مَنwho مُنصِفيone who does me justice وَأَميرِيَand my prince خَصميmy adversary
مَن مُنصِفي وَأَميرِيَ خَصمي
بَدرٌa full moon قَضىdecreed ليfor me بِرَعيِto watching النَجمِthe stars
بَدرٌ قَضى لي بِرَعيِ النَجمِ
Who will grant me justice, when my prince is my adversary?
Who will grant me justice, when my prince is my adversary?
A full moon has sentenced me to shepherd the stars.
A full moon has sentenced me to watching the stars.
مُستَعذَبُfound sweet الظُلمِinjustice عَذبُsweet الظَلمِsaliva
مُستَعذَبُ الظُلمِ عَذبُ الظَلمِ
كَالسَيفِlike a sword فيin الرَونَقِbrilliance الفَتّانِbewitching
كَالسَيفِ في الرَونَقِ الفَتّانِ
His injustice is savored as sweet; sweet is the dewy gleam of his mouth.
His injustice is sweet to bear, his saliva sweet.
Like a sword in its dazzling, bewitching sheen,
Like a sword in bewitching brilliance,
وَريمٍand a gazelle أَغيَدlithe
وَريمٍ أَغيَد
لَوif حَلَّhe dwelt فيamong عابِدِa worshipper of الأَوثانِidols
لَو حَلَّ في عابِدِ الأَوثانِ
and a graceful gazelle.
And a lithe gazelle.
Were he to dwell within an idolater,
Were he to dwell among idol-worshippers,
لَكانَthen he would be يُعبَدworshipped
لَكانَ يُعبَد
أَحلىsweeter مِنَthan الأَمنِsafety ذاكَthat one أَمنيmy safety
أَحلى مِنَ الأَمنِ ذاكَ أَمني
he himself would be worshipped.
He would be worshipped.
Sweeter than safety is that hope of mine;
Sweeter than safety is that one—my safety.
فَرَّhe fled إِلىinto خاطِريmy thoughts مِنfrom عَدنِEden
فَرَّ إِلى خاطِري مِن عَدنِ
مُثَلَّثُthreefold الوَصفِqualities فَردُpeerless الحُسنِbeauty
مُثَلَّثُ الوَصفِ فَردُ الحُسنِ
he fled from Eden into my thoughts.
He fled into my thoughts from Eden.
Threefold in attributes, peerless in beauty:
Threefold in qualities, peerless in beauty,
كَالسَيفِlike a sword فيin الرَونَقِbrilliance الفَتّانِbewitching
كَالسَيفِ في الرَونَقِ الفَتّانِ
وَالبَأسِand might وَالقَدand stature
وَالبَأسِ وَالقَد
like a sword in its bewitching sheen,
Like a sword in bewitching brilliance,
in valor and in stature;
And in might and stature;
كَالريمِlike a gazelle فيin الجيدِthe neck وَالأَجفانِand the eyelids
كَالريمِ في الجيدِ وَالأَجفانِ
وَنَفرَةِand skittish recoil الصَدّturning away
وَنَفرَةِ الصَدّ
like a gazelle in neck and eyelids,
Like a gazelle in neck and eyelids,
and in the skittish recoil of refusal.
And in the skittishness of his turning away.
قَلبٌa heart جَريحٌwounded وَوُدٌّand love سالِمunharmed
قَلبٌ جَريحٌ وَوُدٌّ سالِم
جَنىcaused عَذابيmy torment غُصنٌa bough ناعِمtender
جَنى عَذابي غُصنٌ ناعِم
My heart is wounded, while my love for you remains whole;
A wounded heart, and love unharmed.
a tender bough has reaped my torment.
