أيسلوcan it forget? فؤاديmy heart أوor أكتمُI conceal
أيسلو فؤادي أو أكتمُ
وتجمدand stays dry عينيmy eye ولاand does not تسجمُshed tears
وتجمد عيني ولا تسجمُ
Can my heart forget, or can I conceal my love?
Should I conceal my passion, or confess?
And can my eye stay dry and shed no tears?
My eyes grow cold, refusing to express
وسيفand the sword لحاظكyour glances أشهرتهyou unsheathed it
وسيف لحاظك أشهرته
فأغمدهso it sheathed it قلبيَmy heart المغرمenamored
فأغمده قلبيَ المغرم
And you unsheathed the sword of your glances,
The naked sword of your alluring gaze
so my enamored heart sheathed it.
Sheathe it, lest my ardent heart digress
وعلمتنيand you taught me كيفhow أنthat الهوىlove
وعلمتني كيف أن الهوى
لهto it مهجsouls الناسpeople تستسلمsurrender
له مهج الناس تستسلم
And you taught me how it is with love:
You taught me how desire invades the soul
people's souls surrender to it.
And conquers reason, without finesse
ونورand the light جمالكyour beauty فيin خاطريmy thoughts
ونور جمالك في خاطري
وفيand in مهجتيmy soul نؤرfire (apparently intended) تضرمblazes
وفي مهجتي نؤر تضرم
And the light of your beauty is in my thoughts,
Your beauty's light still smolders in my heart
and in my soul a fire blazes.
Igniting flames of fervor and distress
ملكتيyou captured فؤاديmy heart وليand I have منطقspeech
ملكتي فؤادي ولي منطق
بهwith it أعلنI proclaim الحقthe truth ماwhat أعلمI know
به أعلن الحق ما أعلم
You have captured my heart, yet I have a voice
You own my heart, though I possess a tongue
with which I proclaim the truth as I know it.
To voice the truth, if I but acquiesce
سفرتyou unveiled your face ولاand no خطرdanger فيin السفوunveiling (word continued)
سفرت ولا خطر في السفو
رcompletes 'unveiling' اذاif كانthere is فيamong الناسpeople منsomeone who يفهمunderstands
ر اذا كان في الناس من يفهم
You unveiled your face; there is no danger in unveiling
I traveled heedless of reproach or blame
if among people there are those who understand.
If only men could understand, assess
ولكنناbut we معشرa people إنif نرwe see
ولكننا معشر إن نر
الجمالbeauty غلاboils فيin العروقthe veins الدمthe blood
الجمال غلا في العروق الدم
But we are a people—if we see
Alas, we cannot see true beauty here
beauty, the blood boils in our veins.
Without it boiling blood in drunkenness
ضعافweak النفوسsouls ضعافweak العقوminds (word continued)
ضعاف النفوس ضعاف العقو
لcompletes 'minds' وقدand indeed عزis rare منfrom بينناamong us الأحزمthe most prudent
ل وقد عز من بيننا الأحزم
Weak of soul, weak of mind,
The feeble-minded and the weak of will
and the most prudent among us is hard to find.
While the judicious among us progress
ظلمناwe wronged الشريعةthe Sharia منthrough جهلناour ignorance
ظلمنا الشريعة من جهلنا
وإنand indeed الشريعةthe Sharia لاdoes not تظلمact unjustly
وإن الشريعة لا تظلم
We have wronged the Sharia through our ignorance,
We wronged religion out of ignorance
and surely the Sharia does no wrong.
Though it is justice that religion stresses
ولكنهاbut it بالحجابthrough veiling اتقتguarded against
ولكنها بالحجاب اتقت
فساداًcorruption لأسراتناto our families يهدمtears down
فساداً لأسراتنا يهدم
But through veiling it guarded against
To guard our homes from vice, it veils our maids
corruption that tears our families down.
Lest wantonness should breed a vile excess
وكمand how much خطرdanger إنif أبحناهwe permit it عنfrom
وكم خطر إن أبحناه عن
جموحunruliness غرائزناour instincts ينجمarises
جموح غرائزنا ينجم
And how much danger, if we permit it,
Imagine the dangers, were it allowed
arises from our unbridled instincts!
To unleash the passions we repress!
فصونيso guard جمالكyour beauty عنfrom فتيةyoung men
فصوني جمالك عن فتية
أبرهمُthe most virtuous of them قلبهhis heart يأثمsins
أبرهمُ قلبه يأثم
So guard your beauty from young men,
So veil your beauty from those callow youths
even the most virtuous of whom has a heart that sins.
Lest ardent hearts to sinfulness digress
وغضيand lower جفونكyour eyelids كيso that تسلميyou may be safe
وغضي جفونك كي تسلمي
منfrom الموبقاتruinous sins وكيand so that يسلمواthey may be safe
من الموبقات وكي يسلموا
And lower your eyelids so that you may be safe
Lower your eyes, be safely guarded, pure
from ruinous sins, and so that they may be safe.
Let them find safety too in bashfulness.
ولاand do not تخلعيtake off عنكfrom yourself ثوبthe robe الحياmodesty (word continued)
ولا تخلعي عنك ثوب الحيا
ءcompletes 'modesty' ولاand do not تبسميsmile لامرءat a man يبسمsmiles
ء ولا تبسمي لامرء يبسم
And do not take off your robe of modesty,
Keep modesty's cloak always on your form
nor smile at a man who smiles.
Smile not at men, though they smile and caress
حياؤكyour modesty عنوانthe sign آدابكyour good manners
حياؤك عنوان آدابك
وقدركand your worth منfrom غيرهits absence يثلمis marred
وقدرك من غيره يثلم
Your modesty is the sign of your good manners,
Your shyness is the height of etiquette
and without it your worth is marred.
Without it, you are prone to waywardness
سأستقبلI shall confront اليومtoday أمراًa matter بدىhas appeared
سأستقبل اليوم أمراً بدى
بقلبwith a heart علىover ماwhat مضىhas passed يندمregrets
بقلب على ما مضى يندم
Today I shall confront a matter that has appeared,
Today I'll face what grieves my repenting heart
with a heart that regrets what is past.
They made it lawful for singers to undress!
أجازواthey sanctioned الخلاعةwantonness للغنياfor wealthy women (word continued)
أجازوا الخلاعة للغنيا
تcompletes 'wealthy women' كأنas though الخلاعةwantonness لاnot تحرمis forbidden
ت كأن الخلاعة لا تحرم
They have sanctioned wantonness for wealthy women,
as though wantonness were not forbidden.
Partial English translation: 32 of 34 Arabic lines translated.