ياO مليحَfair الوجهِthe face لِمْwhy فعconduct (word beginning)
يا مليحَ الوجهِ لِمْ فع
لُكَyour (ending of 'your conduct') ليtoward me غيرُnot مَليحِfair
لُكَ لي غيرُ مَليحِ
O fair of face, why is your conduct
O fair of face, why do you
Toward me not fair?
Treat me unkind, though I'm kind to you
إنّindeed مَنْwhoever يبذلُgives freely نفساًa soul
إنّ مَنْ يبذلُ نفساً
فيin الهوىlove غيرُnot شحيحِstingy
في الهوى غيرُ شحيحِ
Indeed, whoever gives his soul
He who gives his soul freely
In love is not stingy.
In love is no miser, it's true
لمdid not تَخِرْyou choose جسمِيَmy body فَرْداًalone
لم تَخِرْ جسمِيَ فَرْداً
لَكَyours معْwith حسمِيَmy body (apparently intended: جسمِيَ) روحيmy soul
لَكَ معْ حسمِيَ روحي
You did not choose my body alone;
My body and spirit alike
My soul is yours along with my [body].
I've given to you as your due
والهوىand love بَلْوىan affliction ولكنْand yet
والهوى بَلْوى ولكنْ
لسقيمٍfor an ailing one بصحيحِthrough a healthy one
لسقيمٍ بصحيحِ
And love is an affliction, yet
Though love be an illness, yet
For one who is ailing, through one who is well.
For one sick, it is a cure
كمhow many ليالٍnights سَهَرِيmy sleeplessness فيover
كم ليالٍ سَهَرِي في
كَyou (attached to في) غَبوقيmy evening drink وصَبوحِيand my morning drink
كَ غَبوقي وصَبوحِي
How many nights has my sleeplessness over
How many nights have I spent
You been my evening draught and morning drink!
Pining, till dawn breaks anew
بِتّI spent the night أشكوI complain of غُصصchoking pangs الحبlove (word continues)
بِتّ أشكو غُصص الحب
بِending of 'love' إلىto غيرnot مُريحِone who gives relief
بِ إلى غير مُريحِ
I spent the night lamenting love's choking pangs
Complaining of love's sharp pangs
To one who gives no relief.
To one who won't give me my due
لوif خطانِيpassed me by جُرحُهُits wound وقْbeginning of 'a while'
لو خطانِي جُرحُهُ وقْ
تاًending of 'a while' لداويتُthen I would heal جُروحيmy wounds
تاً لداويتُ جُروحي
If its wound passed me by
If his wounding glances but grazed me
For a while, I would heal my wounds.
I'd tend to love's wounds, it is true
لِيmine is بكاءٌweeping منof دمٍblood صِرْpure (word beginning)
لِي بكاءٌ من دمٍ صِرْ
فٍending of 'pure' منfrom الجَفْنِthe eyelid القريحِwounded
فٍ من الجَفْنِ القريحِ
My weeping is of blood,
I've tears of blood from these eyes
Pure, from a wounded eyelid.
Once bright, now dimmed by heartache
كُلّماwhenever اِستَبدلتُI sought a replacement أُبْدلْwas given in exchange (verb continues)
كُلّما اِستَبدلتُ أُبْدلْ
تُI (verb ending) قبيحاًsomething ugly بقبيحِfor something ugly
تُ قبيحاً بقبيحِ
Whenever I seek a change, I am given
If I change one torment for another
Ugliness in exchange for ugliness.
Exchanging bad for worse will ensue
وإذاand when طاوعتُI obeyed أمرthe command of الthe (article attached to 'love')
وإذا طاوعتُ أمر ال
حُبِّlove عاصيتُI disobeyed نصيحيmy adviser
حُبِّ عاصيتُ نصيحي
And when I obey the command of
If I obey love's command
Love, I disobey my adviser.
I'll betray good counsel's call too