أطيبhow delightful بأنديةِat the gathering places of العقيقِal-ʿAqīq
أطيب بأنديةِ العقيقِ
ونسيمهِand its breeze العبقِfragrant الرّقيقِgentle
ونسيمهِ العبقِ الرّقيقِ
How delightful are the gathering places of al-ʿAqīq,
The most fragrant of valleys is Al-Uqayq
And its fragrant, gentle breeze,
With its gentle, delicate breeze
وبمائهِand with its water العذبِsweet النَّميrefreshing (continued)
وبمائهِ العذبِ النَّمي
رِ(completes 'refreshing') وظِلّهِand its shade الضّافيample الأنيقِlovely
رِ وظِلّهِ الضّافي الأنيقِ
And its sweet, refreshing water,
And its fresh, sparkling water
And its ample, lovely shade!
And its shady, elegant shade
أطيبhow delightful بأيامٍwith days مضيpassed (continued)
أطيب بأيامٍ مضي
نَthey (completes 'passed') بدوحهِamid its great trees النّضرِfresh الوريقِleafy
نَ بدوحهِ النّضرِ الوريقِ
How delightful the days that passed
The most fragrant were the days gone by
Amid its fresh, leafy groves,
In its tender, leafy meadow
اذwhen مربعُthe abode of اللذّاتِpleasures فيin
اذ مربعُ اللذّاتِ في
هit آهِلٌpopulous ناميswelling الحلوقِthroats
ه آهِلٌ نامي الحلوقِ
When the pleasure-ground within it
When the square of pleasures therein
Was thronged and full-throated,
Was fruitful, met by the eager
والشّملُand togetherness فيهin it واصِلٌjoining
والشّملُ فيه واصِلٌ
حبلَthe bond of الصَّديقةِthe female friend بالصّديقِto the male friend
حبلَ الصَّديقةِ بالصّديقِ
And togetherness there joined
And companionship was connected therein
The beloved woman's bond to her companion,
The bonds of friend to friend
فيin ظلِّthe shade of دهرٍan age راقدٍslumbering
في ظلِّ دهرٍ راقدٍ
بإزاءِbeside حظٍّfortune مُستفيقِawake
بإزاءِ حظٍّ مُستفيقِ
In the shade of a slumbering age,
In the shadow of a dormant fate
Beside a fortune wide awake;
Facing a fortune just awoken
اذwhen ليسis not طرفيmy eye بالأسيcaptive (continued)
اذ ليس طرفي بالأسي
رِ(completes 'captive') ولاnor فؤاديmy heart بالطّليقِfree
رِ ولا فؤادي بالطّليقِ
When my eye was not held captive,
When my eyes were not tearful
Nor was my heart free.
Nor my heart distraught
أيامَthe days of ميٍّMayy وهيwhile she is كالlike the
أيامَ ميٍّ وهي كال
بدرِfull moon المنيرِradiant لدىat الشّروقِrising
بدرِ المنيرِ لدى الشّروقِ
The days of Mayy, when she was like
Days of May, like the full
The radiant full moon at its rising;
Moon at dawn’s first light
أيامَthe days of قربِthe nearness of مزارِهاher visiting-place
أيامَ قربِ مزارِها
ماnot انat all تَبدّلَchanged بالسّحيقِfor the far-distant
ما ان تَبدّلَ بالسّحيقِ
The days when her abode was near,
Days when visiting its dwellings
And had not become far distant.
Before they changed to ruins
أغنىI have no need بطيبِwith the sweetness of حديثِهاher conversation
أغنى بطيبِ حديثِها
عنfor نغمةِthe melody of الوترِthe string النّطوقِspeaking
عن نغمةِ الوترِ النّطوقِ
With her sweet conversation, I have no need
I was enriched by the sweetness of its talk
Of the melody of the speaking string.
Beyond the melody of the vocal chord
مِنfrom خدّهاher cheek وِرديmy draught ومِنand from
مِن خدّها وِردي ومِن
سَلسالِthe clear flow of ريِّقهاher saliva رحيقيmy pure wine
سَلسالِ ريِّقها رحيقي
From her cheek comes my draught, and from
From its cheek my rose, and from
Her clear-flowing saliva, my pure wine.
