بَردُcoolness نَسيمِbreeze الحِجازِthe Hijaz فيat السَحَرِthe hour before dawn
بَردُ نَسيمِ الحِجازِ في السَحَرِ
إِذاwhen أَتانيit comes to me بِريحِهِwith its scent العَطِرِfragrant
إِذا أَتاني بِريحِهِ العَطِرِ
The coolness of the Hijaz breeze before dawn,
The breeze of Hejaz at dawn
When it comes to me with its fragrant scent,
When it comes to me with its fragrance
أَلَذُّmore delightful عِنديto me مِمّاthan what حَوَتهُheld it يَديmy hand
أَلَذُّ عِندي مِمّا حَوَتهُ يَدي
مِنَof اللَآليpearls وَالمالِand wealth وَالبِدَرِand bags of money
مِنَ اللَآلي وَالمالِ وَالبِدَرِ
Is sweeter to me than what my hand has held
Is more delightful to me than what my hands grasped
Of pearls, wealth, and bags of money.
Of jewels, wealth, and the full moon
وَمُلكُand the kingdom of كِسرىKisra لاnot أَشتَهيهِI desire it إِذاif
وَمُلكُ كِسرى لا أَشتَهيهِ إِذا
ماan emphatic particle غابَis absent وَجهُthe face of الحَبيبِthe beloved عَنfrom نَظَريmy sight
ما غابَ وَجهُ الحَبيبِ عَن نَظَري
And I do not desire Kisra's kingdom if
And the kingdom of Chosroes, I do not desire when
The beloved's face is absent from my sight.
The face of the beloved is absent from my sight
سَقىmay water الخِيامَthe tents الَّتيthat نُصِبنَthey were pitched عَلىupon
سَقى الخِيامَ الَّتي نُصِبنَ عَلى
شَرَبَّةِSharabbah الأُنسِfellowship وابِلُa downpour of المَطَرِrain
شَرَبَّةِ الأُنسِ وابِلُ المَطَرِ
May the tents that were pitched upon
It watered the tents that were set up for
Sharabbah of fellowship be watered by pouring rain.
The drink of companionship and the rain shower
مَنازِلٌdwellings تَطلُعُrise البُدورُfull moons بِهاin them
مَنازِلٌ تَطلُعُ البُدورُ بِها
مُبَرقَعاتٍveiled بِظُلمَةِwith the darkness of الشَعَرِhair
مُبَرقَعاتٍ بِظُلمَةِ الشَعَرِ
Dwellings where full moons rise,
Abodes where the full moons rise in them
Veiled in the darkness of their hair.
Covered in the darkness of hair
بيضٌfair-skinned وَسُمرٌand dusky-skinned تَحميguard مَضارِبَهاtheir tents
بيضٌ وَسُمرٌ تَحمي مَضارِبَها
أَسادُlions غابٍof a forest بِالبيضِwith white swords وَالسُمُرِand brown spears
أَسادُ غابٍ بِالبيضِ وَالسُمُرِ
Fair and dusky women, whose tents are guarded
White and brown, their dwellings are protected
By lions of the forest, with white swords and brown spears.
By absent lions, white and brown
صادَتensnared فُؤاديmy heart مِنهُنَّfrom among them جارِيَةٌa maiden
صادَت فُؤادي مِنهُنَّ جارِيَةٌ
مَكحولَةُkohl-darkened المُقلَتَينِboth eyes بِالحَوَرِwith striking black-and-white contrast
مَكحولَةُ المُقلَتَينِ بِالحَوَرِ
A maiden among them ensnared my heart,
My heart was captivated by one of their maids
Her two eyes kohled by their black-and-white contrast.
Intoxicated with eyes lined with kohl
تُريكَshe shows you مِنfrom ثَغرِهاher mouth إِذاwhen اِبتَسَمَتshe smiles
تُريكَ مِن ثَغرِها إِذا اِبتَسَمَت
كَأسَa cup of مُدامٍwine قَدalready حُفَّwas encircled بِالدُرَرِwith pearls
كَأسَ مُدامٍ قَد حُفَّ بِالدُرَرِ
From her mouth she shows you, when she smiles,
She shows you from her mouth when she smiles
A cup of wine that has been ringed with pearls.
