دِمَشقُDamascus حُييِتِmay you be greeted مِنas a حَيٍّa dwelling-place وَمِنand as a ناديa gathering-place
دِمَشقُ حُييِتِ مِن حَيٍّ وَمِن نادي
وَحَبَّذاand how lovely حَبَّذاhow lovely واديكِyour valley مِنas a وادِvalley
وَحَبَّذا حَبَّذا واديكِ مِن وادِ
Damascus, hail to you as a dwelling-place and gathering-place!
Damascus, I greet you from one alive and calling
And how lovely, how lovely a valley is yours!
How excellent, most excellent, is your valley among valleys
لَيسَare not النَدامىthe drinking companions نَدامىregretful حينَwhen تَنزِلُهُyou alight in it
لَيسَ النَدامى نَدامى حينَ تَنزِلُهُ
يَعُلُّهُمplies them with drink شادِنٌa young gazelle كَأساًa cup عَلىto the accompaniment of شادِa singer
يَعُلُّهُم شادِنٌ كَأساً عَلى شادِ
The drinking companions feel no regret when you alight there;
The revelers are not regretful as it descends upon them
A young gazelle gives them another cup to a singer's song.
It raises them up, a cup, to a friend
حَقَّاًtruly وَلِلوُرقِand the gray doves have فيin أَوراقِهِits leaves طَرَبُrapture
حَقَّاً وَلِلوُرقِ في أَوراقِهِ طَرَبُ
كَأَنَّas though فيin كُلِّevery عودٍbranch أَلفَa thousand عَوّادِlute-players
كَأَنَّ في كُلِّ عودٍ أَلفَ عَوّادِ
Truly, the gray doves rejoice among its leaves,
Truly, and for the leaves in its leaves, a rapture
As though in every branch were a thousand lute-players.
As if in every branch, a thousand friends
ياO غادِياًmorning traveler رائِحاًevening traveler عَرِّجturn aside عَلىto بَرَدىBarada
يا غادِياً رائِحاً عَرِّج عَلى بَرَدى
وَخَلِّنيand spare me مِنfrom حَديثِtalk of الرائِحِthe evening traveler الغاديthe morning traveler
وَخَلِّني مِن حَديثِ الرائِحِ الغادي
O morning and evening traveler, turn aside to the Barada,
O passerby going, stop by Barada
And spare me talk of those who come and go.
And spare me talk of the passerby who passed
كَمhow often قَدindeed شَرِبتُI drank بِهِby it فيin ظِلِّthe shade of دالِيَةٍa grapevine
كَم قَد شَرِبتُ بِهِ في ظِلِّ دالِيَةٍ
مِنof ماءِwater of دالِيَةٍa waterwheel تُنبيكَtells you عَنabout عادِ'Ad
مِن ماءِ دالِيَةٍ تُنبيكَ عَن عادِ
How often I have drunk there in a grapevine's shade,
How much have I drank in the shade of its terraces
Of water from a waterwheel that tells you of 'Ad,
From the water of its terraces that rouses you from habits
فيat جَنبِthe side of ساقِيَةٍa watercourse مِنfrom كَفِّthe hand of ساقِيَةٍa female cupbearer
في جَنبِ ساقِيَةٍ مِن كَفِّ ساقِيَةٍ
قامَتshe stood تَثَنّىswaying بِقَدٍّwith a figure غَيرِnot مُنآدِbent
قامَت تَثَنّى بِقَدٍّ غَيرِ مُنآدِ
Beside a watercourse, from the hand of a cupbearer,
Next to a water-bearer, from the palm of a water-bearer
Who stood swaying with an unbent figure.
Who stood, bent with a wrist not called to
سَمراءُbrown-skinned كالصَعدَةِlike the spear-shaft السَمراءِbrown واضِحَةٌradiant
سَمراءُ كالصَعدَةِ السَمراءِ واضِحَةٌ
يَشفيheals لَمَىthe dusky hue of شَفَتَيهاher two lips غُلَّةَthe burning thirst of الصاديthe thirsty one
يَشفي لَمَى شَفَتَيها غُلَّةَ الصادي
Brown-skinned, like a brown spear-shaft, radiant;
Brown, like the brown partition, clear
The duskiness of her lips quenches the thirsty one's burning thirst.
Her moist lips remedy the roughness of the arid
لَهاshe has بِعَينيin my eyes إِذاwhen ماسَتswayed عَواطِفُهاher curves
لَها بِعَيني إِذا ماسَت عَواطِفُها
جَمالُthe beauty of مَيّاسَةٍMayyasah فيin عَينِthe eye of مِقدادِMiqdad
جَمالُ مَيّاسَةٍ في عَينِ مِقدادِ
To my eyes, when her curves sway, she has
To me, when her passions meet my eyes
Mayyasah's beauty in Miqdad's eyes.
