أَلاAh! ياO نَسيمbreeze الصُبحthe dawn كَررrepeat رِسالةa message
أَلا يا نَسيم الصُبح كَرر رِسالة
لِسعدىto Sa'da وَبَلغand convey ياO نَسيمbreeze سَلامهاher greeting
لِسعدى وَبَلغ يا نَسيم سَلامها
Ah, O breeze of dawn, repeat a message
O morning breeze repeat my message
To Sa'da, and convey, O breeze, her greeting.
To my beloved Sa'diyah and deliver my greetings
تَجدهاyou will find her وَقَدand already أَضنىwearied الرقادsleep جُفونهاher eyelids
تَجدها وَقَد أَضنى الرقاد جُفونها
وَأغمدand sheathed فيwithin تلكَthose العُيونthe eyes حسامهاtheir sword
وَأغمد في تلكَ العُيون حسامها
You will find her, sleep having wearied her eyelids
You will find her asleep, her eyelids weighed down
And sheathed their sword within those eyes.
And her eyes sheathed like swords in their scabbards
وَإِنand if جئتهاyou come to her فاعبثthen toy بعقربwith the scorpion-curl of صدغهاher temple
وَإِن جئتها فاعبث بعقرب صدغها
وَقَبلand kiss لَناfor us قَبلbefore السلامthe greeting لِثامهاher veil
وَقَبل لَنا قَبل السلام لِثامها
And if you reach her, toy with the scorpion-curl at her temple.
If you come to her, play with the mole on her cheek
And kiss her veil for us before the greeting.
And kiss for me her veiled mouth in greeting
وَمرand pass عَلىover تلكَthose الثَناياthe front teeth فَإِنfor indeed ليfor me
وَمر عَلى تلكَ الثَنايا فَإِن لي
ثَلاثينَthirty يَوماًdays ماnot شَربتI drank مدامهاtheir wine
ثَلاثينَ يَوماً ما شَربت مدامها
And pass over those front teeth, for I have gone
Pass by her curves, for it has been thirty days
Thirty days without drinking their wine.
Since I have tasted the wine of her lips
وَشمand smell لَناfor us وَردthe roses of الخُدودthe cheeks فَطالَماfor how often
وَشم لَنا وَرد الخُدود فَطالَما
شَمَمتI smelled بِأَنفيwith my nose رندهاtheir laurel وَبشامهاand their balsam
شَمَمت بِأَنفي رندها وَبشامها
And smell for us the roses of her cheeks, for often
Smell for me the roses of her cheeks, for long
I have smelled their laurel and balsam with my nose.
Have I breathed in the scent of her mouth and smile
وَقُلand say إنَّنيindeed I خَلفتleft خَلفيbehind me متيماًa love-enslaved man
وَقُل إنَّني خَلفت خَلفي متيماً
بِأَحشائهin his entrails الأَشواقlongings توريkindle ضرامهاtheir blaze
بِأَحشائه الأَشواق توري ضرامها
And say: I left behind me a man enslaved by love,
And say that I am left behind, lovesick
In whose entrails longings kindle their blaze.
With yearning writhing in my heart like snakes
يَقولhe says وَقَدand already أَرخىlowered الظَلامdarkness ستورهits curtains
يَقول وَقَد أَرخى الظَلام ستوره
وَشَدand tied بِأَوتادto the pegs of النُجومthe stars خطامهاits halter
وَشَد بِأَوتاد النُجوم خطامها
He says, when darkness has lowered its curtains
Saying, as darkness spreads its veil
And tied its halter to the pegs of the stars:
And ties it down with the pegs of the stars
تَنامينyou sleep وَالأَجفانwhile the eyelids منيof mine قَريحةare sore
تَنامين وَالأَجفان مني قَريحة
تَصبpour عَلىonto سَفحthe slope of الخُدودthe cheeks سجامهاtheir streaming tears
تَصب عَلى سَفح الخُدود سجامها
You sleep, while my eyelids are sore,
You sleep while my eyelids ache
Pouring their streaming tears down the slopes of my cheeks.
Raining tears down your cheeks
وَليand I have مُهجةa heart حرthe heat of البعادseparation أَثابَهاrewarded it
وَلي مُهجة حر البعاد أَثابَها
وَضاعفand doubled شَوقيmy longing ضعفهاits weakness وَسقامهاand its sickness
وَضاعف شَوقي ضعفها وَسقامها
And mine is a heart rewarded by separation's heat,
While my heart burns with distance, doubling
And my longing has doubled its weakness and sickness.
