سَرىit traveled by night يَطويfolding up بِناwith us الأَميالَthe miles طَيّاًa folding
سَرى يَطوي بِنا الأَميالَ طَيّاً
كَماas تَطوِyou fold السِجِلَّthe scroll أَوِor الإِزاراthe waist-cloth
كَما تَطوِ السِجِلَّ أَوِ الإِزارا
It traveled by night, folding up the miles as it carried us,
It sped through the night, folding the miles beneath us,
as you fold a scroll or a waist-cloth.
Just as one might fold a scroll or a cloak.
فَلَمso not نَدرwe knew وَجُنحُand the wing اللَيلِof night داجٍdark
فَلَم نَدر وَجُنحُ اللَيلِ داجٍ
أَبَرقاًwas it lightning? ماwhat رَكِبناwe rode أَمor قِطاراa train
أَبَرقاً ما رَكِبنا أَم قِطارا
So we could not tell, while night's wing lay dark,
We knew not—while the wing of night was pitch black—
whether we were riding lightning or a train.
Whether it was lightning we rode, or a train.
بِناin us وَبِهِand in it حَنينyearning وَاِشتِياقٌand longing
بِنا وَبِهِ حَنين وَاِشتِياقٌ
وَلَولاand were it not for ذانِthese two ماnot سِرناwe traveled وَساراand it traveled
وَلَولا ذانِ ما سِرنا وَسارا
Within us and within it were yearning and longing;
We and it shared a yearning and a deep longing;
without these two, neither we nor it would have traveled.
Were it not for these two, neither we nor it would have moved.
وَلَكِنّاbut we وَسِعناwe could contain الشَوقَthe longing ذَرعاًin capacity
وَلَكِنّا وَسِعنا الشَوقَ ذَرعاً
وَضاقَand it was overwhelmed بِهِby it فَصَعَّدَهُso it sent it upward بُخاراas steam
وَضاقَ بِهِ فَصَعَّدَهُ بُخارا
But we could contain our longing,
Yet we had the capacity to contain this passion,
while it could not, and sent it rising as steam.
While the train could not, venting it upward as steam.
وَسَمَّيناand we called الَّذيwhat يُخفيهِit conceals it وَجداًpassionate longing
وَسَمَّينا الَّذي يُخفيهِ وَجداً
وَسَمَّيناand we called الَّذيwhat يُخفيهِit conceals it ناراfire
وَسَمَّينا الَّذي يُخفيهِ نارا
And we called what it conceals passionate longing,
We called the emotion it conceals 'ardor,'
and we called what it conceals fire.
And we named the fire hidden within it the same.
غَفاdozed صَحبيmy companions وَبَعضُهُمand some of them تَغَفىfeigned sleep
غَفا صَحبي وَبَعضُهُم تَغَفى
وَلَمand not أَذُقِI tasted الكَرىsleep إِلّاexcept غِراراa little
وَلَم أَذُقِ الكَرى إِلّا غِرارا
My companions dozed, and some feigned sleep,
My companions dozed off, some feigning sleep,
and I tasted sleep only in brief snatches.
But I tasted slumber only as a fleeting glance.
جَلَستُI sat أُراقِبُwatching الجَوزاءَthe constellation al-Jawza وَحديon my own
جَلَستُ أُراقِبُ الجَوزاءَ وَحدي
كَماas قَدmight يَرقَبُwatch الساريthe night traveler المَناراthe beacon
كَما قَد يَرقَبُ الساري المَنارا
I sat alone, watching the constellation al-Jawza,
I sat alone, watching the stars of Gemini,
as a night traveler might watch a beacon.
As a night traveler watches for a guiding beacon.
يَسيرُtravels بِناwith us القِطارthe train وَنَحنُand we نَرجوhope
يَسيرُ بِنا القِطار وَنَحنُ نَرجو
لَوif only اِختَصَرَit shortened الطَريقَthe road بِناfor us اِختِصاراa shortening
لَو اِختَصَرَ الطَريقَ بِنا اِختِصارا
The train carries us onward, while we hope
The train carries us onward while we hope,
that it would truly shorten the road for us.
