عَهْدُdays الجزيرةِal-Jazira لَستُI am not العمرَthroughout my life بالناسيat all forgetful
عَهْدُ الجزيرةِ لَستُ العمرَ بالناسي
مَعاهدhaunts اللهوِpleasure فيin إبّانthe heyday of إيناسيmy convivial joy
مَعاهد اللهوِ في إبّان إيناسي
I shall never in my life forget the days of al-Jazira,
The promise of the island, I do not forget throughout my life
the haunts of pleasure in the heyday of my convivial joy.
The covenants of revelry during the days of my youth
إذاwhen ذكرتُI recalled لَياليnights السّفْحthe mountain's foot فيat جَبَلِMount الthe (al-)
إذا ذكرتُ لَيالي السّفْح في جَبَلِ ال
جونديِّJundi جُدْتُI poured forth بدَمعٍwith tears أيِّhow very رجّاسِsurging
جونديِّ جُدْتُ بدَمعٍ أيِّ رجّاسِ
When I recall the nights at the foot of Mount al-
When I recall the nights on the foothills in the mountains of Al
Jundi, I pour forth tears—how fiercely they surge!
Jundi, my tears flow copiously
ألهوI frolic بكلwith every فَتاةmaiden كالمهاةlike an oryx لَهاshe has
ألهو بكل فَتاة كالمهاة لَها
رشيقُslender قَدًّfigure كَغُصنlike a bough البانِthe ban-tree مياسِgracefully swaying
رشيقُ قَدًّ كَغُصن البانِ مياسِ
I frolic with every maiden, like an oryx, who has
I caroused with every maiden, swaying gracefully like a bough of myrtle
a slender figure, swaying like a bough of the ban-tree.
And in the monastery of Kamool, every fulfilled one
وَليand mine is بِدَيرِat the monastery كمولِKamul كُلُّevery مُكتَملٍperfect one
وَلي بِدَيرِ كمولِ كُلُّ مُكتَملٍ
كالشّمسlike the sun لكنّهbut he يُدعىis called بشمّاسِby the title 'deacon'
كالشّمس لكنّه يُدعى بشمّاسِ
And at the monastery of Kamul, every perfect beauty is mine,
Is like the sun, though he is called the sunburnt one
like the sun, though he is called a deacon.
When we visited him alive with an essence of delight
إذاwhen طَرَقناهُwe visited him by night حيّاناhe greeted us بذاتwith something bearing شَذىfragrance
إذا طَرَقناهُ حيّانا بذات شَذى
تَمُدُّit sends forth أنفاسَهاits breaths طيباًfragrance بأنفاسِwith breaths
تَمُدُّ أنفاسَها طيباً بأنفاسِ
When we visit him by night, he welcomes us with fragrant wine,
His breath extends its sweet fragrance through our breath
which sends forth its fragrant breaths, breath upon breath.
He hastens, and his guidance in the dark years
يسعىhe moves about وهاديهand his guide منهاfrom it فيin الظلامthe darkness سَناًradiance
يسعى وهاديه منها في الظلام سَناً
يغنيهِit spares him عَنْfrom حملcarrying مشكاةa lamp-niche وَنبراسِand a lantern
يغنيهِ عَنْ حمل مشكاة وَنبراسِ
He moves about, guided in the darkness by its radiance,
Suffices him instead of carrying a lantern and torch
which spares him carrying a lamp-niche or a lantern.
He did not guide us to it with fire in the darkness
لمdid not يَهدِناguide us نَحْوَهُtowards him بالنّارِwith fire فيat غَسَقnightfall
لم يَهدِنا نَحْوَهُ بالنّارِ في غَسَق
ولاnor النِّباحُbarking سوىexcept الفانوسِthe lantern والكاسِand the cup
ولا النِّباحُ سوى الفانوسِ والكاسِ
Not by fire at nightfall were we guided towards him,
Except the lantern, the cup and the poetry
nor by barking—only by the lantern and the cup.
Partial English translation: 13 of 14 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1