تنسّمbreathe in هذهthese نفحاتfragrant breezes نجدNajd
تنسّم هذه نفحات نجد
تأرجwafted fragrantly عرفُهاtheir scent فأثارand so stirred وجديmy longing
تأرج عرفُها فأثار وجدي
Breathe in: these are the fragrant breezes of Najd.
Inhale the breezes of Najd
Their scent wafted, stirring my longing.
Their fragrance stirs and kindles my passion
سرتtraveled by night منfrom أرضهمtheir land سحراًbefore dawn فخلناso we imagined
سرت من أرضهم سحراً فخلنا
فتيقunsealed المسكmusk خالطmingled with ماءwater وردِroses
فتيق المسك خالط ماء وردِ
They traveled from their land before dawn, so we imagined
They blew from their land like magic, so we were infused
Unsealed musk had mingled with rosewater.
With the perfume of musk mixed with rosewater
وجرّتand trailed فيthrough مغانيهمtheir dwellings ذيولاtrailing skirts
وجرّت في مغانيهم ذيولا
فأهدتand thus brought نحوناtoward us أرواحfragrances ندِّincense
فأهدت نحونا أرواح ندِّ
And they trailed their skirts through their dwellings,
Their trains flowed in their melodies
And brought us the fragrances of incense.
Bestowing their spirits upon us as gifts
تذكرنيreminds me of صباباتيmy ardent longings صباهاits east wind
تذكرني صباباتي صباها
فتهمىand so flow أدمعىmy tears سحّاin torrents نجديmy Najd
فتهمى أدمعى سحّا نجدي
Its east wind reminds me of my ardent longings,
They remind me of my youth during my prime
And my tears pour in torrents, O my Najd.
So my tears flow copiously, longing for my Najd
إذاwhen سجعتcooed بدوحin spreading trees البانthe moringa trees ورقٌgrey doves
إذا سجعت بدوح البان ورقٌ
أحنّI yearn إلىfor مغانيthe dwellings of أهلthe people of وديmy love
أحنّ إلى مغاني أهل ودي
When grey doves coo in the spreading moringa trees,
When the wild pear tree by the vale sings
I yearn for the dwellings of those I love.
I yearn for the melodies of my kindred folk
وإنand if صدحتsang out بصرحةin a tall tree جزعa bend وادa valley
وإن صدحت بصرحة جزع واد
يذكرنيreminds me of الوفاءloyalty قديمold عهديmy pledge
يذكرني الوفاء قديم عهدي
And if they sing in a tall tree at a valley's bend,
And when the summit of the rift valley resounds
Loyalty recalls to me my old pledge.
Loyalty from times of old reminds me
فياso O شاديsinger of الغصونthe branches أصخlisten closely قليلاًa little
فيا شادي الغصون أصخ قليلاً
أبثّكI confide to you ياO حمامdoves أليمpainful وقديmy burning
أبثّك يا حمام أليم وقدي
So, O singer in the branches, listen a little;
O rustler of the branches, murmur softly
I confide to you, O doves, my painful burning.
Pour out, O heart-rending dove, my fervor
وياand O حاديcaravan-driver of الرفاقthe traveling companions ألاtake heed فبلّغthen convey
ويا حادي الرفاق ألا فبلّغ
سلامgreetings فتىa young man شجاهhas grieved him طولlength بعدِseparation
سلام فتى شجاه طول بعدِ
And O driver of the travelers, pray convey
O leader of companions - convey
The greetings of a youth grieved by long separation.
The greetings of one whose longing the distance makes grave
يجلّis too great غرامهhis passion عنbeyond دركthe reach of وصفdescription
يجلّ غرامه عن درك وصف
ويعظمand is too great شوقهhis longing عنbeyond حصرٍthe bounds of عدِّcounting
ويعظم شوقه عن حصرٍ عدِّ
His passion lies beyond the reach of description,
His passion is too great to be confined
And his longing beyond the bounds of counting.
His yearning too vast to be numbered
دعاهcalled him الشوقlonging نحوهمtoward them فلبّىso he answered
دعاه الشوق نحوهم فلبّى
وباتand spent the night حليفan ally of أشجانsorrows وسهدِand sleeplessness
وبات حليف أشجان وسهدِ
Longing called him toward them, and he answered,
Longing summoned him to them, so he obeyed
And spent the night an ally of sorrows and sleeplessness.
Befriending melancholy and wakefulness
علىover ماwhat فاتهeluded him قدalready ذابmelted حزناin sorrow
على ما فاته قد ذاب حزنا
وهلand does? حزنgrief علىover ماwhat فاتhas passed يجديavail
وهل حزن على ما فات يجدي
He has melted in grief over what he has missed;
Grieving over what is past, melting in sorrow
And does grief over what is gone avail?
But does grieving for what is past avail?
وهبكمand suppose you أنكمthat you عنهfrom him فصمتُمyou broke away
وهبكم أنكم عنه فصمتُم
وبلغَand attained منكمfrom you آمالthe hopes of قصدِa quest
وبلغَ منكم آمال قصدِ
And suppose that you have broken away from him,
You have estranged yourselves from him, so he is silent
And he has attained from you the hopes of his quest:
And has attained what he hoped from you
أيرجعcan it return? سالفa bygone part منof عمرهhis life قدalready
أيرجع سالف من عمره قد
مضىpassed مقرونcoupled أوقاتhours بصَدِّwith rejection
مضى مقرون أوقات بصَدِّ
Can the bygone part of his life return, which has already
Can the past of his life return, after
Passed with its hours bound up with rejection?
Passing, joined to moments, away?
دعونيlet me أسكبpour out العبراتtears حزناًin sorrow
دعوني أسكب العبرات حزناً
علىover نفسيmyself فذاكfor that الرأىthe judgment عنديin my view
على نفسي فذاك الرأى عندي
Let me pour out tears in sorrow
Let me shed tears of sorrow
Over myself—for that is the course I favor.
For myself, as that is my view
عسىperhaps ماءwater المدامعtear ducts فيكfor you يطفىwill quench
عسى ماء المدامع فيك يطفى
لهيبblaze تلهّبflaring يذكىis stoked بوقدِby burning
لهيب تلهّب يذكى بوقدِ
Perhaps the water of tears shed for you will quench
Maybe the water of tears will extinguish
The flaring flame, stoked by burning.
The flames kindled with passion
Sol 6.1