تَقولُshe says غَداةَon the morning اِلتَقَيناwe met الرَباal-Rabāb (name, continued)
تَقولُ غَداةَ اِلتَقَينا الرَبا
بُcompletes 'al-Rabāb' ياO ذاyou there أَفَلتَyou vanished أُفولَthe setting of السِماكِal-Simāk (a star)
بُ يا ذا أَفَلتَ أُفولَ السِماكِ
Al-Rabāb says, on the morning we met,
"You there, you vanished as al-Simāk sets!"
كَفَّتshe held back سَوابِقَthe first drops مِنof عَبرَةٍweeping
كَفَّت سَوابِقَ مِن عَبرَةٍ
كَماjust as اِرفَضَّscattered نَظمٌa string of beads ضَعيفُweak السِلاكِthe thread
كَما اِرفَضَّ نَظمٌ ضَعيفُ السِلاكِ
She held back the first rush of tears,
like beads scattered from a fragile thread.
فَقُلتُso I said لَهاto her مَنwhoever يُطِعobeys بِالصَديconcerning the friend (continued)
فَقُلتُ لَها مَن يُطِع بِالصَدي
قِcompletes 'the friend' أَعداءَهُhis enemies يَجتَنِبهُshuns him كَذاكِjust so (addressing you)
قِ أَعداءَهُ يَجتَنِبهُ كَذاكِ
I told her, "Whoever heeds, concerning a friend,
his enemies is shunned by that friend in just this way.
أَغَرَّكِhas it deceived you? أَنّيthat I عَصَيتُI defied المَلاreproach (continued)
أَغَرَّكِ أَنّي عَصَيتُ المَلا
مَcompletes 'reproach' فيكِfor your sake وَأَنَّand that هَواناour love هَواكِyour love
مَ فيكِ وَأَنَّ هَوانا هَواكِ
Has it deceived you that I defied reproach
for you, and that our love is yours?
وَلَمand did not أَرَI see ليfor myself لَذَّةًa delight فيin الحَياlife (continued)
وَلَم أَرَ لي لَذَّةً في الحَيا
ةِcompletes 'life' تَلتَذُّهاsavors it العَينُthe eye حَتّىuntil أَراكِI see you
ةِ تَلتَذُّها العَينُ حَتّى أَراكِ
Nor have I found any delight in life
for the eye to savor until I see you.
وَكانَand it was مِنَamong الذَنبِthe faults ليfor me عِندَكُمin your judgment
وَكانَ مِنَ الذَنبِ لي عِندَكُم
مُكارَمَتيmy generosity وَاِتِباعيand my pursuit of رِضاكِyour pleasure
مُكارَمَتي وَاِتِباعي رِضاكِ
And in your eyes it was a fault of mine:
my generosity and my pursuit of your pleasure.
فَلَيتَso, if only الَّذيthe one who لامَblamed مِنfor أَجلِكُمyour sake
فَلَيتَ الَّذي لامَ مِن أَجلِكُم
وَفيand concerning أَنthat تُزاريyou be visited بِرَغمٍagainst one's will وَقاكِwould shield you
وَفي أَن تُزاري بِرَغمٍ وَقاكِ
If only he who blamed me on your account,
and for your being visited against his will, would shield you
هُمومَthe cares of الحَياةِlife وَأَسقامَهاand its illnesses
هُمومَ الحَياةِ وَأَسقامَها
وَإِنand even if كانَit were حَتفاًdeath جَهيزاًswift فَداكِwould ransom you
وَإِن كانَ حَتفاً جَهيزاً فَداكِ
from life's cares and illnesses,
and, even at the cost of swift death, ransom you."