ترنَّمتْshe sang ترنُّمthe singing of الأسيرِthe captive
ترنَّمتْ ترنُّم الأسيرِ
وَرْقَاءُa gray dove فوقَabove وَرَقٍleaves نضيرِfresh and green
وَرْقَاءُ فوقَ وَرَقٍ نضيرِ
She sang as a captive sings—
The warbler warbled like a captive prisoner,
a gray dove above fresh green leaves.
Green leaves atop peer leaves,
تنطِقُshe speaks عنfrom قلبٍa heart لهاof hers مكسورِbroken
تنطِقُ عن قلبٍ لها مكسورِ
كأنهاas though she تُخبِرُtells عنabout ضميريmy innermost thoughts
كأنها تُخبِرُ عن ضميري
She speaks from her broken heart,
Speaking of a heart broken for her,
as though revealing my innermost thoughts.
As if telling my innermost thoughts,
لبَّيكِI answer your call ياO حزينةَsorrowful الصفيرِthe whistling
لبَّيكِ يا حزينةَ الصفيرِ
إِنif استجرتِyou seek refuge فبمستجيرِthen with a refuge-seeker
إِن استجرتِ فبمستجيرِ
I answer your call, O sorrowful whistler!
If you seek refuge, it is with the Refuge-Giver,
If you seek refuge, it is with another refuge-seeker,
One like you, forgotten and neglected,
مثلكِlike you فيin تبلُّدِthe numbness of المهجورِthe forsaken
مثلكِ في تبلُّدِ المهجورِ
قَصَّclipped جَناحيmy wing زمنيmy time فطيريso fly
قَصَّ جَناحي زمني فطيري
like you in the numbness of the forsaken.
My life folded its wings in my time and flew away,
My time has clipped my wing, so fly!
The choice is yours, to help me or sink me,
لكِyours الخيارُthe choice أنجديseek the uplands أوor غوريseek the lowlands
لكِ الخيارُ أنجدي أو غوري
وحيثماand wherever صارgoes هواكِyour desire صيريgo
وحيثما صار هواكِ صيري
The choice is yours: seek the uplands or the lowlands.
And wherever your love went, so went I,
And go wherever your desire goes.
And if you wanted safety in wronging me,
وإنand if أردتِyou wish for الأمنَsafety أنto تجوريwander
وإن أردتِ الأمنَ أن تجوري
فيمِّميthen head toward بغدادَBaghdad ثمَّthen سِيريtravel
فيمِّمي بغدادَ ثمَّ سِيري
And if you wish to wander in safety,
Then turn Baghdad upside down and go,
head for Baghdad, then go on your way,
Or roam its prosperous quarters,
أوor حَوِّميhover بربعهاaround its quarter المعمورِinhabited
أو حَوِّمي بربعها المعمورِ
مذsince غابvanished فيهin it قمريmy moon بالنورِwith the light
مذ غاب فيه قمري بالنورِ
or hover over its inhabited quarter,
Since my moonlight disappeared with its brightness,
since my moon vanished there with its light.
Maybe you'll tell the maidens of paradise,
عسىperhaps تقولينyou will say لأهلto the companions of الحُورِthe fair-eyed maidens
عسى تقولين لأهل الحُورِ
وَاوَحْشتِيalas, my desolation بعدكafter you للسرورِfor joy
وَاوَحْشتِي بعدك للسرورِ
Perhaps you will say to the companions of the fair-eyed maidens:
"How lonesome I am, after you, for joy."
"Alas, how bereft of joy I am after you!"
Partial English translation: 15 of 16 Arabic lines translated.