A tender bough has brought me torment,
وَساقَand brought ليto me السُهدَsleeplessness طَرفٌan eye نائِمdrowsy
وَساقَ لي السُهدَ طَرفٌ نائِم
إِذاwhen مَشىhe walks بِسِنانِwith the spearpoint of اللَحظانِthe two glances
إِذا مَشى بِسِنانِ اللَحظانِ
A drowsy eye has brought me sleeplessness;
And a drowsy eye has brought me sleeplessness.
whenever he walks with the spearpoints of his two glances,
When he walks with the spearpoint of his two glances,
فَالحَربُthen war توقَدis kindled
فَالحَربُ توقَد
يَظَلُّhe keeps يَجرَحُwounding قَلبيmy heart العانِcaptive
يَظَلُّ يَجرَحُ قَلبي العانِ
war is kindled.
Then war is kindled.
He goes on wounding my captive heart,
He keeps wounding my captive heart,
وَأَجرَحُand I wound الخَدthe cheek
وَأَجرَحُ الخَد
أَرَّقتَyou kept sleepless مِنّيof me عَبداًa slave أُرِقّاenslaved
أَرَّقتَ مِنّي عَبداً أُرِقّا
while I wound my cheek.
And I wound my cheek.
You made me—a slave—sleepless indeed;
You have kept me sleepless, a slave in bondage,
فَيَكرَهُso he hates مِنكَfrom you العِتقاfreedom
فَيَكرَهُ مِنكَ العِتقا
يَروقُdelights حُسنُكَyour beauty لَوif only قَدindeed رَقّاit grew tender
يَروقُ حُسنُكَ لَو قَد رَقّا
so he hates emancipation from you.
So he hates being freed by you.
Your beauty is delightful—if only it would soften.
Your beauty would delight, if only it grew tender.
قَسَوتَyou were harsh ظُلماًunjustly عَلىtoward الهَيمانِthe lovesick one
قَسَوتَ ظُلماً عَلى الهَيمانِ
بِقَلبِwith a heart جَلمَدhard stone
بِقَلبِ جَلمَد
You have been unjustly cruel to the love-mad one,
You were unjustly harsh toward the lovesick one,
with a heart of rock.
With a heart of stone.
فَلَمso I did not أَرَsee مَعقِدَthe bond of الهَيمانِpassion
فَلَم أَرَ مَعقِدَ الهَيمانِ
يَكادُcomes close يُعقَدbeing tied
يَكادُ يُعقَد
Never have I seen the inmost heart of a love-mad man
So I have not seen the bond of passion
come so near to hardening.
Come close to being tied.
يَقولُsay ليto me عُذَّليmy reproachers كَمhow long تَصبوyou pine
يَقولُ لي عُذَّلي كَم تَصبو
وَقَدthough already تَقَرَّحَhas grown sore مِنكَof yours القَلبُthe heart
وَقَد تَقَرَّحَ مِنكَ القَلبُ
My reproacher says to me, “How long will you play the lovesick youth,
My reproachers say to me, “How long will you pine,
when your own heart has become an open sore?”
Though your heart has already grown sore?”
لامواthey blamed وَلَمand did not يَعلَمواknow ماwhat الخَطبُthe matter
لاموا وَلَم يَعلَموا ما الخَطبُ
إِنif كانَhe had مَضىdeparted عَنfrom قَلبِيَmy heart الفانِmortal
إِن كانَ مَضى عَن قَلبِيَ الفانِ
They blamed me, not knowing what the matter was:
They blamed me, not knowing what the matter was.
if he has passed from my fading heart,
If he has departed from my mortal heart,
لَمdid not يَبقَremain مُفرَدalone
لَم يَبقَ مُفرَد
يُقالُit is said فيin صَدرِthe breast قَلباًa heart ثانِsecond
يُقالُ في صَدرِ قَلباً ثانِ
my heart has not remained alone;
It has not remained alone;
they say there are two hearts within my breast:
They say a second heart is in my breast:
حِبّيmy beloved مُحَمَّدMuhammad
حِبّي مُحَمَّد
my beloved is Muhammad.
My beloved Muhammad.
