صباwas smitten المشتاقthe yearning lover لمّاwhen أنْthat (reinforcing particle) رآهاhe saw her
صبا المشتاق لمّا أنْ رآها
قبيلshortly before الظهرnoon تخطرshe sways gracefully فيin حلاهاher finery
قبيل الظهر تخطر في حلاها
The yearning lover was smitten when he saw her,
The longing lover when he saw her
Just before noon, as she swayed along in her finery.
In the late morning walking gracefully
مبرقعةٌveiled كبدرٍlike a full moon برقعتهveiled it
مبرقعةٌ كبدرٍ برقعته
سحابةُa cloud مزنةٍa raincloud عَبَسَتْfrowned سماهاits sky
سحابةُ مزنةٍ عَبَسَتْ سماها
Veiled, like a full moon veiled by
Veiled like a full moon hiding its brightness
A raincloud whose sky frowned.
Behind a frowning raincloud in the sky
فماso what أصباكenthralled you ياO ابنson of العمthe paternal uncle منهاabout her
فما أصباك يا ابن العم منها
أعيناهاis it her eyes? بربّكَby your Lord أمor طلاهاher neck
أعيناها بربّكَ أم طلاها
So what about her enthralled you, cousin—
What misfortunes have befallen you, cousin
Her eyes, by your Lord, or her neck?
Her eyes by your Lord or her beauty?
ألاah! للهto God (an exclamation) ماwhat قاسىendured فؤاديmy heart
ألا لله ما قاسى فؤادي
وماand what قاسيتُI suffered منهاfrom her فيin هواهاlove for her
وما قاسيتُ منها في هواها
Ah, God, what my heart has suffered,
Oh God, what my heart has endured
And what I have suffered from her in loving her!
And what I have endured in my love for her
سلاهاask her, you two هَلْwhether سَلَتْshe has forgotten صَبّاًa passionate lover شجياًsorrowful
سلاها هَلْ سَلَتْ صَبّاً شجياً
فقلبيfor my heart مذsince رآهاit saw her ماnot سلاهاhas forgotten her
فقلبي مذ رآها ما سلاها
Ask her, you two: has she forgotten a sorrowful lover?
Greet her, did she greet a deeply infatuated lover?
For my heart, since it saw her, has not forgotten her.
Since I saw her, my heart has known no serenity