إذاwhen الرّيحُthe wind حيَّتنيgreeted me بنَفحةِwith a breath طيبِfragrance
إذا الرّيحُ حيَّتني بنَفحةِ طيبِ
تذكَّرتُI remembered ليلَthe night الحبّlove فوقupon كثيبِa dune
تذكَّرتُ ليلَ الحبّ فوق كثيبِ
When the wind greets me with a breath of fragrance,
If the wind greets me with a whiff of scent
I remember the night of love upon a dune.
I remember the night of love above a hill
عشيَّةَthat evening بتناwe spent the night نسمَعُwe hear الموجَthe waves شاكياًlamenting
عشيَّةَ بتنا نسمَعُ الموجَ شاكياً
فَنَمزُجُand we blend ترنيمَthe song الهوَىlove بنحيبwith sobbing
فَنَمزُجُ ترنيمَ الهوَى بنحيب
That evening we spent the night listening to the waves lament,
In the evening we would hear the waves complaining
And mingling love’s song with sobbing.
So we mix the melody of passion with sobbing
وقدand already سَطَعتshone زهراءُa radiant star فيin أُفُقِthe horizon الحِمىthe homeland
وقد سَطَعت زهراءُ في أُفُقِ الحِمى
تُحيِّيgreets هلالاًa crescent مثلَlike وجهِa face كئيبsorrowful
تُحيِّي هلالاً مثلَ وجهِ كئيب
And a radiant star shone on the homeland’s horizon,
And the bright one rose in the horizon of passion
Greeting a crescent like a sorrowful face.
Greeting a crescent like a sad face
ومنكِand from you ومنّيand from me دمعةٌa tear وابتسامةٌand a smile
ومنكِ ومنّي دمعةٌ وابتسامةٌ
هماboth فيin الشّبابِyouth الغضِّtender خيرُthe best نصيبshare
هما في الشّبابِ الغضِّ خيرُ نصيب
And from you and me came a tear and a smile—
From you and from me a tear and a smile
Both are the finest share in tender youth.
They are in lush youth the best luck
فماso how أعذبَsweet الشَّكوىthe lament وماand how أعظمgreat الهوىlove
فما أعذبَ الشَّكوى وما أعظم الهوى
إذاwhen انفَجَراboth burst forth منfrom أعيُنٍeyes وقلوبand hearts
إذا انفَجَرا من أعيُنٍ وقلوب
How sweet the lament, and how great the love,
So how sweet is the complaint and how great is the passion
When both burst forth from eyes and hearts!
When they burst out from eyes and hearts
فكمand how many مرةٍa time قبَّلتُI kissed عَينَكِyour eye خلسةًsecretly
فكم مرةٍ قبَّلتُ عَينَكِ خلسةً
كماas نقَرَpecked العصفورُthe sparrow حَبَّberries زَبيبraisins
كما نقَرَ العصفورُ حَبَّ زَبيب
And how often I kissed your eye in secret,
So how many times did I secretly kiss your eyes
As a sparrow pecks at raisins.
Like a sparrow pecking juicy raisins
وقَدُّكِand your figure ميّالٌswaying وشَعرُكand your hair مُرسَلٌflowing loose
وقَدُّكِ ميّالٌ وشَعرُك مُرسَلٌ
فكنتِso you were كغصنٍlike a bough فيin الرّبيعِspring رطيبtender
فكنتِ كغصنٍ في الرّبيعِ رطيب
Your figure swayed, and your hair flowed loose,
Your posture is leaning and your hair is loose
So you were like a tender bough in spring.
You were like a branch in the soft spring
تزوّدتُI took as provision منfrom عينيكyour two eyes أجملَthe loveliest نظرةٍglance
تزوّدتُ من عينيك أجملَ نظرةٍ
تُنيرُilluminates سَبيليmy path فيin ظلامِdarkness خطوبtribulations
تُنيرُ سَبيلي في ظلامِ خطوب
I took the loveliest glance from your eyes as provision,
I got from your eyes the most beautiful gaze
It lights my path through the darkness of tribulations.
It lights my way in the darkness of adversities
لأجلِهماfor their sake أهوىI love بلاديmy homeland وأُمتيand my nation
لأجلِهما أهوى بلادي وأُمتي
ولوand even if قابَلتmet صفحيmy forgiveness بشرِّwith the worst ذنوبsins
ولو قابَلت صفحي بشرِّ ذنوب
For their sake I love my homeland and my nation,
Because of them I love my country and my nation
Even if they meet my forgiveness with the worst of sins.
Even if my page meets the evil of sins
سَقىmay water اللهُGod ياO حسناءُbeautiful woman ليلةَthe night حُبِّناour love
سَقى اللهُ يا حسناءُ ليلةَ حُبِّنا
هُنالِكَthere فوقَupon الرّملِthe sand دمعَtears غريبa stranger
هُنالِكَ فوقَ الرّملِ دمعَ غريب
May God, O fair one, water the night of our love,
May God water, oh beautiful one, the night of our love
There upon the sand, with a stranger’s tears.
There, above the sand, a stranger's tear
تُعلِّلُنيconsoles me فيin النأيseparation ذكرىa memory كأنهاas though it were
تُعلِّلُني في النأي ذكرى كأنها
ربيعُspringtime شبابٍyouth فيin خريفِautumn مشيبgray hair
ربيعُ شبابٍ في خريفِ مشيب
In separation, a memory consoles me, as though it were
It makes me recall in remoteness a memory as if it were
Youth’s springtime in the autumn of gray hair.
The spring of youth in the autumn of old age
إذاwhen خطرتit occurred ليto me والهمومُand cares كثيرةٌmany
إذا خطرت لي والهمومُ كثيرةٌ
أرتنيit showed me شعاعَa ray الشّمسthe sun بعدafter غروبsunset
أرتني شعاعَ الشّمس بعد غروب
When it comes to mind, and cares are many,
When sorrows occur to me and they are many
It shows me a ray of the sun after sunset.
Show me the sunbeam after sunset
فأصبحَso it became قَلبيmy heart خافقاًfluttering مثلlike طائرٍa bird
فأصبحَ قَلبي خافقاً مثل طائرٍ
أسيرٍcaptive يُعزّيهِconsoles it حَنينُplaintive calls سروبflocks
أسيرٍ يُعزّيهِ حَنينُ سروب
Then my heart begins to flutter like a bird,
So my heart flutters like a bird
Held captive, consoled by the plaintive calls of flocks.
A captive one comforted by the twittering of chirping
Sol 6.1