فَتَنَتهُenthralled him مَحاسِنُcharms الحُرِّيَّهfreedom
فَتَنَتهُ مَحاسِنُ الحُرِّيَّه
لاnot سُلَيمىSulayma وَلاnor جَمالُbeauty سُمَيَّهSumayya
لا سُلَيمى وَلا جَمالُ سُمَيَّه
Freedom's charms enthralled him,
Her beauty's charms enchanted liberty,
The charms of Liberty have captivated him,
not Sulayma, nor the beauty of Sumayya.
No Sulayma nor Jamal Sumayya could compare.
Not Sulayma, nor the beauty of Sumayya.
هِيَshe أُمنِيَةُdesire الجَميعِeveryone وَلَكِنand yet
هِيَ أُمنِيَةُ الجَميعِ وَلَكِن
أَرهَقَتهُhas burdened him الطَبيعَةُnature البَشَرِيَّهhuman
أَرهَقَتهُ الطَبيعَةُ البَشَرِيَّه
She is everyone's desire, yet
It's everyone's dream but
She is the heart's desire of all, and yet,
human nature has burdened him.
Human nature overburdened him.
Human nature has overburdened him.
وَعَجيبٌand strange أَنthat يُخلَقَbe created المَرءُa person حُرّاًfree
وَعَجيبٌ أَن يُخلَقَ المَرءُ حُرّاً
ثُمَّthen يَأبىrefuses لِنَفسِهِfor himself الحُرِيَّهfreedom
ثُمَّ يَأبى لِنَفسِهِ الحُرِيَّه
And strange it is that a man should be created free,
How strange that one be created free
It is strange that man is created free,
then refuse freedom for himself.
Yet deny himself liberty!
Then refuses Liberty for his own soul.
غادَةٌa maiden ماnever عَرَفَتhas known قَلباًa heart خَلِيّاًfree
غادَةٌ ما عَرَفَت قَلباً خَلِيّاً
مِنof هَواهاlove for her حَتّىeven القُلوبُthe hearts الخَلِيَّهcarefree
مِن هَواها حَتّى القُلوبُ الخَلِيَّه
A maiden who has known no heart free
Ghada never knew an empty heart
A maiden who never knew a heart void
of love for her—not even carefree hearts.
Free of passion for her, even the vacant hearts.
Of passion for her—even hearts once unburdened.
غَرَسَتshe planted فيin فُؤادِهِhis heart الحُبَّlove طِفلاًas a child
غَرَسَت في فُؤادِهِ الحُبَّ طِفلاً
فَنَماand grew الحُبُّlove وَالفُؤادُand the heart سَوِيَّهtogether
فَنَما الحُبُّ وَالفُؤادُ سَوِيَّه
She planted love in his heart when he was a child,
In his heart she planted love a child
She planted love in his heart while he was a child,
and love and heart grew together.
That grew as one with the heart inside.
So that love and the heart grew up together.
ثُمَّthen لَماwhen فَشىspread الغَرامُpassion وَذاعَتand became public
ثُمَّ لَما فَشى الغَرامُ وَذاعَت
عَنهُماabout them both فيamong الوَرىhumankind أُمورٌmatters خَفِيَّهsecret
عَنهُما في الوَرى أُمورٌ خَفِيَّه
Then, when their passion spread and there came to light
When passion spread and secret things
Then, when the passion spread and there circulated
among people secret matters concerning them both,
Of them both circulated earthly rings
Hidden whispers about the two among the people,
حَجَبوهاthey hid her away عَساهُhoping he might يَسلوforget his love وَلَكِنand yet
حَجَبوها عَساهُ يَسلو وَلَكِن
كانَhe was قَيساًQays وَكانَتِand she was العامِرِيَّهal-Amiriyya
كانَ قَيساً وَكانَتِ العامِرِيَّه
they hid her away, hoping he would forget her, but
They hid her, hoping he'd forget but, no,
They veiled her away, hoping he might forget, but
he was Qays, and she was al-Amiriyya.
He was Qays and she the immortal Layla.
He was Qays, and she was the 'Amiriya.
باتَhe spent the night يَشكوhe laments النَوىseparation الشَقِيُّthe wretched man وَتَشكوand she laments
باتَ يَشكو النَوى الشَقِيُّ وَتَشكو
مانِعيهاthose preventing her مِنfrom أَنthat تَراهُshe sees him الشَقِيَّهthe wretched woman
مانِعيها مِن أَن تَراهُ الشَقِيَّه
The wretched man spent the night lamenting separation, and she lamented
The wretched lover spends night bemoaning fate
The wretched lover spent the night bemoaning the distance,
those who kept her from seeing him—the wretched woman.
