بَكَرَتْrose early عنادلnightingales روضناour garden
بَكَرَتْ عنادل روضنا
تشدوsing علىon الغصنthe bough الرطيبtender
تشدو على الغصن الرطيب
Our garden’s nightingales rose early,
The bulbuls began singing in our garden
singing on the tender bough,
Trilling on the moist branch
وتنوحand they lament إِشفاقاًout of pity علىfor
وتنوح إِشفاقاً على
أهلthe people of الصبابةpassionate longing فيin نحيبsobbing
أهل الصبابة في نحيب
and lamenting out of pity for
Mourning with compassion for
the lovesick, with sobbing cries.
The youth in sorrow with lament
فتثيرso they stir سالفةًbygone الهوىlove
فتثير سالفةً الهوى
منيfrom me وتذكرنيand remind me حبيبيmy beloved
مني وتذكرني حبيبي
So they stir bygone love
So they arouse memories of love
within me, and remind me of my beloved.
In me and remind me of my beloved
ياO ويحwoe to منthe one whom لعبتtoyed بهwith him
يا ويح من لعبت به
شَدَواتُهاtheir songs بعدafter المغيبsunset
شَدَواتُها بعد المغيب
Alas for the one toyed with
Oh woe to whom they played with
by their songs after sunset.
Their melodies after sunset
أوفىperched high سويجعهاtheir little warbler علىupon
أوفى سويجعها على
غصنa bough الأراكةِthe arak tree كالخطيبlike a preacher
غصن الأراكةِ كالخطيب
Their little warbler perched high upon
Faithful is their nightingales' song
a bough of the arak tree, like a preacher.
On the myrtle branch like a preacher
أُسوَيْجعَO little warbler الألحانmelodies قدindeed
أُسوَيْجعَ الألحان قد
غادرتyou have left قلبيmy heart فيin وجيبthrobbing
غادرت قلبي في وجيب
O little warbler of melodies, you have
The tunes have left my heart
left my heart throbbing,
In sorrow without you knowing what’s inside me
وتركتنيand you left me قَرحَsore الجفوthe eyelids (word continues)
وتركتني قَرحَ الجفو
نcompletion of ‘eyelids’ ولستَand you do not تعلمknow ماwhat الذيthat which بيails me
ن ولستَ تعلم ما الذي بي
and left me with sore eyelids,
Remembrance of the beloved overwhelms me
yet you do not know what ails me.
So I complain the complaint of a stranger
يَنْتابُنيassails me ذكرُremembrance of الحبيبthe beloved
يَنْتابُني ذكرُ الحبيب
فأشتكيso I lament شكوىthe lament of الغريبa stranger
فأشتكي شكوى الغريب
Remembrance of my beloved assails me,
I have found only misery
so I utter a stranger’s lament.
After him and melting sorrow
لمdid not ألقَI encounter إِلاّexcept شقوةًmisery
لم ألقَ إِلاّ شقوةً
منfrom بعدهafter him وضنىًand wasting sickness مذيبيthat melts me
من بعده وضنىً مذيبي
I have found nothing but misery
And struggles that have continued
since he left, and a wasting sickness that melts me,
To assail me while I have no responder
ونزاوعاًand yearnings باتتcontinued all night تساbeginning of ‘assail me’
ونزاوعاً باتت تسا
ورنيcompletion of ‘assail me’ وماليand I have no منany مجيبone who answers
ورني ومالي من مجيب
and yearnings that all night assailed
They persisted till dawn
me, with no one to answer me.
With my tears flowing copiously
ساورتهاI wrestled with them حتىuntil الصباmorning (word continues)
ساورتها حتى الصبا
حcompletion of ‘morning’ ودمعand the tears of عينيmy eye فيin صبيبa pouring stream
ح ودمع عيني في صبيب
I wrestled with them until morning,
while tears from my eye poured down.
Partial English translation: 20 of 22 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1