ياO نَسيمَbreeze الصَباthe east wind مَتىَwhen جُزتَyou passed through نَجداNajd
يا نَسيمَ الصَبا مَتىَ جُزتَ نَجدا
فَلَقَدfor indeed هِجتَyou stirred ليin me غَراماًpassion وَوَجداand longing
فَلَقَد هِجتَ لي غَراماً وَوَجدا
O eastern breeze, when did you pass through Najd?
O breeze of the morning, when did you pass through Nejd,
For you have stirred passion and longing in me.
For you have stirred in me passions and torment.
عَمرَكَI adjure you اللَهGod هَلdid مَرَرتَyou pass سُحيراًjust before dawn
عَمرَكَ اللَه هَل مَرَرتَ سُحيراً
بزرودٍthrough Zarud فزدتَand so you increased طيباًin fragrance وَبَرداand coolness
بزرودٍ فزدتَ طيباً وَبَردا
I adjure you by God: did you pass just before dawn
May God prolong your life! Did you pass a waking lover
through Zarud, gaining fragrance and coolness?
By the sands, and blow gently, perfumed and cool?
أَمor بِلَيلىto Layla عَرَّجتَyou turned aside لَيلاًat night فَقَبَّلthen kissed (continued)
أَم بِلَيلى عَرَّجتَ لَيلاً فَقَبَّل
تَyou (verb ending) ثُغَيراًa little mouth منهاof hers وَعانقتَand you embraced قَدّاa figure
تَ ثُغَيراً منها وَعانقتَ قَدّا
Or did you turn aside to Layla at night, then kiss
Or did you pass by Layla at night and kiss
her little mouth and embrace her figure?
Her bracelet and embrace her slender form?
أَمor تنسَّمتَyou breathed in نَفحَةًa fragrant waft منfrom ثَراهاher soil
أَم تنسَّمتَ نَفحَةً من ثَراها
حيثwhere جرَّتtrailed مُختالَةٌa proudly strutting woman فيهover it بُرداa mantle
حيث جرَّت مُختالَةٌ فيه بُردا
Or did you breathe in a waft from her soil,
Or did you inhale a breath from her necklace
where a proud woman trailed a mantle over it?
Where it draped gracefully over her cool skin?
إنَّindeed عَهديmy recollection بِغيدِof the lissome maidens وَجرةَWajra يسحبtrail (continued)
إنَّ عَهدي بِغيدِ وَجرةَ يسحب
نَthey (feminine plural ending) بُروداًrobes تَضوعُgive off fragrance مسكاًmusk وَندّاand fragrant incense
نَ بُروداً تَضوعُ مسكاً وَندّا
Indeed, I recall Wajra’s lissome maidens trailing
Truly, my pact with love and passion draws out
robes exhaling musk and fragrant incense.
A coolness that pours musk and tenderness.
كُلُّeach غَرّاءَradiant beauty لاnot تَرىyou see البَدرَthe full moon مثلاًa match
كُلُّ غَرّاءَ لا تَرى البَدرَ مثلاً
لسَناهاto her radiance ولاnor الغَزالَةَthe sun نِدّاan equal
لسَناها ولا الغَزالَةَ نِدّا
Each radiant beauty—you see no full moon equal
No coquette can see the full moon as a match
to her radiance, nor the sun a rival.
For her splendor, or the gazelle her equal in grace.
نشرَتshe unfurled منfrom دُجىnight-darkness الغياهِبِthe deep gloom فَرعاًa tress of hair
نشرَت من دُجى الغياهِبِ فَرعاً
وَتَحَلَّتand she adorned herself زُهرَbright الكواكِبthe stars عِقداas a necklace
وَتَحَلَّت زُهرَ الكواكِب عِقدا
She unfurled a tress from the darkness of deepest night
She revealed from the gloom of tents a bough
and adorned herself with bright stars as a necklace.
And donned a necklace of stars like beads.
ياAh رَعىmay He preserve اللَهُGod بالحِمىin the protected grounds عصرَa time of أنسٍcompanionship
يا رَعى اللَهُ بالحِمى عصرَ أنسٍ
عشتُI lived فيهin it حيناًfor a while منof الدَهرtime رَغداin ease
عشتُ فيه حيناً من الدَهر رَغدا
Ah, may God preserve that time of companionship in the protected grounds,
O may God protect the time of bliss I lived,
when I lived awhile in ease,
When for an age I lived in ease and plenty,
حيثwhere رَوضُthe garden of الشَبابyouth غضٌّtender نَضيرٌverdant
حيث رَوضُ الشَباب غضٌّ نَضيرٌ
وَغصونُand the boughs of الصِباyouth ترفُّsway وَتَندىand become dewy
وَغصونُ الصِبا ترفُّ وَتَندى
where youth’s garden was tender and verdant,
Where the meadows of youth are fresh and verdant
and youth’s boughs swayed and were moist with dew,
And the branches of youth flutter and bend.
وَزَمانيand my time ذاكthat الزَمانُtime المُهَنّىblissful
وَزَماني ذاك الزَمانُ المُهَنّى
وَحَبيبيand my beloved ذاكَthat الحَبيبُbeloved المُفَدّىfor whom one would give one’s life
وَحَبيبي ذاكَ الحَبيبُ المُفَدّى
and my time was that blissful time,
That time was my time, now lost,
and my beloved was that beloved for whom one would give one’s life.
And my love was that love, now ransomed.
Sol 6.1