As she's prevented from seeing her wretched mate.
While she, wretched too, complained of those barring her from his sight.
مُستَهامٌlove-stricken قَضىhe spent زَماناًa time طَويلاًlong
مُستَهامٌ قَضى زَماناً طَويلاً
فيin عَناءٍsuffering مِنَfrom القُيودِthe chains القَوِيَّهstrong
في عَناءٍ مِنَ القُيودِ القَوِيَّه
Love-stricken, he spent a long time
A resolute king who long has passed
An infatuated soul who spent an age
in anguish under unyielding chains.
In chains and shackles holding fast.
Suffering under the weight of heavy chains.
وَعَلَيهِand over him مِنَfrom الزَمانِtime رَقيبٌa watcher
وَعَلَيهِ مِنَ الزَمانِ رَقيبٌ
عاشِقٌa lover لِلسِيادَةِof sovereignty الوَهمِيَّهillusory
عاشِقٌ لِلسِيادَةِ الوَهمِيَّه
And over him Time had set a watcher,
Upon him there's a guard of time
And standing over him is a guardian of the times,
in love with illusory sovereignty.
Enamored of fictitious prime.
Enamored with illusory sovereignty.
وَلِكُلٍّand for each مَطامِعٍambitions وَأَمانيand wishes
وَلِكُلٍّ مَطامِعٍ وَأَماني
يَبذُلُhe offers النَفسَhis life دونَهاfor their sake لِلمَنِيَّهto death
يَبذُلُ النَفسَ دونَها لِلمَنِيَّه
And everyone has ambitions and wishes
All have their hopes and dreams
For every man has ambitions and desires,
for which he offers his life to death.
Each would give his soul to gain.
For which he would offer his soul unto death,
وَيَراهاand he regards them لَدَيهِin his eyes أَشرَفَthe noblest شَيءٍthing
وَيَراها لَدَيهِ أَشرَفَ شَيءٍ
وَهيَand they are أَدنىbaser مِنَthan الأُمورِthings الدَنِيَّهbase
وَهيَ أَدنى مِنَ الأُمورِ الدَنِيَّه
And in his eyes they are the noblest thing,
To him the highest of all things
Deeming them the noblest things he possesses,
yet they are baser than base things.
Though it be the lowest earthlings.
Though they are baser than the lowest of deeds.
زَعَمواthey claimed أَنَّهُthat he was المَليكُthe king المُفَدّىthe one ransomed
زَعَموا أَنَّهُ المَليكُ المُفَدّى
بِالرَعاياby his subjects مِنfrom شَرِّthe harm كُلِّevery بَلِيَّهcalamity
بِالرَعايا مِن شَرِّ كُلِّ بَلِيَّه
They claimed he was the king to be ransomed
They claimed that he's the ransomed king
They claimed he is the King, ransomed
by his subjects from the harm of every calamity.
To save his people from each sting.
By his subjects from the evil of every calamity.
إِنَّماonly تَفتَديransoms الرَعِيَّةُthe subjects مَلكاًa king
إِنَّما تَفتَدي الرَعِيَّةُ مَلكاً
باذِلاًoffering نَفسَهُhis own life فِدىًas ransom لِلرَعِيَّهfor his subjects
باذِلاً نَفسَهُ فِدىً لِلرَعِيَّه
The subjects ransom only a king
But people ransom the ruled king
Yet the subjects only ransom a King
who offers his life as ransom for his subjects.
Who gives himself, the people's, offering.
Who offers his own soul as a ransom for his people.
ظَلَمَhe oppressed القَومَthe people تَوَهَّمَهُimagined him القَومُthe people
ظَلَمَ القَومَ تَوَهَّمَهُ القَومُ
نَصيراًa champion لِلأُمَّةِof the nation الروسِيَّهRussian
نَصيراً لِلأُمَّةِ الروسِيَّه
He oppressed the people; the people had imagined him
He oppressed the folk, they fancied him
The people were wronged by their delusion that he was
a champion of the Russian nation.
The Russian nation's saving kin.
A champion of the Russian nation.
وَإِذاand when أَحرَجَdrove to desperation الضِعافَthe weak قَوِيٌّa strong man
وَإِذا أَحرَجَ الضِعافَ قَوِيٌّ
نَسِيَتforgot ضَعفَهاtheir weakness النُفوسُsouls الأَبِيَّهproud
نَسِيَت ضَعفَها النُفوسُ الأَبِيَّه
And when a strong man drives the weak to desperation,
Whenever the weak are oppressed by the strong
For when a strong man drives the weak to desperation,
proud souls forget their weakness.
The proud souls forget their weakness lifelong.
Proud souls forget their frailty.