تجمّلadorn yourself بالسماحwith generosity ودعand cease ملاميreproaching me
تجمّل بالسماح ودع ملامي
وكنand be عونa helper to المحبthe lover المستهامِlove-stricken
وكن عون المحب المستهامِ
Adorn yourself with generosity, and cease reproaching me;
Be gentle and leave blame,
And be a helper to the love-stricken lover.
And help the lover who is infatuated.
ففيfor in أسيوطAsyut لوif تدرىyou knew حبيبa beloved
ففي أسيوط لو تدرى حبيب
هجرتI have forsaken لبعدهbecause of his distance طيبthe sweetness of المنامِsleep
هجرت لبعده طيب المنامِ
For in Asyut, if you only knew, there is a beloved;
In Asyut, if you only knew, my beloved,
Because he is far away, I have forsaken sweet slumber.
I abandoned the sweetness of sleep because you are far.
أسيتُI grieve لهfor him يحنّhe longs إلىfor لقائيmeeting me
أسيتُ له يحنّ إلى لقائي
ودونand in the way of مرامهhis desire كيدُthe scheming of اللئامِthe base
ودون مرامه كيدُ اللئامِ
I grieve for him: he longs to meet me,
I suffered longing for his meeting,
And the scheming of the base stands in the way of his desire.
While the schemes of villains thwart his aims.
إذاwhen ماan emphatic particle الليلnight جنّfalls ونامand sleep صحبيmy companions
إذا ما الليل جنّ ونام صحبي
مشتcourses نارthe fire of التذكرremembrance فيthrough عظاميmy bones
مشت نار التذكر في عظامي
When night falls and my companions sleep,
When night falls and my companions sleep,
The fire of remembrance courses through my bones.
The fire of memory blazes through my bones.
سلامٌpeace أيهاO النائيdistant one سلامpeace
سلامٌ أيها النائي سلام
وهلand can ...? يغنىsuffice عنin place of اللقياmeeting سلامىmy greeting
وهل يغنى عن اللقيا سلامى
Peace, O distant one, peace!
Greetings, oh distant one, greetings
And can my greeting take the place of meeting?
But can a greeting substitute for meeting?