A beauty of glancing in Miqdad's eyes
وَهَلand shall? أَذَمُّI blame زَمانيmy age فيduring مَحَبَّتِهاlove for her
وَهَل أَذَمُّ زَماني في مَحَبَّتِها
وَأَهلُهُand its people عِندَbefore أَعدائيmy enemies وَحُسّاديand my enviers
وَأَهلُهُ عِندَ أَعدائي وَحُسّادي
And shall I blame my age while loving her,
Shall I risk my time in loving her
And its people, before my enemies and enviers,
While my people are with my enemies and enviers?
وَقَدand indeed غَدَوتُI have become بِفَخرِthrough Fakhr الدينِal-Din مُفتَخِراًproud
وَقَد غَدَوتُ بِفَخرِ الدينِ مُفتَخِراً
عَلىabove البَرِيَّةِall mankind مِنof حَضَرٍtownsfolk وَمِنand of باديa desert-dweller
عَلى البَرِيَّةِ مِن حَضَرٍ وَمِن بادي
When through Fakhr al-Din I have come to boast
And I have become proud in Saladin
Above all mankind, townsfolk and desert-dwellers?
Above the land, from civilization and from the nomad
ثَورانَThawran شاهَShah بنَson of أَيّوبَAyyub الَّذيwho شَرُفَتwas exalted
ثَورانَ شاهَ بنَ أَيّوبَ الَّذي شَرُفَت
بِهِthrough him دِمَشقُDamascus عَلىabove مِصرٍEgypt وَبَغدادِand Baghdad
بِهِ دِمَشقُ عَلى مِصرٍ وَبَغدادِ
Thawran Shah ibn Ayyub, who exalted
The revolt of Shah, son of Ayyub, by which
Damascus above Egypt and Baghdad.
Damascus became eminent over Egypt and Baghdad
مِنwho? اِبنُson of مامَةَMamah وَالطائيُّand al-Ta'i فيin كَرَمٍgenerosity
مِن اِبنُ مامَةَ وَالطائيُّ في كَرَمٍ
وَشِدَّةِand fierceness of الباسِvalor عَمروٌ'Amr وَاِبنُand son of شَدّادِShaddad
وَشِدَّةِ الباسِ عَمروٌ وَاِبنُ شَدّادِ
Who are Ibn Mamah and al-Ta'i beside him in generosity,
From the son of Mamah, and Al-Tai in generosity
And in fierce valor, 'Amr and Ibn Shaddad?
And the intensity of armor, Amr and Ibn Shaddad
كَالبَدرِlike the full moon إِنif غابَhe vanishes حَلَّتfalls بَعدَهُafter him ظُلَمٌdarkness
كَالبَدرِ إِن غابَ حَلَّت بَعدَهُ ظُلَمٌ
وَإِنand if أَلَّمَhe visits أَتاكَcomes to you المُؤنِسُthe comforter الهاديthe guide
وَإِن أَلَّمَ أَتاكَ المُؤنِسُ الهادي
Like the full moon: if he vanishes, darkness falls after him;
Like the moon, if it departs, darkness falls after it
And if he visits, the comforting guide comes to you.
And if it appears, the friendly guide comes to you
وَهُوَand he الَّذيthe one who لَمnot يَزَلcease فيin كُلِّevery مَنزِلَةٍstage
وَهُوَ الَّذي لَم يَزَل في كُلِّ مَنزِلَةٍ
يَسيرُtravels خَلفَin pursuit of العُلىglory بِالماءِwith water وَالزادِand provisions
يَسيرُ خَلفَ العُلى بِالماءِ وَالزادِ
And he is the one who, at every stage, has never ceased
And he is the one who never ceased in any abode
To travel in pursuit of glory with water and provisions.
To travel behind the sublime, with water and supplies
مِنfrom مَعشَرٍa people لَمnot تَزَلcease نيرانُthe fires of حَربِهِمtheir war
مِن مَعشَرٍ لَم تَزَل نيرانُ حَربِهِم
مَشبوبَةًkindled ذاتِwith إِبرِاقٍlightning flashes وَإِرعادِand thunder
مَشبوبَةً ذاتِ إِبرِاقٍ وَإِرعادِ
From a people whose war-fires have ever remained
From a people whose fires of war
Ablaze, with lightning and thunder.
Were ever kindled, flashing and thundering
تَمضيpass مَجالِسُهُمtheir gatherings غُرّاًwhite-blazed مُحَجَّلَةًwhite-footed
تَمضي مَجالِسُهُم غُرّاً مُحَجَّلَةً
هَزلَthe jesting of اِبنِson of حَجّاجِHajjaj فيwithin جِدِّthe earnestness of اِبنِson of عَبّادِ'Abbad
هَزلَ اِبنِ حَجّاجِ في جِدِّ اِبنِ عَبّادِ
Their gatherings pass, white-blazed and white-footed:
Their assemblies pass as protected and serious
Ibn Hajjaj's jesting within Ibn 'Abbad's earnestness.
The jest of Ibn Hajjaj amid the solemnity of Ibn Abbad
Sol 6.1