أياah حبذاhow lovely سعدىSaʿdā وحبand how dear مقامهاher dwelling
أيا حبذا سعدى وحب مقامها
وياand oh حبذاhow lovely أينwhere استقلrose خيامهاher tents
ويا حبذا أين استقل خيامها
Ah, how lovely is Saʿdā, and how dear her dwelling!
How wonderful is Sa'diyya and the love of her abode,
And oh, how lovely the place where her tents have risen!
And how wonderful where her tents were pitched.
حياتيmy life وموتيand my death قربnearness سعدىSaʿdā وبعدهاand her distance
حياتي وموتي قرب سعدى وبعدها
وعزيand my honor وذليand my abasement وصلهاunion with her وانصرامهاand her parting
وعزي وذلي وصلها وانصرامها
Saʿdā’s nearness is my life, her distance my death;
My life and death are near Sa'diyya, with her and without her,
And union with her is my honor, her parting my abasement.
My strength and weakness, union with her and separation from her.
سلامpeace عليهاupon her أينwherever أمستshe spends the evening وأصبحتand enters the morning
سلام عليها أين أمست وأصبحت
وإنand even though كانit is لايقراis not conveyed عليto me سلامهاher greeting
وإن كان لايقرا علي سلامها
Peace be upon her, wherever she spends evening and morning,
Peace be upon her, wherever she has spent the night and risen,
Even though her greeting is not conveyed to me.
Even if she does not return my greetings.
رعىmay preserve اللهGod سرحاa grove قدalready رعىgrazed فيهin it سرحهاher herd
رعى الله سرحا قد رعى فيه سرحها
وروضand make verdant أرضاland سامgrazed فيهin it سوامهاher grazing livestock
وروض أرضا سام فيه سوامها
May God preserve a grove where her herd has grazed,
May God pasture the meadow where she pastured her flock,
And make verdant the land where her livestock have pastured.
And the garden where she wandered with her friends.
إذاwhen سحبتshe trailed سعدىSaʿdā بأرضacross some ground ذيولهاher trailing hems
إذا سحبت سعدى بأرض ذيولها
فقدthen indeed أرغمput to shame المسكthe musk الذكيfragrant رغامهاits dust
فقد أرغم المسك الذكي رغامها
When Saʿdā trails her hems across the ground,
When Sa'diyya trails her skirts over the sand,
Then its dust has put fragrant musk to shame.
She infuses the air with her sweet perfume.
وإنand if ماvied in swaying (first fragment) يستvied in swaying (second fragment) قضبانbranches بانbān trees رأيتهاyou saw them
وإن ما يست قضبان بان رأيتها
تنكسbow low واستعلىand rose above عليهاover them قوامهاher stature
تنكس واستعلى عليها قوامها
And if she vies in swaying with bān branches, you see them
And when I see the flexible branches bend down
Bow low, while her stature rises above them.
And rise above her stature.
Sol 6.1