أسَراةَO nobles الحَيّof the clan بيI am smitten مِنْكُمfrom among you رُشَيّa little fawn
أسَراةَ الحَيّ بي مِنْكُم رُشَيّ
مُنْصَفُgiven a fair share الأرْدافِin the haunches مَبْخُوسُshortchanged الحُشَيّin the little waist
مُنْصَفُ الأرْدافِ مَبْخُوسُ الحُشَيّ
O nobles of the clan, a slender young gazelle from among you has captivated me—
O nobles of the clan, I am smitten with a little fawn from among you,
well-proportioned of hip and slender-waisted,
His haunches given their due, his little waist shortchanged;
لَيِّنُsupple المَعْطِفِof flank قاسٍhard قَلْبُهُhis heart
لَيِّنُ المَعْطِفِ قاسٍ قَلْبُهُ
فاتِكٌdeadly باللَّحظِwith the glance آسٍhealing باللُّمَيْwith faintly dusky lips
فاتِكٌ باللَّحظِ آسٍ باللُّمَيْ
supple in figure, yet hard of heart,
Supple of flank, yet hard of heart,
deadly with his glances, healing with his dusky lips—
Deadly with his glance, healing with his dusky lips.
حالinterposed himself رَغْماًforcibly بَيْنَbetween قَلبيmy heart والحَشاand the breast
حال رَغْماً بَيْنَ قَلبي والحَشا
يَوْمَthe day لاقتْmet وَجْنَتاهُhis two cheeks مُقْلَتَيْmy two eyes
يَوْمَ لاقتْ وَجْنَتاهُ مُقْلَتَيْ
he has come, against my will, between my heart and my inmost breast.
Against my will, he came between my heart and my breast,
The day his two cheeks met my two eyes—
The day his cheeks met my eyes.
آهalas! مِنfor عَينيَّmy two eyes ماذاwhat جنَتَاthey both have wrought
آه مِن عَينيَّ ماذا جنَتَا
لَيْسَthere is not شيءٌanything مِنهماthan those two أعْدَىmore hostile عَلَيْtoward me
لَيْسَ شيءٌ مِنهما أعْدَى عَلَيْ
ah, my two eyes! What have they wrought?
Alas for my eyes—what harm they have done!
Nothing is a fiercer foe to me than those two.
Nothing is more hostile to me than those two.
أسَراةَO nobles الحَيِّof the clan كُفُّواrestrain ظَبْيَكُمْyour gazelle
أسَراةَ الحَيِّ كُفُّوا ظَبْيَكُمْ
واتَّقواand fear الرَّحْمنَthe All-Merciful فيin قَتْلِslaying شُجَيْa poor sorrowing one
واتَّقوا الرَّحْمنَ في قَتْلِ شُجَيْ
O nobles of the clan, restrain your gazelle,
O nobles of the clan, restrain your gazelle,
and fear the All-Merciful over the killing of a heartsick lover
And fear the All-Merciful in slaying a poor, sorrowing man.
يَجِدُhe finds الذُّلَّhumiliation لَذيذاًdelightful فِيكُمُfor your sake
يَجِدُ الذُّلَّ لَذيذاً فِيكُمُ
ويَرَىand he considers تَعْذيبَهُhis torment أعْذبَthe sweetest شَيْthing
ويَرَى تَعْذيبَهُ أعْذبَ شَيْ
who finds humiliation at your hands delightful
He finds humiliation delightful for your sake,
and deems his torment the sweetest thing.
And deems his torment the sweetest thing.
قدْindeed تملَّكتُمْyou have taken possession of فُؤادِيmy heart فاسْمَحُواso be gracious
قدْ تملَّكتُمْ فُؤادِي فاسْمَحُوا
واقْبَلونيand accept me أوْor فردُّوهthen return it إلَيْto me
واقْبَلوني أوْ فردُّوه إلَيْ
You have taken possession of my heart, so be gracious—
You have indeed taken possession of my heart, so be gracious,
accept me, or return it to me.
And accept me—or else return it to me.
