ياO حلوتيmy sweet one وياand O غديmy tomorrow
يا حلوتي ويا غدي
وياand O مراراتbitternesses غديmy tomorrow
ويا مرارات غدي
O my sweet one, and O my tomorrow,
Oh my sweetness, oh my tomorrow
And O the bitternesses of my tomorrow,
Oh the bitterness of tomorrow
وياand O أمانيّwishes فؤادa heart
ويا أمانيّ فؤاد
حبُكتwere woven لموعدfor a rendezvous
حبُكت لموعد
And O the wishes of a heart,
Oh the wishes of my heart
Woven for a rendezvous.
That are appointed for the rendezvous
لمنَكindeed from you صحوُawakening الحلمthe dream
لمنَك صحوُ الحلم
المرنّحreeling المزغردululating
المرنّح المزغرد
From you indeed comes the dream's awakening,
From you the awakening of the dream comes
Reeling, ululating;
The cooing, the singing bird
ومنكand from you وهجglow الضوءthe light واللونand the color
ومنك وهج الضوء واللون
علىupon الأفقthe horizon الصديthirsty
على الأفق الصدي
And from you, the glow of light and color
From you the glow of light and color
Upon the thirsty horizon.
On the clear horizon
يطلعrises إمّاeither تطلعينyou rise
يطلع إمّا تطلعين
الصبحthe dawn أوor لاnot يهتديfinds its way
الصبح أو لا يهتدي
Either it rises as you rise—
Either you rise
The dawn—or cannot find its way.
Or the morning does not find its way
فدتكmay it ransom you روحيmy soul أنتyou
فدتك روحي أنت
منof; among حبيبةa beloved للأبدforever
من حبيبة للأبد
May my soul be your ransom—you,
I sacrifice my soul for you
A beloved forever.
You are my beloved forever
وددتI wished لوif أنكthat you
وددت لو أنك
ياO سمراءdark-complexioned woman شيءsomething فيin يديmy hand
يا سمراء شيء في يدي
I wished that you were,
I wish you
O dark beauty, something in my hand.
Oh dark-skinned one, were something in my hand
فأنتfor you فيin استكانتيmy submission
فأنت في استكانتي
وأنتand you فيin تمرّديmy rebellion
وأنت في تمرّدي
For you are in my submission,
So I can take you in my submissiveness
And you are in my rebellion,
And in my rebellion
وأنتand you فيin شكيّmy doubt
وأنت في شكيّ
وإلحاديand my unbelief وفيand in تعبّديmy worship
وإلحادي وفي تعبّدي
And you are in my doubt,
And in my complaining
And my unbelief, and in my worship.
And my disbelief and in my worship
أنتyou يقينcertainty فيin دميmy blood
أنت يقين في دمي
وعلةًand a cause الترددhesitation
وعلةً التردد
You are certainty in my blood,
You are the certainty in my blood
And the cause of hesitation.
And the illness of my indecision
رحماكyour mercy ياO حلوةsweet one
رحماك يا حلوة
منfrom همّgrief مقيمabiding مقعدcrippling
من همّ مقيم مقعد
Spare me, O sweet one,
Have mercy, oh sweet one
This abiding, crippling grief.
On the lasting sorrow
تخيّunclear as written يدa hand اظنI think
تخيّ يد اظن
وتأتينand you come يديmy hand
وتأتين يدي
[Unclear] a hand, I think,
You underestimate my hand
And you come to my hand.
And you come to my hand
هلاّwon't you? فيسميthen it names كلall ماthat which
هلاّ فيسمي كل ما
فيin الأرضthe earth عذبsweet الموردthe water source
في الأرض عذب المورد
Won't you? Then it names all that
If only everything on earth
Is on earth 'sweet at its source.'
Would be called sweet water
ياO حلوتيmy sweet one فيin شفتيكyour lips
يا حلوتي في شفتيك
أبدan eternity منfrom أبديmy eternity
أبد من أبدي
O my sweet one, in your lips
Oh my sweetness, on your lips
Is an eternity from my eternity.
Eternal eternity
فاطلعيهso bring it forth تطلعيyou rise شرقاًan east
فاطلعيه تطلعي شرقاً
منof الطيبfragrance النديdewy
من الطيب الندي
So bring it forth; you will rise as an east
So rise, rise in the east
Of dewy fragrance.
With the good, the generous
سمراءdark-complexioned woman ياO حلوةsweet one
سمراء يا حلوة
ياO سمراءdark-complexioned woman ياO ملءَfullness غديmy tomorrow
يا سمراء يا ملءَ غدي
Dark beauty, O sweet one,
Dark-skinned, oh sweet one
O dark beauty, O fullness of my tomorrow!
Oh dark-skinned, oh my tomorrow