إذاwhen يموتdies الوردthe rose لاnot يمحيis effaced
إذا يموت الورد لا يمحي
إلاexcept السناthe radiance واللونand the color والرونقand the splendor
إلا السنا واللون والرونق
When the rose dies, nothing is effaced
If the rose dies, it only loses
but its radiance, color, and splendor.
Its brightness, color and fragrance,
ويخلدand endures الطيبthe fragrance فإماso if ever جرتblew
ويخلد الطيب فإما جرت
ريحa wind الصباthe east wind منfrom جانبa quarter يعبقgives off fragrance
ريح الصبا من جانب يعبق
And its fragrance endures; if ever there blows
While its scent remains, whenever
an east wind from some quarter, it gives off scent.
A breeze blows from its perfumed side.
الوردthe rose لاnot يفنىperishes فناءcomplete extinction ولوand even if
الورد لا يفنى فناء ولو
ماتdied وألوىand bent عودهits stem المورقleafy
مات وألوى عوده المورق
The rose does not perish utterly, even if
The rose does not perish with death, even
it dies and its leafy stem bends.
If it wilts and its branches wither,
وأنقضيand I pass away فتنقضيso passes away ضمةa cluster
وأنقضي فتنقضي ضمة
منof المنىthe wishes والحُلمُand the dream الريّقfresh
من المنى والحُلمُ الريّق
And I pass away; so too passes a cluster
And its gathering of wishes is gone,
of wishes, and the fresh dream;
Along with dreams of blue serenity.
ورغبةand a longing جاشتsurged بهاwith it أضلعيmy ribs
ورغبة جاشت بها أضلعي
تطبقcloses عينهاits eye إذاwhen أطبقI close mine
تطبق عينها إذا أطبق
and a longing with which my ribs surged
What is mine will vanish with me,
closes its eye when I close mine.
Not even sparing this wearying pain,
يفنىperishes معيwith me ماwhat كانwas منيof me ولاand not
يفنى معي ما كان مني ولا
يسلمsurvives حتىeven الألمthe pain المرهقexhausting
يسلم حتى الألم المرهق
All that was of me perishes with me, and not
Yet my love endures like that aroma,
even the exhausting pain survives.
As if he were a phantom of blue felicity.
أماas for حبيبيmy beloved فهوthen he is ذاكthat الشذاthe fragrance
أما حبيبي فهو ذاك الشذا
كأنهas though he were طيفa vision الهناbliss الأزرقblue
كأنه طيف الهنا الأزرق
As for my beloved, he is that fragrance,
as though he were the blue vision of bliss.
Partial English translation: 12 of 14 Arabic lines translated.