ياO صاحبيmy companion حبكlove for you فرضa duty وسننand prescribed practices
يا صاحبي حبك فرض وسنن
يستنُّfollows the established way فيهin it منwhoever إشاعmade public وأجنand concealed
يستنُّ فيه من إشاع وأجن
O my companion, love for you is duty and prescribed practice;
My friend, your love is an obligation and tradition
Those who proclaim it and those who conceal it follow its way.
That awaits dissemination and passion
لأنتindeed, you فيin القلبthe heart منin relation to القلبthe heart المنىwishes
لأنت في القلب من القلب المنى
وأنتand you فيin العينthe eye منin relation to العينthe eye الوسنdrowsiness
وأنت في العين من العين الوسن
Truly, in the heart you are what wishes are to the heart;
For you are in the heart, from the heart, my wish
And in the eye you are what slumber is to the eye.
And you are in the eye, from the eye, my delight
ياO سكنsolace العشاقlovers لولاكwere it not for you لماthere would not
يا سكن العشاق لولاك لما
كانbe هوىpassion القلبthe heart ولاnor كانbe سكنrepose
كان هوى القلب ولا كان سكن
O solace of lovers, were it not for you,
O dwelling of lovers, without you there would be
There would be no passion in the heart, nor any repose.
No yearning of the heart, no tranquility
اهذيI rave بذكراكin remembrance of you وحسبيand enough for me دائباًceaselessly
اهذي بذكراك وحسبي دائباً
اهذيI rave بذكراكin remembrance of you بسرٍّin secret وعلنand openly
اهذي بذكراك بسرٍّ وعلن
I rave in remembrance of you, and it suffices me always
I rave with your memory, and it suffices me always
To rave in remembrance of you, in secret and openly.
To rave with your memory, openly and in secret
رهنتI pledged قلباًa heart فيكto you ليof mine مرتهناheld in pledge
رهنت قلباً فيك لي مرتهنا
ياO منwho رأىhas seen قلباًa heart رهيناًpledged يرتهنis taken in pledge
يا من رأى قلباً رهيناً يرتهن
I pledged to you a heart of mine already held in pledge;
I pledged a heart to you that is mortgaged
Oh, who has seen a pledged heart taken in pledge?
O you who saw a pledged heart pledge itself
حمَّلتهI burdened it ماwhat لمnot يطقcould manage نهضاlifting بهwith it
حمَّلته ما لم يطق نهضا به
حملاa burden ثقيلاheavy يوليbrings وجداًyearning وشجنand sorrow
حملا ثقيلا يولي وجداً وشجن
I burdened it with what it could not rise to bear:
I loaded it with more than it could bear to carry
A heavy burden that brings yearning and sorrow.
A heavy burden that turns to ardor and melancholy
ابكيI weep فاسقيand so I water نجدNajd بالدمعwith tears دماًblood
ابكي فاسقي نجد بالدمع دماً
لاnot كالذيlike one who يبكيweeps علىover عافيeffaced الدمنencampment remains
لا كالذي يبكي على عافي الدمن
I weep, and water Najd with tears of blood,
I cry and water Nejd with bloodied tears
Not like one who weeps over the vanished traces of camps.
Not like one who cries over the unscathed
ياO بأبيmy father as ransom الظبيthe gazelle الذيwho منby يدهhis hand
يا بأبي الظبي الذي من يده
قامتrose علىupon ساقthe leg of الهوىpassion فيهin him الفتنtemptations
قامت على ساق الهوى فيه الفتن
O, my father be ransom for the gazelle by whose hand
O like my father the gazelle, from whose hand
Temptations rose in him upon the leg of passion.
Passion's seditions arose against him
ماnot انتyou الاbut طاقةa bouquet الوردroses التيthat
ما انت الا طاقة الورد التي
قدhas رادهاsought it الرائدthe scout منfrom وادٍa valley أغنlush and murmuring
قد رادها الرائد من وادٍ أغن
You are nothing but a bouquet of roses that
You are nothing but the scent of roses
The scout has sought from a lush, murmuring valley;
That the perfume-maker extracted from a valley of bliss
اوor درةa pearl ازرىbelittled بهاin regard to it مستامهاits would-be buyer
او درة ازرى بها مستامها
فيin ثمنa price والروحand the soul والجسمand the body الثمنthe price
في ثمن والروح والجسم الثمن
Or a pearl undervalued by its would-be buyer
Or a precious pearl I adorned with its price
In his offer, though soul and body are the price.
While my soul and body are the price
لاdo not تبعدنever be distant عنfrom ناظريmy sight ومسمعيand my hearing
لا تبعدن عن ناظري ومسمعي
وعنand from لسانيmy tongue وعنand from الشمّthe sense of smell وعنand from
وعن لساني وعن الشمّ وعن
Never be far from my sight and my hearing,
Do not distance yourself from my sight, hearing,
Nor from my tongue, nor from my sense of smell, nor from—
Tongue, smell, or touch
لولاwere it not for التعاليلconsolations بعلّwith 'perhaps' وعسىand 'maybe'
لولا التعاليل بعلّ وعسى
وليتماand 'if only' لملَّتwould have wearied of الروحthe soul البدنthe body
وليتما لملَّت الروح البدن
Were it not for the consolations of 'perhaps' and 'maybe',
Were it not for twilight, perhaps and maybe
And 'if only', the soul would have wearied of the body.
My soul would have filled the body
اقسمI swear بالبيتby the House العتيقancient ومنىand Mina
اقسم بالبيت العتيق ومنى
وبطيبةٍand by Taybah وبالنبيand by the Prophet المؤتمنthe trusted one
وبطيبةٍ وبالنبي المؤتمن
I swear by the Ancient House and Mina,
I swear by the Ancient House, Mina,
And by Taybah and the trusted Prophet:
Taybah, and the trusted Prophet
حسنكyour beauty فيin الفa thousand زمانages واحدunique
حسنك في الف زمان واحد
ياO واحدpeerless الحسنbeauty لدىduring الفa thousand زمنages
يا واحد الحسن لدى الف زمن
Your beauty is unique in a thousand ages,
For a thousand eras your beauty is one
O peerless in beauty through a thousand ages.
O singular beauty for a thousand eras
خلايmy two friends لاmay you not برحتماyou both cease to be فيin زمنٍan age
خلاي لا برحتما في زمنٍ
فيهin which السرورjoy لاnot السرورjoy والحزنand sorrow
فيه السرور لا السرور والحزن
My two friends, may you ever remain in an age
My two friends, you have not left in a time
Where there is joy, not joy and sorrow.
Of joy, not joy and sorrow
ماnot إنat all (emphasis) عصاdisobeyed فيin الحبlove سلطانthe sovereign of الهوىpassion
ما إن عصا في الحب سلطان الهوى
منhe who لكماto you both عنout of طاعةobedience القىcast الرَّسنthe halter
من لكما عن طاعة القى الرَّسن
Never has he, in love, defied the sovereign of passion—
The authority of passion did not transgress love's rule
He who, in obedience, cast the halter to you both.
Who could restrain you two from obeying commands?
بقيتماmay you both live on والعيشand life فيin فينانهits leafy luxuriance
بقيتما والعيش في فينانه
ماas long as سجعcoo الطيرthe birds علىupon اعلىthe highest الفننthe bough
ما سجع الطير على اعلى الفنن
May you both live on, with life in its leafy luxuriance,
You remain while living in its bliss
As long as birds coo upon the highest bough.
As long as birds trill atop the branches