رقّgrew gentle النسيمُthe breeze وغنّتِand sang الأطبارُthe birds (apparently intended)
رقّ النسيمُ وغنّتِ الأطبارُ
وصفاand grew clear المُدامُthe wine وضجّتِand resounded الأوتارthe strings
وصفا المُدامُ وضجّتِ الأوتار
The breeze grew gentle, and the birds sang;
The breeze grew gentle, and the birds sang.
the wine grew limpid, and the strings rang loud.
And the wine grew clear, and the strings resounded.
وصفاand shone clear السمِّاكal-Simāk إلىtoward المغيبthe setting وقدand already بداappeared
وصفا السمِّاك إلى المغيب وقد بدا
نجمُthe star الصباحِof morning كأنّهُas though it were دينارُa dinar
نجمُ الصباحِ كأنّهُ دينارُ
Al-Simāk shone clear as it neared its setting, while there appeared
And al-Simāk shone clear toward its setting; already there appeared
the morning star, as though it were a dinar.
The morning star, as though it were a dinar.
وكأنّماand as though الجوزاءal-Jawzā’ مِعصمُthe wrist قَينةٍof a singing girl
وكأنّما الجوزاء مِعصمُ قَينةٍ
والأفقُand the horizon كفٌّa palm والهلالُand the crescent سِوارُa bracelet
والأفقُ كفٌّ والهلالُ سِوارُ
Al-Jawzāʾ seemed the wrist of a songstress,
And al-Jawzā’ seemed the wrist of a singing girl,
the horizon her hand, and the crescent a bracelet.
And the horizon a palm, and the crescent a bracelet.
فكأنّماso, as though زهرُthe bright ones النجومِof the stars فوارسhorsemen
فكأنّما زهرُ النجومِ فوارس
تبغيseek السباقَthe race لهاfor them الدُّجىnight's darkness مضمارُa racecourse
تبغي السباقَ لها الدُّجى مضمارُ
It was as though the radiant stars were horsemen
So the bright stars seemed to be horsemen,
seeking to race, with darkness as their course.
Seeking to race, with night's darkness their racecourse.
ياah حبّذاhow lovely ليلاتthe nights رامةَof Rāmah إنّهاindeed, they
يا حبّذا ليلات رامةَ إنّها
كانتwere لياليَnights كلُّهاall of them أسحارُpredawn hours
كانت لياليَ كلُّها أسحارُ
How delightful were the nights of Rāmah! Truly, they
Ah, how lovely the nights of Rāmah! Indeed, they
were nights made wholly of pre-dawn hours.
Were nights, all of them hours before dawn.
إنif لمnot تكنit is وطنيmy homeland فليthen I have بربوعهاin its dwellings
إن لم تكن وطني فلي بربوعها
وَطَرٌa desire وأوطانُand the homelands الفتىof the young man الأوطارُthe desires
وَطَرٌ وأوطانُ الفتى الأوطارُ
Though it was not my homeland, within its quarters
Even if it is not my homeland, within its dwellings I have
lay a heart’s desire—and a young man’s homelands are his desires.
A desire; a young man's homelands are his desires.
لاno ذنبَblame إلاexcept للقلوبِfor the hearts فإنهاfor they
لا ذنبَ إلا للقلوبِ فإنها
تهوىlove وإنand even if لمnot تعلمِknow الأبصارُthe eyes
تهوى وإن لم تعلمِ الأبصارُ
No blame falls except upon hearts, for they
None but hearts are to blame, for they
love even when the eyes do not know.
Love, even if the eyes do not know.
أهدىbrought as a gift لناto us نَفَسُthe breath الصبَّاof the east wind أنفاسكُمyour breaths
أهدى لنا نَفَسُ الصبَّا أنفاسكُم
سَحَراًbefore dawn فقلتso I said عسىperhaps الصبَّاthe east wind عَطّارُa perfumer
سَحَراً فقلت عسى الصبَّا عَطّارُ
The breath of the east wind brought us your breaths
The east wind's breath brought us your breaths
at dawn; I said, “Perhaps the east wind is a perfumer.”
Before dawn; I said, 'Perhaps the east wind is a perfumer.'
وتمايلتand swayed للسكرِfrom drunkenness باناتُthe bān trees الحمِىof the preserve
وتمايلت للسكرِ باناتُ الحمِى
حتىuntil كأنّas though نسيمَهُits breeze خَمّارُa wine-seller
حتى كأنّ نسيمَهُ خَمّارُ
The bān trees of the protected grounds swayed with intoxication,
And the bān trees of the preserve swayed with drunkenness,
until it seemed their very breeze was a wine-seller.
Until its breeze seemed to be a wine-seller.
Sol 6.1