The chains of its slender neck my drink
أغدوI go in the morning عليهاto her فيfor الصَّبُوthe morning draught (continued)
أغدو عليها في الصَّبُو
حِ(completes 'morning draught') كماjust as أروحُI go in the evening الىto الغُبوقِthe evening draught
حِ كما أروحُ الى الغُبوقِ
I go to her for my morning draught,
I would go to it at dawn
As I go in the evening for my evening draught.
As I go to passion’s smolder
ياO ميُّMayy قدindeed غادرتنيyou left me
يا ميُّ قد غادرتني
يومَon the day of النّوىparting شَرِقاًchoking بريقيon my saliva
يومَ النّوى شَرِقاً بريقي
O Mayy, you left me
Oh May, you left me
On the day of parting, choking on my saliva.
The day of parting, my brightness waned
ونَوىand separation from الأحبّةِloved ones للقلوto hearts (continued)
ونَوى الأحبّةِ للقلو
بِ(completes 'hearts') شبيهةٌsimilar بِشجاto an obstruction in الحُلُوقِthe throats
بِ شبيهةٌ بِشجا الحُلُوقِ
And parting from loved ones is to hearts
And the intent of loved ones to hearts
Like an obstruction lodged in throats.
Is like the wounds of yearning
قسماًI swear بساكنِby the dweller in طيبةٍṬayba
قسماً بساكنِ طيبةٍ
والرُّكنِand by the Corner والبيتِand the House العتيقِancient
والرُّكنِ والبيتِ العتيقِ
I swear by the dweller in Ṭayba,
I swear by the dweller of holy Mecca
And by the Corner and the Ancient House:
And the ancient house and stone
انِّيindeed I الىtoward ناميspreading شَذاthe fragrance of
انِّي الى نامي شَذا
ميٍّMayy لبالصَّبِّindeed a lovesick lover المشوقِyearning
ميٍّ لبالصَّبِّ المشوقِ
Indeed, for the spreading fragrance
That I, to the slumber of May
Of Mayy, I am a lovesick, yearning lover.
Am drawn at dawn’s first allure
ياO عاذليmy reproacher فيهاconcerning her تأbe certain (continued)
يا عاذلي فيها تأ
كّد(completes 'be certain') لستَyou are not بالحدبِcaring الشفيقِcompassionate
كّد لستَ بالحدبِ الشفيقِ
O you who reproach me for her, be
Oh reproacher in it, be sure
Certain: you are neither caring nor compassionate.
You are not the merciful friend
لاdo not تطلبنseek (emphatic) عنهاof her سُلُوforgetfulness (continued)
لا تطلبن عنها سُلُو
واً(completes 'forgetfulness') ماnot اليهِto it مِنany طريقِpath
واً ما اليهِ مِن طريقِ
Do not seek forgetfulness of her;
Do not ask of it a way
There is no path to it.
Whence no path leads
مهماhowever much أفقتَyou recover مِنfrom الغراpassion (continued)
مهما أفقتَ مِن الغرا
مِ(completes 'passion') فلستَyet you are not منهfrom it بالمفيقِrecovered
مِ فلستَ منه بالمفيقِ
However much you recover from passion,
However long you remain vigilant
Yet you are not truly recovered from it.
You are not with it, awake
إنّيindeed I لأرضىam indeed content فيin الهوىlove
إنّي لأرضى في الهوى
منfrom طيفِthe phantom of ميٍّMayy بالطروقِwith a night visit
من طيفِ ميٍّ بالطروقِ
Indeed, in love I am content
I am pleased in love
With a night visit from Mayy's phantom,
By May’s specter in solitude
والريحِand with the wind تحملُcarries نَشرَهاher fragrance
والريحِ تحملُ نَشرَها
فيin الليلِthe night هاديةَgentle الخفوقِfluttering
في الليلِ هاديةَ الخفوقِ
And with the wind that carries her fragrance
And the wind carries its blossoms
In the night, gentle in its fluttering.
In the night, gentle in its stillness
Sol 6.1