هاتيbring العهودthe pledges علىof الوفاءfaithfulness وهاكِand take this
هاتي العهود على الوفاء وهاكِ
وإليكand to you ذيthis يُمنايَmy right hand فيin يُمنَاكِyour right hand
وإليك ذي يُمنايَ في يُمنَاكِ
Give me pledges of faithfulness, and take this:
Bring me the pledges of loyalty, and take mine,
And here is my right hand in your right hand.
And here is my right hand reaching out for yours.
قسماI swear بحبكby love for you والذيand the One who برأcreated الهوىlove
قسما بحبك والذي برأ الهوى
وأذابand melted روحيmy soul فيin سعيرthe blaze لظاكyour flame
وأذاب روحي في سعير لظاك
I swear by my love for you and by Him who created love,
I swear by my love for you, He who created passion
And melted my soul in the blaze of your flame,
And melted my soul in the flames of your beauty,
لأظلsurely I shall continue أرعىI guard العهدthe pledge شأنin the manner of متيمone enslaved by love
لأظل أرعى العهد شأن متيم
آلىhas sworn علىthroughout الأيامthe days أنto يهواكlove you
آلى على الأيام أن يهواك
I shall keep guarding the pledge, like one enslaved by love,
I will remain loyal as Majnun did,
Who has sworn through all the days to love you.
And promise the days that I will love only you.
هاكtake this الفؤادthe heart إذاif أردتyou wish وديعةsomething entrusted for safekeeping
هاك الفؤاد إذا أردت وديعة
وتملّكيهand possess it فإنهfor it is مولاكyour servant
وتملّكيه فإنه مولاك
Take my heart, if you wish for something entrusted to your keeping,
For it is yours, do with it as you please.
And possess it, for it is your servant.
And tomorrow when it is time to say farewell,
وغداand tomorrow إذاwhen أزِفَdraws near الوداعfarewell وأقلعتand sets sail
وغدا إذا أزِفَ الوداع وأقلعت
فلكthe ship الرحيلof departure وآذنتand announces بنواكseparation from you
فلك الرحيل وآذنت بنواك
And tomorrow, when farewell draws near, and off sails
You may leave, though it saddens me to see you go.
The ship of departure, announcing separation from you,
I will await our parting with bewildered affection,
وغدوتand I find myself أرتقبI await الفراقparting بمهجةwith a soul
وغدوت أرتقب الفراق بمهجة
حيرىbewildered وقلبand a heart عالقٍclinging بحماكto your sanctuary
حيرى وقلب عالقٍ بحماك
And I find myself awaiting parting with a soul
My confused heart clinging to memories of you.
Bewildered, and a heart clinging to your sanctuary,
I will gather up the dust as if inhaling the breezes
ولبثتand I linger أستثنيI make an exception for الترابthe soil كأننيas though I
ولبثت أستثني التراب كأنني
أتنشَّقI breathe in النسماتthe breezes عبرthrough ثراكyour earth
أتنشَّق النسمات عبر ثراك
And I linger, making an exception for the soil, as though I
That once carried the scent of your presence.
Breathe in the breezes through your earth,
I will gaze upon the dwellings,
ووقفتand I stand أُلقيI cast للمنازلat the houses نظرةa glance
ووقفت أُلقي للمنازل نظرة
وأزودand I provision العينينthe two eyes منfrom مغناكyour abode
وأزود العينين من مغناك
And I stand, casting a glance at the houses,
And nourish my eyes on your beauty once found there.
And provision my eyes with the sight of your abode,
I see my cradle, the nest of my childhood,
فيلوحthen appears ليto me مهديmy cradle وعشand the nest طفولتيmy childhood
فيلوح لي مهدي وعش طفولتي
وعرائسيand my dolls وملاعبيand my playgrounds برؤاكin visions of you
وعرائسي وملاعبي برؤاك
Then my cradle and my childhood's nest appear to me,
My dolls, my playgrounds, through visions of you.
And my dolls and playgrounds, in visions of you,
And chaste companions pure as the dew,
وصويحباتand dear girl friends صافياتpure كالندىlike dew
وصويحبات صافيات كالندى
أوor كالورودlike roses زواهرblooming وزواكand fragrant
أو كالورود زواهر وزواك
And dear girl friends, pure as dew,
Or roses - flowers and thorns for me now.
Or like roses, blooming and fragrant.
Baghdad, if I must say farewell and depart,
بغدادBaghdad إنif أزفdraws near الوداعfarewell وصاحand cries out بيto me
بغداد إن أزف الوداع وصاح بي
داعيthe herald الرحيلof departure منادياcalling out بنواكseparation from you
داعي الرحيل مناديا بنواك
Baghdad, if farewell draws near and I am called aloud
Summoned away by duties beyond our control,
By departure's herald, proclaiming separation from you,
I will steady myself in the sedan chair and weep
وشددتand I gird myself منfrom فوقabove الحشاthe breast واستعبرتand well with tears
وشددت من فوق الحشا واستعبرت
عينانtwo eyes لمdid not تدرknow البكاweeping لولاكbut for you
عينان لم تدر البكا لولاك
And I gird myself across my breast, and tears well up in
Eyes that never knew tears until loving you.
Two eyes that would never have known weeping but for you,
The dawn of departure will seem bittersweet,
وبدوتand you appear ليto me فجرat dawn الرحيلof departure طروبةjoyful
وبدوت لي فجر الرحيل طروبة
تتمايلsway النخلاتthe palm trees منfrom نجواكyour whispered confidences
تتمايل النخلات من نجواك
And you appear to me at departure's dawn, joyful,
Palm trees swaying farewell in the winds of dawn.
The palm trees sway at your whispered confidences,
Your fragrance will drift on the breeze as if
ويضوعand wafts نشْركyour fragrance فيin النسيمthe breeze كأنماas though
ويضوع نشْرك في النسيم كأنما
سرthe secret الحياةof life مضوَّعperfumed بشذاكwith your scent!
سر الحياة مضوَّع بشذاك!
And your fragrance wafts in the breeze, as though
The breath of life itself were imbued with your essence!
The secret of life were perfumed with your scent!
And if I go, though longing still pulls me back,
ولئنand even if مضيتI depart وخفand speeds بيwith me ركبthe caravan النوىof separation
ولئن مضيت وخف بي ركب النوى
وأقمتand I dwell فيin (باريسParis) لاnot ألقاكI meet you
وأقمت في (باريس) لا ألقاك
And even if I depart, and the caravan of separation speeds me away,
To dwell in Paris, not able to see you,
And dwell in Paris, without meeting you,
My love for you will sustain me, your memory my goal,
لهواكsurely love for you زاديmy provision بلrather لِقَاكِmeeting you تعلَّتيmy solace
لهواك زادي بل لِقَاكِ تعلَّتي
والعيشand life أنto أحياI live علىon ذكراكthe memory of you
والعيش أن أحيا على ذكراك
Surely love for you is my provision; rather, meeting you is my solace,
To live in remembrance of you my sole joy.
And life is to live on the memory of you.
Partial English translation: 31 of 32 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1