A cup of wine surrounded by pearls
أَعارَتِshe lent الظَبيَthe gazelle سِحرَthe enchantment of مُقلَتِهاher eye
أَعارَتِ الظَبيَ سِحرَ مُقلَتِها
وَباتَand spent the night لَيثُthe lion of الشَرىShara عَلىon حَذَرِguard
وَباتَ لَيثُ الشَرى عَلى حَذَرِ
She lent the gazelle her eye's enchantment,
She lent the gazelle the magic of her eyes
And the lion of Shara spent the night on guard.
And the lion of valor spent the night cautious
خودٌa tender maiden رَداحٌfull-hipped هَيفاءُslender-waisted فاتِنَةٌenchanting
خودٌ رَداحٌ هَيفاءُ فاتِنَةٌ
تُخجِلُputs to shame بِالحُسنِwith beauty بَهجَةَthe splendor of القَمَرِthe moon
تُخجِلُ بِالحُسنِ بَهجَةَ القَمَرِ
A tender maiden, full-hipped, slender-waisted, enchanting,
Lively, gentle, charming, beautiful
Puts the moon's splendor to shame with her beauty.
Her beauty shames the splendor of the moon
ياO عَبلَAbla نارُthe fire of الغَرامِpassion فيin كَبديmy liver
يا عَبلَ نارُ الغَرامِ في كَبدي
تَرميshoots فُؤاديmy heart بِأَسهُمِwith arrows of الشَرَرِsparks
تَرمي فُؤادي بِأَسهُمِ الشَرَرِ
O Abla, the fire of passion in my liver
Oh she set the fire of love ablaze in my liver
Shoots arrows of sparks at my heart.
Shooting my heart with arrows of embers
ياO عَبلَAbla لَولاwere it not for الخَيالُthe phantom يَطرُقُنيvisits me by night
يا عَبلَ لَولا الخَيالُ يَطرُقُني
قَضَيتُI would spend لَيليmy night بِالنَوحِin lamentation وَالسَهَرِand sleeplessness
قَضَيتُ لَيلي بِالنَوحِ وَالسَهَرِ
O Abla, were it not for the phantom that visits me by night,
Oh if not for dreams visiting me
I would spend my night in lamentation and sleeplessness.
I would have spent my night wailing and awake
ياO عَبلَAbla كَمhow many فِتنَةٍa trial بُليتُI was afflicted بِهاwith it
يا عَبلَ كَم فِتنَةٍ بُليتُ بِها
وَخُضتُهاand I waded through it بِالمُهَنَّدِwith the Indian sword الذَكَرِhard and keen
وَخُضتُها بِالمُهَنَّدِ الذَكَرِ
O Abla, many a trial have I suffered,
Oh how many ordeals have I endured
And waded through it with a keen Indian sword.
And battled with the well-memorized speech
وَالخَيلُand the horses سودُblack الوُجوهِthe faces كالِحَةٌgrimacing
وَالخَيلُ سودُ الوُجوهِ كالِحَةٌ
تَخوضُwade through بَحرَthe sea of الهَلاكِdestruction وَالخَطَرِand peril
تَخوضُ بَحرَ الهَلاكِ وَالخَطَرِ
And the horses, black-faced and grimacing,
The horses, black of face, sturdy,
Wade through the sea of destruction and peril.
Swim in the sea of destruction and danger
أُدافِعُI fend off الحادِثاتِcalamities فيكِfor your sake وَلاand not
أُدافِعُ الحادِثاتِ فيكِ وَلا
أُطيقُI am able دَفعَto repel القَضاءِdecree وَالقَدَرِand destiny
أُطيقُ دَفعَ القَضاءِ وَالقَدَرِ
I fend off calamities for your sake, yet I am not
I resist tribulations for you and cannot
Able to ward off decree and destiny.
Endure resisting destiny and fate
Sol 6.1