حَدِّثيناtell us قَرَيبَQarib (name in direct address) ماwhat تَأمُريناyou bid us
حَدِّثينا قَرَيبَ ما تَأمُرينا
إِنَّindeed قَلبيmy heart أَمسىhas become بِهِندٍto Hind رَهيناa captive
إِنَّ قَلبي أَمسى بِهِندٍ رَهينا
Tell us, Qarib, what you bid us.
Tell us soon what you command us
My heart has indeed become Hind's captive.
For my heart is held captive in India
ماnot أُراهُI see it إِلّاexcept سَيَقضيwill put an end عَلَيهِto it
ما أُراهُ إِلّا سَيَقضي عَلَيهِ
ناظِرُthe eye الحُبِّof love خَشيَةَfor fear أَنthat تَبيناshe may depart
ناظِرُ الحُبِّ خَشيَةَ أَن تَبينا
I see only that it will be destroyed
I see naught but love's watcher
by love's eye, for fear that she may depart.
Will end it, fearing we're found out
ثُمَّthen قالَتshe said وَدِدتُI wish أَنَّthat شِفاءًa cure
ثُمَّ قالَت وَدِدتُ أَنَّ شِفاءً
لَكَfor you يُحمىis shielded مِنهُfrom it الغَداةَthis morning يَقيناsurely
لَكَ يُحمى مِنهُ الغَداةَ يَقينا
Then she said, 'I wish there were a cure
Then she said, I wish a cure
for you that would surely provide protection from it this morning.'
For you kept safe from dawn would ensue
إِنif نَأَتwent far away غُربَةٌexile بِهِندٍwith Hind فَإِنّاthen indeed we
إِن نَأَت غُربَةٌ بِهِندٍ فَإِنّا
قَدindeed خَشيناwe have feared أَنthat لاnot تُقارِبَshe may draw near حيناfor a while
قَد خَشينا أَن لا تُقارِبَ حينا
If exile carries Hind far away, then we
If remoteness in India comes our way
have indeed feared she may not draw near for a while.
We fear we'll never reunite one day
فَأَشارَتso she indicated بِأَنَّthat قَلبيmy heart مَريضٌill
فَأَشارَت بِأَنَّ قَلبي مَريضٌ
مِنfrom هَواكُمlove for you (plural) يُجِنُّconceals وَجداًpassion رَصيناdeep-rooted
مِن هَواكُم يُجِنُّ وَجداً رَصينا
So she indicated that my heart was ill,
So she gestured my heart is sick
from love for you, concealing a deep-rooted passion.
With love for you, knotted inside
فَاِلتَمَسso seek ناصِحاًa sincere adviser قَريباًclose مِنَto النُصcounsel (word begins here)
فَاِلتَمَس ناصِحاً قَريباً مِنَ النُص
حِ(completes 'counsel') لَطيفاًtactful لِماfor what تُريدُyou desire مَكيناwell placed
حِ لَطيفاً لِما تُريدُ مَكينا
So seek a sincere adviser, devoted to counsel,
Seek a wise confidante, poetry's ally
tactful and well placed for what you desire,
Subtle for what you intend, discrete and sly
لاdoes not يَخونُbetray الخَليلَthe close friend شَيئاًin any way وَلَكِنand yet
لا يَخونُ الخَليلَ شَيئاً وَلَكِن
رُبَّماsometimes يُحسَبُis deemed المُطيعَthe obedient one أَميناtrustworthy
رُبَّما يُحسَبُ المُطيعَ أَمينا
who does not betray his close friend in any way; yet
No friend betrays, but perhaps
sometimes the obedient one is deemed trustworthy.
The obedient seem benign
فَيَرىso he sees فَعلَهُhis conduct فَيُسديso he bestows إِلَيهِupon him
فَيَرى فَعلَهُ فَيُسدي إِلَيهِ
وَهوَwhile he فيin ذاكَthat بِالحَرىmore likely أَنto يَخوناbetray
وَهوَ في ذاكَ بِالحَرى أَن يَخونا
So he sees his conduct and bestows favors upon him,
Seeing his act, he confides in him
though in that he is more likely to betray.
Though he betrays, a traitor in kind
يَعلَمُknows اللَهُGod أَنَّهُthat he لَأَمينٌis surely trustworthy
يَعلَمُ اللَهُ أَنَّهُ لَأَمينٌ
قَبُحَتhow vile طينَةُthe clay الخِيانَةِof treachery طيناclay
قَبُحَت طينَةُ الخِيانَةِ طينا
God knows that he is surely trustworthy.
God knows he's trustworthy
How vile a clay is the clay of treachery!
Treachery's essence is base by design