My longing and sickness for you
ذكرتكI remembered you ياO سعدىSa'da وَلِلقَلبand the heart has لَوعةburning anguish
ذكرتك يا سعدى وَلِلقَلب لَوعة
إِذاwhenever رُمتI sought أخفيهاto hide it أَثارَتit stirred up غَرامَهاits passion
إِذا رُمت أخفيها أَثارَت غَرامَها
I remembered you, O Sa'da, with anguish in my heart;
I remembered you, Sa'diyah, and my heart ached
Whenever I sought to hide it, it stirred up its passion.
If I try to hide it, it kindles my passion
وَعبرةand a tear مُشتاقof a yearning lover أَضرcaused harm بِهِto him النَوىseparation
وَعبرة مُشتاق أَضر بِهِ النَوى
فَهَلso will...? سَلسَبيلthe sweet spring of الثَغرthe mouth يَطفيquench أوامهاits burning thirst
فَهَل سَلسَبيل الثَغر يَطفي أوامها
And a tear of a yearning lover whom separation has harmed—
The tears of a longing lover hurt him
Will the sweet spring of her mouth quench its burning thirst?
Can the mouth stemming them quench their heat?
أَماindeed وَالَّذيby Him who قَدhas indeed قَدرdecreed البُعدthe distance بَينناbetween us
أَما وَالَّذي قَد قَدر البُعد بَيننا
وَباعدand set far away عَنيfrom me ربعهاher dwelling وَخيامهاand her tents
وَباعد عَني ربعها وَخيامها
Indeed, by Him who decreed the distance between us
By Him who decreed this distance between us
And set her dwelling and tents far from me,
And took you far from me and my tents
لَفيsurely within طَيthe folds of أَحشائيmy entrails رَسيسa lingering trace of محبةlove
لَفي طَي أَحشائي رَسيس محبة
بَرتwasted ياO لقَوميmy people, to the rescue لحمهاtheir flesh وَعِظامهاand their bones
بَرت يا لقَومي لحمها وَعِظامها
Surely in the folds of my entrails lies a lingering trace of love
In my soul is a spark of love
That has wasted—O my people!—their flesh and bones.
It has pierced, my people, its flesh and bones
مَتىwhen نَلتَقيwe meet لَيلاًat night وَتبراand heal جراحناour wounds
مَتى نَلتَقي لَيلاً وَتبرا جراحنا
وَنفتحand we open عَنfrom تلكَthose الحُدودthe edges كمامهاtheir coverings
وَنفتح عَن تلكَ الحُدود كمامها
When shall we meet at night, and our wounds heal,
When can we meet at night to heal our wounds
And draw back the coverings from those edges,
And remove from those cheeks their veils?
وَأشربand I drink مِنfrom ذاكَthat الرضابthe sweet saliva وَأشتَفيand I find healing
وَأشرب مِن ذاكَ الرضاب وَأشتَفي
بِضَمةwith an embrace of عطفيهاher two flanks وَأثنيand I bend قوامهاher figure
بِضَمة عطفيها وَأثني قوامها
And I drink of that nectar and find healing
I will drink from your mouth and quench my thirst
By clasping her flanks, and bend her form,
Pressing you to me and straightening your frame
وَأَرنوand I gaze إِلىat ذاكَthat المُحياthe face وَحسنهand its beauty
وَأَرنو إِلى ذاكَ المُحيا وَحسنه
وَأسمعand I hear فيin ضمنthe midst of العِتابreproach كَلامَهاher words
وَأسمع في ضمن العِتاب كَلامَها
And gaze at that face and its beauty,
I will look upon that radiant face and its beauty
And hear her words amid reproach?
And hear, within reproach, your voice
رَعىmay guard اللَهGod روحيmy soul كَيفhow راحَتhas departed حَياتهاits life
رَعى اللَه روحي كَيف راحَت حَياتها
وَقَدand already شَرِبَتit drank قَبلbefore الحمامdeath حمامهاits death
وَقَد شَرِبَت قَبل الحمام حمامها
May God guard my soul—how its life has fled,
May God protect your spirit, how it lived
Having drunk its death before death itself!
When it drank before death death's drink
Sol 6.1