ضَنَّتْshe withheld عَليكfrom you بِوَصْلهاher union لكَfor you زينبُZaynab
ضَنَّتْ عَليك بِوَصْلها لكَ زينبُ
وَطلبتَand you sought لمّاwhen عزَّbecame hard to obtain منهاfrom her المطلبُthe thing sought
وَطلبتَ لمّا عزَّ منها المطلبُ
Zaynab begrudged you union with her,
Zaynab denied you union with her,
and you sought her, hard as she was to attain.
And you sought it when it became hard to obtain from her.
وَأَرَتْكَand she showed you برقاًa flash of lightning لامِعاًgleaming مِنfrom وَعدِهاher promise
وَأَرَتْكَ برقاً لامِعاً مِن وَعدِها
لَكِنَّهُbut it is بَرقٌlightning لَعَمْركَby your life خُلَّبُbringing no rain
لَكِنَّهُ بَرقٌ لَعَمْركَ خُلَّبُ
She showed you, in her promises, a gleaming flash of lightning,
And she showed you a gleaming flash of lightning from her promise,
but it is deceptive lightning, bringing no rain.
But, by your life, it is lightning that brings no rain.
وَتقولُand she says ليto me جَهلاًout of ignorance بِأَسبابِof the causes الهَوىlove
وَتقولُ لي جَهلاً بِأَسبابِ الهَوى
كَيفَhow الهَوىlove والرّأسand the head مِنكَof yours الأشيبُgray-haired
كَيفَ الهَوى والرّأس مِنكَ الأشيبُ
And she says to me, ignorant of the ways of love:
And she says to me, ignorant of the causes of love:
“How can there be love when your head has turned gray?”
“How can you love when your head is gray?”
وَالحُبُّand love داءٌan illness لِلرجالِfor men تَباعَدواthey grew distant
وَالحُبُّ داءٌ لِلرجالِ تَباعَدوا
عَنfrom شيبةٍgray hair وَشَبيبةٍand youth وَتَقَرّبواand they drew near
عَن شيبةٍ وَشَبيبةٍ وَتَقَرّبوا
Love is an affliction of men, whether they stand far
And love is an illness for men, whether they are far
from gray age and youth—or draw near.
From gray hair and youth, or draw near.
