أَبَىrefused القَلبthe heart اليَمانيّYemeni الbeginning of الذي, 'who'
أَبَى القَلب اليَمانيّ ال
ذِيcompletion of الذي, 'who' تُحمَدُis praised أَخلاقُهits character
ذِي تُحمَدُ أَخلاقُه
The Yemeni heart refused—the one
The Yemeni heart that is praised for its morals
whose character is praised.
Refuses the melody to it
وَيَرّفضُّand pours forth لَهُfor it اللَّحنُthe melody
وَيَرّفضُّ لَهُ اللَّحنُ
فماyet not تُفتَقare split open أَرتَاقُهits seams
فما تُفتَق أَرتَاقُه
And melody pours forth for it,
A gazelle, languid of eye
yet its seams are not split open.
A beloved, his legs delicate
غَزَالٌa gazelle أَدعَجُwide and dark العَينِof eye
غَزَالٌ أَدعَجُ العَينِ
رَبيبُtenderly reared خَدَلَّجِplump ساقُهhis leg
رَبيبُ خَدَلَّجِ ساقُه
A gazelle with wide, dark eyes,
Pomegranate, you have taken my heart captive
tenderly reared, with a plump leg,
I throw it to you, for I long for it
رَمَانيhe shot me فَسَبىand so he captured قَلبيmy heart
رَمَاني فَسَبى قَلبي
وأَرمِيهِand I shoot at him فَأَشتَاقُهand so I yearn for him
وأَرمِيهِ فَأَشتَاقُه
shot me and took my heart captive;
and I shoot at him, and so I yearn for him.
Partial English translation: 6 of 8 Arabic lines translated.