That it might drastically shorten the journey before us.
وَأُقسِمُand I swear لَوif أُحَدِّثَهُI told it بِماof what بيis within me
وَأُقسِمُ لَو أُحَدِّثَهُ بِما بي
لَحَلَّقَit would surely soar فيin الفَضاءِthe open sky بِناwith us وَطاراand it would fly
لَحَلَّقَ في الفَضاءِ بِنا وَطارا
And I swear, if I told it what is within me,
And I swear, were I to tell it of what lies within me,
it would soar into the sky with us and fly,
It would soar into the heavens with us and take flight.
إِلىto البَلَدِthe city الأَمينِsecure إِلىto كِرامٍgenerous people
إِلى البَلَدِ الأَمينِ إِلى كِرامٍ
يُراعونَthey honor المَوَدَّةaffection وَالجِواراand neighborliness
يُراعونَ المَوَدَّة وَالجِوارا
to the secure city, to generous people
To the Secure City, to a noble people,
who honor affection and neighborliness;
Who honor the bonds of affection and neighborliness.
إِلىto المُزدادِever-increasing وُدَّهُمaffection for them لَدَيناwith us
إِلى المُزدادِ وُدَّهُم لَدَينا
إِذاwhenever زِدناwe increased صِفاتُهُمُtheir qualities اِختِباراtesting
إِذا زِدنا صِفاتُهُمُ اِختِبارا
to those for whom our affection grows
To those whose love grows ever greater within us,
whenever we test their qualities still further.
The more we test and experience their virtues.
إِذاif سَتَرَتconcealed نَحَبَّتِهاtheir love (likely intended) قُلوبٌhearts
إِذا سَتَرَت نَحَبَّتِها قُلوبٌ
فَحُبّيbut my love لاnot أُطيقُI can bear لَهُfor it اِستِتاراconcealment
فَحُبّي لا أُطيقُ لَهُ اِستِتارا
If hearts conceal their love,
If other hearts conceal their affection,
yet I cannot bear to keep my love concealed.
I cannot bear to keep my love hidden.
فَياso, O إِخوانَناour brothers فيin كُلِّevery أَمرٍmatter
فَيا إِخوانَنا في كُلِّ أَمرٍ
أَصِخواlisten attentively كَيso that أُخاطِبَكُمI address you جِهاراopenly
أَصِخوا كَي أُخاطِبَكُم جِهارا
So, brothers of ours in all things,
O our brothers in every endeavor,
give ear, so I may address you openly.
Lend me your ears, that I may address you openly.
طَوَيناهاwe traversed them سَباسِبَopen plains شاسِعاتٍvast
طَوَيناها سَباسِبَ شاسِعاتٍ
تَسيرُtravel الواخِداتُswift-striding camels بِهاthrough them حَيارىbewildered
تَسيرُ الواخِداتُ بِها حَيارى
We crossed them, those vast and far-flung plains,
We have traversed vast, sprawling wastelands,
where swift-striding camels journey bewildered.
Where swift camels would wander in bewilderment.
وَلَولاand were it not أَنthat تَسيرَtravel بِناwith us إِلَيكُمto you
وَلَولا أَن تَسيرَ بِنا إِلَيكُم
رَكائِبُناour mounts مَشَيناهاwe would have walked it اِختِياراwillingly
رَكائِبُنا مَشَيناها اِختِيارا
And had we not been carried to you
And were it not that our mounts carry us toward you,
by our mounts, we would willingly have walked the way,
We would have chosen to walk the path on foot.
لِنَنقُلَso we may bring مِنfrom نويركَNew York لَكُمto you تَحاياgreetings
لِنَنقُلَ مِن نويركَ لَكُم تَحايا
تُحاكيresemble فيin لَطافَتِهاtheir delicacy العَقاراwine
تُحاكي في لَطافَتِها العَقارا
to bring you greetings from New York
To convey to you greetings from New York,
that rival wine in their delicacy,
Resembling fine wine in their exquisite delicacy.
