رَوَتْrecounted نَفَحَاتُwafts الطِّيبِthe perfume عَنْfrom نَسْمِةِthe breath الصِّبَاthe east wind
رَوَتْ نَفَحَاتُ الطِّيبِ عَنْ نَسْمِةِ الصِّبَا
حَدِيثَa tale غَرَامٍpassionate love عَنْfrom سُوَيْكِنَةِthe little dweller الخِبَاthe tent
حَدِيثَ غَرَامٍ عَنْ سُوَيْكِنَةِ الخِبَا
Wafts of perfume recounted, from the east wind’s breath,
A tale of passion from the tent’s little dweller.
وَأَهْدَىand brought as a gift النَّسِيمُthe breeze الحَاجِريُّfrom Hajir سَلاَمَهَاher greeting
وَأَهْدَى النَّسِيمُ الحَاجِريُّ سَلاَمَهَا
فَياso, oh لُطْفَsweetness مَاwhat أَهْدَىbrought as a gift النَّسِيمُthe breeze وَمَاand what حَبَاbestowed
فَيا لُطْفَ مَا أَهْدَى النَّسِيمُ وَمَا حَبَا
And the breeze from Hajir brought her greeting—
How sweet what the breeze brought and bestowed!
أَيَاO صَاحِبيmy companion مَاwhat لِلْحِمَىwith the sanctuary فَاحَspread fragrantly نَشْرُهُits fragrance
أَيَا صَاحِبي مَا لِلْحِمَى فَاحَ نَشْرُهُ
فَهَلْthen, has...? سَحَبَتْtrailed لَيْلَىLayla ذِيولاًtrailing hems عَلَىover الرُّبَاthe hills
فَهَلْ سَحَبَتْ لَيْلَى ذِيولاً عَلَى الرُّبَا
O my companion, why has the sanctuary’s fragrance spread?
Has Layla, then, trailed her skirts over the hills?
فماذاso what الشَذاthe fragrance إلاَّexcept وقدand indeed زَارvisited طَيْفُهَاher phantom
فماذا الشَذا إلاَّ وقد زَار طَيْفُهَا
فأهْلاًso welcome بطَيْفٍto a phantom زارَvisited مِنْهَاfrom her وَمَرْحَباand welcome
فأهْلاً بطَيْفٍ زارَ مِنْهَا وَمَرْحَبا
What else could this fragrance mean but that her phantom has visited?
Welcome, then, to a phantom that came from her—welcome!
فَياso, oh طِيبَsweetness عَيْشٍa life مَرْpassed لِيfor me بِفِنَائِهَاin her courtyard
فَيا طِيبَ عَيْشٍ مَرْ لِي بِفِنَائِهَا
وَلَوْand if عَادreturned يَوْماًone day كَأنَas though عِنْدِيto me أَطْيَباsweeter
وَلَوْ عَاد يَوْماً كَأنَ عِنْدِي أَطْيَبا
How sweet was the life I passed in her courtyard!
And were it to return one day, it would seem sweeter to me.
لَيِاليَّmy nights أُنْسٌdelight in companionship كُلُّهَاall of them سَحَرٌpre-dawn بهاwith her
لَيِاليَّ أُنْسٌ كُلُّهَا سَحَرٌ بها
وَأَيَّامُand days وَصْلٍunion كُلُّهَاall of them زَمَنُthe time الصّباyouth
وَأَيَّامُ وَصْلٍ كُلُّهَا زَمَنُ الصّبا
My nights are delight, all of them the hours before dawn with her;
And days of union, all of them the season of youth.
مُمُنْعَةٌprotected رَفْعُlifting الحِجابِthe veil وَضَوْءُهُاand her radiance
مُمُنْعَةٌ رَفْعُ الحِجابِ وَضَوْءُهُا
كَفَاهَاsufficed her فَمَاso not نْحتَاجُwe need أَنْto نَتَنَقَّباveil ourselves
كَفَاهَا فَمَا نْحتَاجُ أَنْ نَتَنَقَّبا
She is kept from lifting the veil, and her radiance
Suffices her, so we need not veil ourselves.
هِيَshe الشَمْسُthe sun إلاَّexcept أنْthat نُورَthe light جَمَالِهَاher beauty
هِيَ الشَمْسُ إلاَّ أنْ نُورَ جَمَالِهَا
يُنَزْهُهَاexempts her فيin الحُسْنِbeauty أنْto تَتَحَجْباveil herself
يُنَزْهُهَا في الحُسْنِ أنْ تَتَحَجْبا
She is the sun, except that the light of her beauty
Sets her, in loveliness, above being veiled.
لَئِنْeven if أَخْلَفَfailed الوَسْمِيُّthe autumn rain مَاbarren (first part of ماحل) حِلَbarren (second part of ماحل) تُرْبِهَاher soil
لَئِنْ أَخْلَفَ الوَسْمِيُّ مَا حِلَ تُرْبِهَا
فقَدْso indeed رَاحَhas begun مِنْfrom دَمْعِtears المُحِبْينَthe lovers يَخْصِبَاgrow fertile
فقَدْ رَاحَ مِنْ دَمْعِ المُحِبْينَ يَخْصِبَا
Even if the autumn rain has failed her barren soil,
It has indeed begun to grow fertile from the lovers’ tears.
Sol 6.1