أيُّها الفجرُ النُّسَيْماتُ شَذتْ

أيُّها الفجرُ النُّسَيْماتُ شَذتْ

عنكَ مِسكاً حينَما لُحْتَ صَباحا

عنكَ مِسكاً حينَما لُحْتَ صَباحا

O dawn, the breezes grew fragrant—

O dawn, the gentle breezes have wafted

with musk from you when you appeared in the morning.

Musk from you when you appeared in the morning.

فاسْتُرِ الوجدَ علينا كَرماً

فاسْتُرِ الوجدَ علينا كَرماً

قَدْ فَضحْتَ اليومَ بالنُّورِ البِطاحا

قَدْ فَضحْتَ اليومَ بالنُّورِ البِطاحا

So generously conceal our passion for us;

So conceal our longing, out of kindness;

today your light has laid the plains bare.

Today you have laid the plains bare with light.

ما رأتْكَ العينُ من أهلِ الهَوَى

ما رأتْكَ العينُ من أهلِ الهَوَى

رَمشةً إِلاَّ ومنها الدَّمعُ ساحا

رَمشةً إِلاَّ ومنها الدَّمعُ ساحا

No eye among the people of love has seen you

No eye among those in love has seen you

and blinked but tears streamed from it.

For a blink without tears streaming from it.

ولَعَمْري كُلَّما ضِئْتَ لهُم

ولَعَمْري كُلَّما ضِئْتَ لهُم

كُلُّهمْ ناحَ وبالأشجانِ صاحا

كُلُّهمْ ناحَ وبالأشجانِ صاحا

By my life, whenever you shone for them,

And by my life, whenever you shone for them,

every one of them wailed and cried out in sorrow.

They all wailed and cried out in sorrow.

قَدْ بَرزتْ اليومَ من بطْنِ الدُّجى

قَدْ بَرزتْ اليومَ من بطْنِ الدُّجى

وقدِ اسْتَطْلعْتَ أسراراً صِراحا

وقدِ اسْتَطْلعْتَ أسراراً صِراحا

Today you emerged from the belly of darkness

You have emerged today from the womb of darkness,

and looked openly upon secrets.

And have uncovered secrets, clear and plain.

فيكَ معنًى بارعٌ في سرِّهِ

فيكَ معنًى بارعٌ في سرِّهِ

كَلماتٌ رُحْنَ يُلْكِنَّ الفِصاحا

كَلماتٌ رُحْنَ يُلْكِنَّ الفِصاحا

Within you lies a meaning, wondrous in its mystery—

Within you is a wondrous meaning, in whose mystery

words that go forth rendering the eloquent tongue-tied.

Words have set about making the eloquent stammer.

أنتَ قَدْ شابهْتَ مِصباحَ الهُدى

أنتَ قَدْ شابهْتَ مِصباحَ الهُدى

وهو يعْلو لم نَقُلْ حاكى الصَّباحا

وهو يعْلو لم نَقُلْ حاكى الصَّباحا

You indeed resemble the Lamp of Guidance,

You have indeed resembled the lamp of guidance,

but he rises higher—we would not say he resembles the dawn.

And he stands higher—we have not said he imitated the morning.

فاحفَظِ العهدَ لنا واذْكر به

فاحفَظِ العهدَ لنا واذْكر به

مَدْمعاً قَدْ رشَّ في الرَّوضِ الأقاحا

مَدْمعاً قَدْ رشَّ في الرَّوضِ الأقاحا

So keep your covenant with us, and thereby remember

So keep the pledge for us, and through it recall

a tearful eye that sprinkled the meadow’s daisies.

A tearful eye that has sprinkled the daisies in the garden.

وإذا وافيتَ منْ شابَهْتَهُ

وإذا وافيتَ منْ شابَهْتَهُ

فارْوِ عنَّا لوْعةَ الوجدِ صِياحا

فارْوِ عنَّا لوْعةَ الوجدِ صِياحا

And when you reach the one whom you resemble,

And when you reach the one you resemble,

recount our torment of longing in a cry.

Then recount on our behalf, crying aloud, the burning anguish of longing.

واغْتنِمْ يا فجرُ فضْلاً أجرَنا

واغْتنِمْ يا فجرُ فضْلاً أجرَنا

زادكَ اللهُ انْبِلاجاً واتِّضاحا

زادكَ اللهُ انْبِلاجاً واتِّضاحا

Take the opportunity, O dawn, and, as a favor, grant us refuge.

And graciously claim our reward, O dawn;

May God make you ever more radiant and clear.

May God increase you in radiance and clarity.