كلَّماwhenever قلتُI said جُدgive generously لذُلِّيfor my abasement وحُزنيand my sorrow
كلَّما قلتُ جُد لذُلِّي وحُزني
باللَّقاwith a meeting قالَsaid لاno وَعزِّيby my glory وحُسنيand my beauty
باللَّقا قالَ لا وَعزِّي وحُسني
Whenever I said, “In my abasement and sorrow, grant me
Whenever I say, please end my humiliation and sorrow
a meeting,” he said, “No, by my glory and beauty.”
He says no, and dignify and delight me
قمرٌa moon كاملُperfect الصِّفاتِthe qualities مُنيرٌradiant
قمرٌ كاملُ الصِّفاتِ مُنيرٌ
تحتَbeneath ليلٍa night منof شَعرهِhis hair فوقَabove غُصنِa bough
تحتَ ليلٍ من شَعرهِ فوقَ غُصنِ
A radiant moon, perfect in every quality,
A perfect, bright moon
beneath a night of his hair, above a bough.
Under a night of his hair above a branch
يستبيحُhe sheds without restraint الدِّماءَblood ظُلماًunjustly وبَغياًand tyrannically
يستبيحُ الدِّماءَ ظُلماً وبَغياً
لاnot بسيفِwith a sword ماضٍkeen ولكنand yet بجفنِwith an eyelid
لا بسيفِ ماضٍ ولكن بجفنِ
He sheds blood unjustly and tyrannically,
Who unjustly and aggressively sheds blood
not with a keen sword, but with an eyelid.
Not with a passed sword, but with an eyelid
كلَّماwhenever قالَsaid طَرفُهhis gaze لاno وكلاًand certainly not
كلَّما قالَ طَرفُه لا وكلاً
قالَsaid وَجديmy longing عسَىperhaps وليتَand if only وإِنيand indeed I
قالَ وَجدي عسَى وليتَ وإِني
Whenever his gaze said, “No—and certainly not,”
Whenever his glance says no and never
my longing said, “Perhaps—and if only—and indeed I...”
My passion says perhaps, if only and indeed
جلَّhe is exalted وَصفاًin description منbeyond أنthat يُشبَّهhe be likened بالأَغصاto the boughs (continued)
جلَّ وَصفاً من أن يُشبَّه بالأَغصا
نِ(completes 'boughs') عطفاin graceful form وبالغَزلِand to the gazelle الأغَنِّsoft, nasal-voiced
نِ عطفا وبالغَزلِ الأغَنِّ
He is too sublime in description to be likened to boughs
Too glorious in description to be compared to the branches
in graceful form, or to the sweet-voiced gazelle.
In gentleness and in tender song
منwho مُجيريmy protector منfrom جائرٍa tyrant جازَoverstepped حداًa limit
من مُجيري من جائرٍ جازَ حداً
وغُلواًand excess فيin هجرهِhis shunning والتَّجنيand groundless blame
وغُلواً في هجرهِ والتَّجني
Who will protect me from a tyrant who has overstepped the bounds
I have no protector against an oppressor who has crossed limits
and gone to excess in his shunning and groundless blame?
In his estrangement and avoidance of me
قالَsaid ليto me خَصرهُhis waist كفاكَit suffices you بأنin that تُسyou attribute (continued)
قالَ لي خَصرهُ كفاكَ بأن تُس
نِدَ(completes 'you attribute') أَخبارَaccounts سُقمِsickness جِسمِكَyour body عنِّيon my authority
نِدَ أَخبارَ سُقمِ جِسمِكَ عنِّي
His waist said to me, “It is enough for you to cite
He said to me, your waist is enough, stop
accounts of your body's sickness on my authority.”
Telling me the news of your body’s illness from me