وَنَنقُلُand we convey عَنكُمُabout you أَخبارَreports صِدقٍtruth
وَنَنقُلُ عَنكُمُ أَخبارَ صِدقٍ
تُحاكيresemble النِدَّfragrant incense فيin الرَوضِthe garden اِنتِشاراspreading
تُحاكي النِدَّ في الرَوضِ اِنتِشارا
and to convey truthful reports of you
And to carry back true tidings from you,
that spread like fragrant incense through a garden.
Spreading like the scent of incense in a garden.
سَمِعناwe have heard بَِلهَزارof al-Hazar (the nightingale) وَنَحنُand we قَومٌa people
سَمِعنا بَِلهَزار وَنَحنُ قَومٌ
كَماjust as نَهوىwe love الغِناsinging نَهوىwe love الهَزاراthe nightingale
كَما نَهوى الغِنا نَهوى الهَزارا
We have heard of al-Hazar, and we are a people
We heard the nightingale, and we are a people
who love the nightingale as we love song.
Who love the bird just as we love the song.
لَدَيكَُمwith you كَوكَبa star وَبِناand in us ظَلامٌdarkness
لَدَيكَُم كَوكَب وَبِنا ظَلامٌ
وَأَنتُمُand you تَكرَونَdislike (likely intended) لَناfor us العِثاراstumbling
وَأَنتُمُ تَكرَونَ لَنا العِثارا
You have a star, while darkness lies within us,
You possess a shining star, while darkness dwells in us,
and you dislike seeing us stumble.
And you are the ones who right our stumbling steps.
جَعَلناwe placed رَسمُهُhis portrait فيin كُلِّevery نادٍgathering place
جَعَلنا رَسمُهُ في كُلِّ نادٍ
وَصَيَّرناand we made القُلوبَthe hearts لَهُfor it إِطاراa frame
وَصَيَّرنا القُلوبَ لَهُ إِطارا
We placed his portrait in every gathering place,
We have placed his image in every gathering,
and made our hearts a frame for it.
And fashioned our own hearts to be its frame.
أَجَلyes هَذاthis الَّذيwhat نَبغيهِwe seek it مِنكُمfrom you
أَجَل هَذا الَّذي نَبغيهِ مِنكُم
وَنَرجوand we hope for لاnot اللُجَينsilver وَلاnor النُضاراgold
وَنَرجو لا اللُجَين وَلا النُضارا
Yes, this is what we seek from you,
Indeed, this is what we seek from you,
and hope for—not silver or gold.
Desiring neither silver nor gold.
أَتَيناكُمwe came to you عَلىin ظَمَإٍthirst لِأَنّاbecause we
أَتَيناكُم عَلى ظَمَإٍ لِأَنّا
عَرَفناwe recognized فيكُمُin you السُحبَthe clouds الغِزاراabundant in rain
عَرَفنا فيكُمُ السُحبَ الغِزارا
We came to you thirsty, because we
We came to you thirsting, for we
recognized in you clouds rich with rain.
Recognized in you the rain-laden clouds.
وَأَنتُمand you مَعشَرٌa people طابواare pure نُفوساًin soul
وَأَنتُم مَعشَرٌ طابوا نُفوساً
وَأَخلاقاًand in character كَماjust as كَرُمواare noble نِجاراin lineage
وَأَخلاقاً كَما كَرُموا نِجارا
And you are a people pure in soul
You are a people of pure souls,
and character, as you are noble in lineage.
Of fine character, and noble lineage.
بَقَيتُمmay you remain فيin سَلامpeace وَاِغتِباطٍand gladness
بَقَيتُم في سَلام وَاِغتِباطٍ
تُضيءُilluminate وُجوهُكُمyour faces هَذيthese الدِياراthe lands
تُضيءُ وُجوهُكُم هَذي الدِيارا
May you remain in peace and gladness,
May you remain in peace and jubilation,
your faces lighting up these lands.
Your faces illuminating these lands.
Sol 6.1