كَمhow long إلىuntil كَمْhow long أُكَاتِمُI conceal from others النbeginning of 'the people'
كَم إلى كَمْ أُكَاتِمُ الن
ناسَpeople وجْديmy longing ويظهَرُand it shows
ناسَ وجْدي ويظهَرُ
How long, how long shall I conceal from the
How much longer will I hide my love from people
people my longing, though it shows?
While my heart reveals it openly?
كَشَفَlaid bare الهجرُseparation منof غَراbeginning of 'my passion'
كَشَفَ الهجرُ من غَرا
مِيَcompletion of 'my passion' ماwhat كنتُI used to أسْتُرُI conceal
مِيَ ما كنتُ أسْتُرُ
Separation has laid bare, of my pas-
Parting has uncovered what I used to conceal -
sion, what I used to conceal.
My eyes have confessed what I used to deny.
وأقَرَّتْand confessed مَدامِعيmy tears
وأقَرَّتْ مَدامِعي
بالّذيto that which كنتُI used to أُنكرُI deny
بالّذي كنتُ أُنكرُ
And my tears have confessed
How can the sleepless lover be patient?
to what I used to deny.
How can his stratagems succeed?
ماwhat احتيالُrecourse المتَيَّمِthe one enslaved by love الصbeginning of 'the ardent lover'
ما احتيالُ المتَيَّمِ الص
صَبِّardent lover أمor كيفَhow يَصبرُhe endures
صَبِّ أم كيفَ يَصبرُ
What recourse has the love-enslaved, the
I wish she'd stop watching me -
ardent lover—or how can he endure?
For fear of spies he shuns and flees.
رَاقَبَتْهاwatched her العيونُthe eyes ياoh
رَاقَبَتْها العيونُ يا
ليتَهاif only they ليسَdo not تَنظُرُthey look
ليتَها ليسَ تَنظُرُ
The eyes have watched her—oh,
would that they did not look!
فَهوso he منout of خشيَةfear المُراbeginning of 'the watcher'
فَهو من خشيَة المُرا
قِبcompletion of 'the watcher' يَهوَىhe loves ويَهجرُand he shuns
قِب يَهوَى ويَهجرُ
So he, for fear of the watch-
er, loves and shuns.
Partial English translation: 8 of 12 Arabic lines translated.