للغُوطَةِfor Ghouta الغنّاءthe lush أشرفthe noblest رَبوةٍa hill
للغُوطَةِ الغنّاء أشرف رَبوةٍ
أضحىbecame بهاin it عيشُlife النزيلthe guest رغيداcomfortable
أضحى بها عيشُ النزيل رغيدا
Lush Ghouta has the noblest hill,
The singing nightingale's most sublime perch
where the guest's life has become one of ease.
Has made the sojourner's life joyful
نَشَرَspread الربيعُspring علىover حدائقgardens دَوْحهاits spreading trees
نَشَرَ الربيعُ على حدائق دَوْحها
حُلَلاًrobes تزيدُsurpass علىbeyond بُرودِstriped cloaks تزِيداTazīd
حُلَلاً تزيدُ على بُرودِ تزِيدا
Spring has spread over the gardens of its spreading trees
Spring has spread over Dawha's gardens
robes surpassing the striped cloaks of Tazīd.
Garments that surpass the coolness of Tazid's abode
فلوfor if أنَّthat شدّادShaddād ابنson of عادٍʿĀd حلّهاsettled in it
فلو أنَّ شدّاد ابن عادٍ حلّها
ماnot شادbuilt فيin ذاتِpossessor of العِمادthe pillars عَموداa pillar
ما شاد في ذاتِ العِماد عَمودا
For had Shaddād, son of ʿĀd, settled there,
If Shaddad ibn 'Ad had made it his abode
he would have raised no pillar in the City of Pillars.
He would not have erected pillars of grandeur
غنّتْsang بهاin it للوِرْقof the gray doves كلevery مُرّنةٍtrilling bird
غنّتْ بها للوِرْق كل مُرّنةٍ
تَدعُleaves الخليَّthe carefree بشَدْوهاwith its song معموداlove-stricken
تَدعُ الخليَّ بشَدْوها معمودا
Every trilling gray dove sang there,
Every swaying branch sang in it
leaving the carefree love-stricken by its song.
Leaving the nightingale swooning with its melody
فكأنماso, as though غنّىsang الغَريضُal-Gharīḍ ومعبدٌand Maʿbad
فكأنما غنّى الغَريضُ ومعبدٌ
فيهاin it الثقيلَthe heavy musical rhythm وردّداand both repeated ترديداagain and again
فيها الثقيلَ وردّدا ترديدا
As though al-Gharīḍ and Maʿbad were singing
It was as though Garid the singer and Mu'abbad
the 'heavy' rhythm there, repeating it again and again;
Sang the slow tempo and repeated the chorus
وشداand sang زُنامٌZunām فيthrough اليراعthe reed pipe وحرّكَتْand set in motion
وشدا زُنامٌ في اليراع وحرّكَتْ
معَهwith him بنانُthe fingers of بَنانَBanān فيهاin it العَوداthe lute
معَه بنانُ بَنانَ فيها العَودا
and Zunām sang through the reed pipe, while
And Zunam tightened the strings of the lute and moved
Banān's fingers, beside him, stirred the lute there.
The fingers of Banan upon it to and fro
Sol 6.1