمَنَّعٌunattainable كَالسَلسَبيلِlike Salsabil ريقُهُhis saliva
مُمَنَّعٌ كَالسَلسَبيلِ ريقُهُ
And among those domed tents is a slender-waisted one,
And between those domes there is an open space
Unattainable, his saliva like Salsabil.
Forbidden like flowing water its path
يَنوبُtakes the place عَنof وَردِroses الرَبيعِspring خَدُّهُhis cheek
يَنوبُ عَن وَردِ الرَبيعِ خَدُّهُ
كَأَنَّماas though شَقيقُهُits anemone شَقيقُهُits brother
كَأَنَّما شَقيقُهُ شَقيقُهُ
His cheek takes the place of spring's roses,
His cheek takes the place of spring roses
As though spring's anemone were its brother.
As if his anemone were his anemone