وُجدُyearning الفُؤادِthe heart's بِزَينَباfor Zaynab
وُجدُ الفُؤادِ بِزَينَبا
وَجداًyearning شَديداًintense مُتعِباexhausting
وَجداً شَديداً مُتعِبا
The heart's yearning for Zaynab—
My heart is consumed with love for Zainab
a fierce, exhausting yearning.
A severe and wearying passion
أَصبَحتُI have become مِنfrom وَجدٍyearning بَهاfor her
أَصبَحتُ مِن وَجدٍ بَها
أُدعىI am called شَقِيّاًwretched مُنصَباweary
أُدعى شَقِيّاً مُنصَبا
From yearning for her, I have come
Her love has left me suffering
to be called wretched and weary.
Called unhappy and distraught
وَلَقَدand indeed كُنّيتُI referred indirectly عَنِto اِسمِهاher name
وَلَقَد كُنّيتُ عَنِ اِسمِها
عَمداًdeliberately لِكَيso that لاnot تَغضَباshe grows angry
عَمداً لِكَي لا تَغضَبا
And indeed I referred indirectly to her name,
And I purposefully used a nickname for her
deliberately, lest she grow angry.
So she would not be angered
وَجَعلتُand I made زَينَبَZaynab سُترَةًa veil
وَجَعلتُ زَينَبَ سُترَةً
وَأَتَيتُand I did أَمراًa deed مُعجِباwondrous
وَأَتَيتُ أَمراً مُعجِبا
And I made Zaynab a veil,
I made Zainab a veil
and did a wondrous thing.
And did a wondrous thing
قالَتshe said وَقَدand already عَزَّbecame hard to attain الوِصاthe union (first part)
قالَت وَقَد عَزَّ الوِصا
لَending of 'union' وَلَمand did not أَجِدI find لِيَfor myself مَذهَباa way out
لَ وَلَم أَجِد لِيَ مَذهَبا
She said, when union had grown hard to attain,
She said, when the tryst was difficult
and I could find no way out:
"No, I could find no escape"
وَاللَهِby God لاnot نِلتَyou attain المَوَthe affection (first part)
وَاللَهِ لا نِلتَ المَوَ
دَّةَending of 'affection' أَوunless تَنالَyou reach الكَوكَباthe star
دَّةَ أَو تَنالَ الكَوكَبا
"By God, you shall not win affection
By God, you will not attain intimacy
unless you reach the star."
Or reach the stars