سَلاask, you two هَلwhether سَلاhe has found solace أَوor هَلwhether تَقَلَّبَhas changed قَلبُهُhis heart
سَلا هَل سَلا أَو هَل تَقَلَّبَ قَلبُهُ
وَإِلّاand if not فَتُنبيthen reveal بِالكَآبَةِof sorrow كُتبُهُhis letters
وَإِلّا فَتُنبي بِالكَآبَةِ كُتبُهُ
Ask him: has he found solace, or has his heart changed?
Ask, you two: has he found solace, or has his heart changed?
If not, his writings betray his melancholy.
And if not, his letters reveal his sorrow.
غَريبُsingular in أَسىًsorrow يَهوىloves غَريبَone singular in مَلاحَةٍbeauty
غَريبُ أَسىً يَهوى غَريبَ مَلاحَةٍ
مِنَfrom among التُركِthe Turks أَمثالُlike الحَواجِبِeyebrows حَجبُهُhis veils
مِنَ التُركِ أَمثالُ الحَواجِبِ حَجبُهُ
A stranger in sorrow, he loves a stranger in beauty,
Singular in sorrow, he loves one singular in beauty,
one of the Turks; his veils are like eyebrows.
A Turk whose veils resemble eyebrows.
غَزالٌa gazelle وَلَكِنَand yet الفُؤادَthe heart كِناسُهُhis lair
غَزالٌ وَلَكِنَ الفُؤادَ كِناسُهُ
هِلالٌa crescent moon وَلَكِنَّand yet الغَلائِلَthe thin garments سُحبُهُhis clouds
هِلالٌ وَلَكِنَّ الغَلائِلَ سُحبُهُ
A gazelle—but the heart is his covert;
A gazelle, yet the heart is his lair;
a crescent—but his under-robes are his clouds.
A crescent moon, yet thin garments are his clouds.
تَغارُare jealous المَهاthe oryxes مِنof مُقلَتَيهِhis two eyes إِذاwhen رَناhe gazes
تَغارُ المَها مِن مُقلَتَيهِ إِذا رَنا
وَتَحسُدُهُand envy him إِنif ماسَhe sways gracefully فيin الرَوضِthe garden قُضبُهُits slender boughs
وَتَحسُدُهُ إِن ماسَ في الرَوضِ قُضبُهُ
The oryx envy his eyes whenever he gazes,
The oryxes are jealous of his eyes when he gazes,
and when he sways through the garden, its boughs envy him.
And, if he sways in the garden, its slender boughs envy him.
أَلاah! ياO نَديميmy boon companion مِنwho لِصَبٍّfor a lovesick lover مُتَيَّمٍenslaved by love
أَلا يا نَديمي مِن لِصَبٍّ مُتَيَّمٍ
كَئيبٍsorrowful غِناهُhis song النَوحُlamentation وَالدَمعُand tears شُربُهُhis drink
كَئيبٍ غِناهُ النَوحُ وَالدَمعُ شُربُهُ
Ah, my companion—who will aid a love-maddened lover,
Ah, my boon companion, who will help a lovesick, enthralled lover,
melancholy, whose song is wailing and whose drink is tears?
Sorrowful, whose song is lamentation and whose drink is tears?
جَفاforsook جَفنُهُhis eyelid طيبَthe sweetness of الكَرىsleep لَيلَةَon the night of السُرىnight travel
جَفا جَفنُهُ طيبَ الكَرى لَيلَةَ السُرى
وَجُنِّبَand was kept away عَنِfrom لينِthe softness of الحَشِيَّةِthe mattress جَنبُهُhis side
وَجُنِّبَ عَنِ لينِ الحَشِيَّةِ جَنبُهُ
His eyelid has forsaken sweet slumber, devoted to journeying by night,
His eyelid forsook sweet sleep on the night of travel,
and his side is kept far from the softness of the bedding.
And his side was kept from the softness of the mattress.
