وقائلةٍand a woman saying هلwhether يسهلbecomes easy الحبlove والهوىand passion
وقائلةٍ هل يسهل الحب والهوى
علىfor عاشقٍa lover لمdid not يخلbe devoid يوماًfor a day منof القربcloseness
على عاشقٍ لم يخل يوماً من القرب
And a woman asked, “Are love and passion easy
She asked, "Can love and passion come easily
For a lover who has never lacked closeness, even for a day?”
To a lover never far from his love?"
فقلتso I said الهوىpassion صعبٌdifficult علىin أيany حالةٍcircumstance
فقلت الهوى صعبٌ على أي حالةٍ
وأصعبهand the hardest of it ماthat which كانwas فيfor مريمMaryam الصعبal-Sa'b
وأصعبه ما كان في مريم الصعب
So I said, “Passion is difficult in any circumstance,
I said, "Love is hard in any case,
And hardest of all is passion for Maryam al-Sa'b.”
But hardest when the beloved is sublime."