ياO سادتيmy masters إنيindeed I قنعتI am content وحقكمand by your honor
يا سادتي إني قنعت وحقكم
فيin حبكمlove for you منكمfrom you بأيسرwith the simplest مطلبrequest
في حبكم منكم بأيسر مطلب
O my masters, I am content, by your honor,
O my masters, I am content with you
in my love for you, with the smallest favor I seek from you.
In my love for you, with the easiest request
إنif لمnot تجودواyou generously grant بالوصالwith union تعطفاًout of compassion
إن لم تجودوا بالوصال تعطفاً
ورأيتمand you saw fit هجريforsaking me وفرطand excessive تجنبيavoidance of me
ورأيتم هجري وفرط تجنبي
If you will not kindly grant me union,
If you do not grant union out of kindness
and choose to forsake me and shun me utterly,
And you see my separation and my extreme avoidance
لاdo not تمنعواforbid عينيmy eye القريحةsore انto ترىsee
لا تمنعوا عيني القريحة ان ترى
يومon the day of الخميسThursday جمالكمyour beauty فيin الموكبthe procession
يوم الخميس جمالكم في الموكب
do not forbid my sore eye to see
Do not prevent my eyes from seeing
your beauty in Thursday's procession.
On Thursday your beauty in the procession
لوif كنتyou were تعلمknowing ياO حبيبيmy beloved ماwhat الذيthat which
لو كنت تعلم يا حبيبي ما الذي
ألقاهI endure it منof كمدanguish اذاwhen لمnot تركبyou ride
ألقاه من كمد اذا لم تركب
If you knew, my beloved, what
If only you knew, my beloved, what
anguish I endure when you do not ride out,
I have endured when you did not ride
لرحمتنيyou would have mercy on me ورثيتand would feel pity ليfor me منbecause of حالةa plight
لرحمتني ورثيت لي من حالة
لولاكbut for you لمnot يكwould be حملهاbearing it منof مذهبيmy way
لولاك لم يك حملها من مذهبي
you would have mercy on me and pity me for a plight
You would have mercy on me and mourn for my state
whose burden, but for you, I would never bear.
Without you, none can bear it according to my doctrine
ومنand among البليةthe affliction والرزيةand the calamity أننيthat I
ومن البلية والرزية أنني
أقضيI perish وماand not تدريyou know الذيwhat قدalready حلَّbefell بيupon me
أقضي وما تدري الذي قد حلَّ بي
And part of the affliction and calamity is that I
And of afflictions and misery that
perish, while you do not know what has befallen me.
I live while you know not what has befallen me
قسماًI swear بوجهكby your face وهوand it is بدرa full moon طالعrising
قسماً بوجهك وهو بدر طالع
وبليكand by the night of (probable reading) طرتكyour forelock التيwhich كالغيهبlike pitch darkness
وبليك طرتك التي كالغيهب
I swear by your face, a rising full moon,
I swear by your face, it is a rising full moon
and by the night of your forelock, like pitch darkness,
And by your cheek, so soft like silk
وبقامةand by a stature لكof yours كالقضيبlike a slender bough ركبتI rode منamid
وبقامة لك كالقضيب ركبت من
أخطارهاits perils فيin الحبlove أصعبthe most arduous مركبride
أخطارها في الحب أصعب مركب
and by your stature, like a slender bough—I have taken,
And by your stature, straight like a rod
amid its perils in love, the most arduous ride;
I have mounted its dangers in love, the most difficult ship
ويطيبand is sweet مبسمكyour smiling mouth الشهيdelectable الباردcool الذmost delicious
ويطيب مبسمك الشهي البارد الذ
عذبsweet النميرthe clear, pure water اللؤلؤيpearly الأشنبfine, cool, white-toothed
عذب النمير اللؤلؤي الأشنب
and your smiling mouth is sweet—delectable, cool, most delicious,
And your cool, delightful smile
sweet with clear moisture, pearly, with fine, cool white teeth.
Sweetened the clear, pearly teeth
لوif لمnot أكنI were فيin رتبةa rank أرعىI uphold لهاfor it الthe
لو لم أكن في رتبة أرعى لها ال
العهدthe pledge القديمlong-standing صيانةsafeguarding للمنصبfor the office
العهد القديم صيانة للمنصب
Were I not of a rank for which I uphold the
If I were not of a rank whose ancient
long-standing pledge, to safeguard my office,
Covenant I preserve to maintain my office
لهتكتI would tear away ستريmy veil فيin هواكlove for you ولذِّand would be delightful ليto me
لهتكت ستري في هواك ولذِّ لي
خلعcasting off العذارthe bridle ولجand would persist فيكconcerning you مؤنبيmy reproacher
خلع العذار ولج فيك مؤنبي
I would tear away my veil for love of you, and delight in
I would have uncovered my secret in passion for you
casting off the bridle, and my reproacher would persist in blaming me over you.
And cast off my virginity and indulged my desires
لكنbut خشيتI feared بأنthat تقولwould say عواذليmy female reproachers
لكن خشيت بأن تقول عواذلي
قدindeed جنhas gone mad هذاthis الشيخthe old man فيover هذاthis الصبيthe boy
قد جن هذا الشيخ في هذا الصبي
But I feared the women who reproach me would say:
But I feared that maidens might say
"This old man has gone mad over this boy!"
This old man is crazed for this boy
فارحمso have mercy on فديتكmay I be your ransom حرقةburning anguish قدalready قاربتhas neared
فارحم فديتك حرقة قد قاربت
كشفlifting القناعthe veil بحقby the sanctity of ذياكthat very النبيthe Prophet
كشف القناع بحق ذياك النبي
So pity—may I be your ransom—a burning anguish that has nearly
So have mercy, my treasure, on the burning anguish
lifted the veil, by the sanctity of that Prophet.
That has almost uncovered the mask, by the right of your prophecy
لاdo not تفضحنَّever disgrace بحبكthrough love of you الصبّthe lovelorn man الذيwhom
لا تفضحنَّ بحبك الصبّ الذي
جرعتهyou made him swallow فيin الحبlove اكدرthe murkiest مشربdraught
جرعته في الحب اكدر مشرب
Do not disgrace, for loving you, the lovelorn man whom
Do not disgrace me for the love
you have made swallow love's murkiest draught.
Of this youth I have drank, the bitterest drink