نَسيمُgentle breath المُدامِthe wine وَبَردُand the coolness السَحَرthe predawn hour
نَسيمُ المُدامِ وَبَردُ السَحَر
هُماthe two of them هَيَّجاboth stirred الشَوقَthe longing حَتّىuntil ظَهَرit appeared
هُما هَيَّجا الشَوقَ حَتّى ظَهَر
The breath of wine and the coolness before dawn—
The breeze of wine and the chill of dawn
both stirred longing until it showed.
Stirred my longing till it was reborn
تَقولُshe says اِجتَنِبavoid دارَناour house بِالنَهارby day
تَقولُ اِجتَنِب دارَنا بِالنَهار
وَزُرناand visit us إِذاwhen غابَvanished ضَوءُthe light of القَمَرthe moon
وَزُرنا إِذا غابَ ضَوءُ القَمَر
She says, "Avoid our house by day,
Saying, “Avoid our home in daylight
and visit us when the moonlight has vanished.
And visit when the moon’s light fades away
فَإِنَّfor indeed لَناwe have حَرساًguards إِنif رَأَوكَthey see you
فَإِنَّ لَنا حَرساً إِن رَأَوكَ
نَدِمتَyou will regret it وَأُعطواand they will be granted عَلَيكَover you الظَفَرvictory
نَدِمتَ وَأُعطوا عَلَيكَ الظَفَر
For we have guards: if they see you,
For we have guards - if they espy you
you will regret it, and they will be granted victory over you."
You’ll regret it, they’ll be given the day
وَكَمand how often صَنَعَhas acted اللَهُGod مِنof مَرَّةٍa time
وَكَم صَنَعَ اللَهُ مِن مَرَّةٍ
عَلَيهِمagainst them وَقَدand indeed أُمِرواthey were ordered بِالحَذَرto be wary
عَلَيهِم وَقَد أُمِروا بِالحَذَر
And how often God has acted
And how often has God confounded
against them, though they were ordered to be wary.
Those on their guard, try as they may
سَقىmay he water اللَهُGod بَغدادَBaghdad مِنas بَلدَةٍa city
سَقى اللَهُ بَغدادَ مِن بَلدَةٍ
وَساكِنَand the dweller of بَغدادBaghdad صَوبَa downpour of المَطَرrain
وَساكِنَ بَغداد صَوبَ المَطَر
May God water Baghdad, that city,
God has watered Baghdad with a cloud
and Baghdad's dweller with a downpour of rain.
While Baghdad's dwellers face the rain
وَنُبِّئتُand I was told أَنَّthat جَواريthe slave girls of القُصوthe palaces (first part)
وَنُبِّئتُ أَنَّ جَواري القُصو
رِcompletes 'palaces' صَيَّرنَthey made ذِكرىmention of me حَديثthe talk of السَمَرevening conversation
رِ صَيَّرنَ ذِكرى حَديث السَمَر
And I was told that the slave girls of the palaces
And I'm told the maids of the palaces
made mention of me the topic of their evening talk.
Made my name their night talk again
أَلاah! رُبَّmany a سائِلَةٍa woman asking بِالعِراin Iraq (first part)
أَلا رُبَّ سائِلَةٍ بِالعِرا
قِcompletes 'Iraq' عَنّيabout me وَأُخرىand another woman تُطيلُprolongs الفِكَرthoughts
قِ عَنّي وَأُخرى تُطيلُ الفِكَر
Ah, many a woman in Iraq asks
Oh, how many a questioner in Iraq
about me, and another dwells long in thought.
Asks after me, and thinks and thinks more
تَقولُshe says عَهِدناwe knew أَباAbu (father of) وائِلٍWa'il
تَقولُ عَهِدنا أَبا وائِلٍ
كَظَبيlike a gazelle of الفَلاةِthe wilderness المَليحِbeautiful الحَوَرthe eyes' dark-and-white contrast
كَظَبي الفَلاةِ المَليحِ الحَوَر
She says, "We knew Abu Wa'il
Saying, our pact was with Abul Wael*
like a desert gazelle with lovely, dark-and-white eyes."
Like a graceful doe far from man's roar"
لَياليon nights when كُنتُI used to أَزورُI visit القيانthe singing slave girls
لَيالي كُنتُ أَزورُ القيان
كَأَنَّas though ثِيابيmy clothes بَهارُblossoms of الشَجَرthe trees
كَأَنَّ ثِيابي بَهارُ الشَجَر
On nights when I used to visit the singing slave girls,
Nights I used to visit the taverns
my clothes seemed like the blossoms of trees.
As if my clothes were perfumed attire
Sol 6.1