مَنwho ليfor me بَمَخضوبَةِwith a dyed one البَنانِthe fingertips
مَن لي بَمَخضوبَةِ البَنانِ
مَنwho ليfor me بِمَعسولَةِwith a honey-sweet one اللِسانِthe tongue
مَن لي بِمَعسولَةِ اللِسانِ
Who will grant me one with henna-dyed fingertips,
Who will bring me a maiden with dyed fingertips?
who will grant me one with a honeyed tongue—
Who will bring me a maiden with a honey-sweet tongue?
مِنfrom among كاعِباتٍbudding-breasted maidens ذَواتِpossessing خِدرٍa secluded chamber
مِن كاعِباتٍ ذَواتِ خِدرٍ
نَواعِمٍdelicate women خُرَّدٍbashful virgins حِسانِbeautiful women
نَواعِمٍ خُرَّدٍ حِسانِ
from among nubile maidens of curtained chambers,
From among budding-breasted maidens in seclusion,
delicate, virginal, and fair;
Delicate, bashful virgins, beautiful.
بُدورُfull moons تَمٍّfullness عَلىupon غُصونٍboughs
بُدورُ تَمٍّ عَلى غُصونٍ
هُنَّthey مِنَfrom النَقصِimperfection فيin أَمانِsafety
هُنَّ مِنَ النَقصِ في أَمانِ
full moons poised upon branches,
Full moons upon boughs,
secure against all waning?
They are safe from imperfection.
بِرَوضَةٍin a garden مِنamong دِيارِthe dwellings of جِسميmy body
بِرَوضَةٍ مِن دِيارِ جِسمي
حَمامَةٌa dove فَوقَupon غُصنِa bough of بانِa bān tree
حَمامَةٌ فَوقَ غُصنِ بانِ
In a garden within my body’s domains,
In a garden among my body's dwellings,
a dove rests upon a bān-tree bough.
There is a dove upon a bān-tree bough.
تَموتُshe dies شَوقاًof longing تَذوبُshe melts عِشقاًwith passionate love
تَموتُ شَوقاً تَذوبُ عِشقاً
لِماbecause دَهاهاbefell her الَّذيthat which دَهانيbefell me
لِما دَهاها الَّذي دَهاني
She dies of yearning, melts with love
She dies of longing, melts with passionate love,
from what befell her—the very thing that befell me.
For what befell me has befallen her.
تَندُبُshe laments إِلفاًa beloved companion تَذُمُّshe blames دَهراًtime
تَندُبُ إِلفاً تَذُمُّ دَهراً
رَماهاstruck her قَصداًdeliberately بِماwith what رَمانيstruck me
رَماها قَصداً بِما رَماني
She mourns a beloved companion and condemns an age
She laments a companion and blames time,
that, taking aim, struck her with what struck me:
Which deliberately struck her with what struck me:
فِراقُseparation from جارٍa neighbor وَنَأيُand remoteness of دارٍa dwelling
فِراقُ جارٍ وَنَأيُ دارٍ
فَياso, O زَمانيmy time عَلىagainst زَمانيmy time
فَيا زَماني عَلى زَماني
the parting of a neighbor, the remoteness of a dwelling.
Separation from a neighbor and remoteness of home.
O my time, how I grieve for my time!
So, O my time, aid me against my time!
مَنwho ليfor me بِمَنwith one who يَرتَضيis pleased with عَذابيmy torment
مَن لي بِمَن يَرتَضي عَذابي
ماnot ليfor me بِماfor what يَرتَضيhe is pleased with يَدانِtwo hands (strength)
ما لي بِما يَرتَضي يَدانِ
Who will grant me one who welcomes my torment?
Who will bring me one who is pleased with my torment?
I have no power to resist what she desires.
I have no strength to bear what he is pleased with.
