أخذتI began أعدI count أياميmy days
أخذت أعد أيامي
وأنظرand I seek جاهداًearnestly خبركnews of you
وأنظر جاهداً خبرك
I began to count my days,
I took to counting my days
And earnestly seek news of you,
And looking for news of you eagerly
وأسألand I ask عنكabout you أياميmy days
وأسأل عنك أيامي
فمنwho, then بالهجرto forsake قدhas أمركordered you
فمن بالهجر قد أمرك
And ask my days about you.
And asking my days about you
Who, then, has ordered you to forsake me?
So by estrangement who has commanded you
سنونyears قضيتهاI spent them حبّاin love
سنون قضيتها حبّا
إلىuntil أنthat يتعبgrows weary الحبlove
إلى أن يتعب الحب
Years I spent in love,
Years I spent in love
Until love grows weary.
Until love becomes exhausted
فإنso if يكنshould be الهوىpassion ذنباa sin
فإن يكن الهوى ذنبا
فمحبوبيthen my beloved هوhe الذنبthe sin
فمحبوبي هو الذنب
So if passion should be a sin,
If passion is a sin
Then my beloved is the sin.
Then my beloved is that sin
مليحa handsome one لاnot أسميهI name him
مليح لا أسميه
فقدfor indeed حارbecame bewildered الهوىpassion فيهby him
فقد حار الهوى فيه
A handsome one I do not name,
A beauty I will not name
For passion has been bewildered by him.
For passion has confused me about him
شربتI drank الخمرwine منfrom فيهhis mouth
شربت الخمر من فيه
فصرتso I became أتيهI wander فيin التيهbewilderment
فصرت أتيه في التيه
I drank wine from his mouth,
I drank wine from his mouth
So I began to wander in bewilderment,
So I lost my way in craving him
وأسهرand I stay awake فيduring لياليهhis nights
وأسهر في لياليه
مليحa handsome one وجههhis face البدرthe full moon
مليح وجهه البدر
And stay awake through his nights.
And stay up through his nights
A handsome one whose face is the full moon,
A beauty his face like the moon
وفيand in ألحاظهhis glances سحرmagic
وفي ألحاظه سحر
وفيand in أعطافهhis flanks الأمرthe command
وفي أعطافه الأمر
And in his glances there is magic,
And in his glances is magic
And in his form lies the command
And in his tenderness is the command
بأنthat أهوىI love لهhis is الأمرthe command
بأن أهوى له الأمر
That I should love—his is the command.
That I passionately love him