لياليكِyour nights ياO بغدادُBaghdad فيin الحسنِbeauty كالفجرlike dawn
لياليكِ يا بغدادُ في الحسنِ كالفجر
معطّرةperfumed الأَنفاسِbreaths طيّبةsweet النشْرِfragrance
معطّرة الأَنفاسِ طيّبة النشْرِ
Your nights, O Baghdad, are like dawn in beauty,
Your nights, O Baghdad, are like the dawn in beauty
Perfumed in breath, sweet in fragrance.
Scents wafting, blossoms spreading
وَللنورِand for light والسحرِand enchantment المبينِmanifest سوادُهاtheir darkness
وَللنورِ والسحرِ المبينِ سوادُها
كذاكso too سوادُthe blackness of العينِthe eye للنورِfor light والسحرِand enchantment
كذاك سوادُ العينِ للنورِ والسحرِ
And their darkness serves light and manifest enchantment,
Though the darkness aids the light and magic to shine
As the eye's dark pupil serves light and enchantment.
As the darkness of eyes aids light and magic
وَماand not روعةُthe splendor of الإشراقِsunrise أوor رونقُthe radiance of الضحىthe forenoon
وَما روعةُ الإشراقِ أو رونقُ الضحى
بأحسنany lovelier مِنْthan لألآءِthe glitter of أنجمِهاtheir stars الزُهرshining
بأحسن مِنْ لألآءِ أنجمِها الزُهر
And neither sunrise's splendor nor morning's radiance
Neither the glory of daybreak, nor the charm of morn
Is lovelier than the glitter of their shining stars.
Match the radiance of her starry gems
ففيfor in كلِّevery شطرِpart منof صفاءِthe clarity of سماءِهاtheir sky
ففي كلِّ شطرِ من صفاءِ سماءِها
يلاقيكmeets you وَجهٌa face بالطلاقةwith smiling openness والبشرand cheer
يلاقيك وَجهٌ بالطلاقة والبشر
For in every part of their clear sky,
In every strand of her clear skies
A face greets you with smiling warmth and cheer.
A face greets you, graceful and cheerful
وَماand what القبةُthe dome الزرقاءُblue لولاwere it not for نجومُهاits stars
وَما القبةُ الزرقاءُ لولا نجومُها
وَلولاand were it not for ازدهارٌradiance للهلالِof the crescent moon وَللبدرand of the full moon
وَلولا ازدهارٌ للهلالِ وَللبدر
And what would the blue dome be without its stars,
Without its stars, the azure dome would be naught
And without the shining of the crescent and the full moon?
Without the crescent and full moon in bloom
إذاwhen الريحُthe wind مرّتْpassed فوقover (دجلةthe Tigris) رفرفتْfluttered
إذا الريحُ مرّتْ فوق (دجلة) رفرفتْ
بأجنحةٍwith wings فيهاupon it الزوارقُthe boats إذْas تجريthey sail
بأجنحةٍ فيها الزوارقُ إذْ تجري
When the wind passed over the Tigris, there fluttered
When the wind passes over the Tigris, fluttering
The boats upon it, with wings, as they sailed.
With wings amid boats gliding by
وَباتَand became by night شعاعُthe beam of النورِlight فيin الماءِthe water شعلةًa flame
وَباتَ شعاعُ النورِ في الماءِ شعلةً
تشبُّblazes بأَحشاءِin the entrails of المياهthe waters وَتستشريand spreads unchecked
تشبُّ بأَحشاءِ المياه وَتستشري
And the beam of light in the water became a flame,
And daylight's glow remains on the water, a flame
Blazing in the waters' entrails and spreading unchecked.
That warms the river's heart and spreads
وَربَّand many a فتىyouth أمسىwas at evening عَلَىon الشطِّthe riverbank منشداًsinging
وَربَّ فتى أمسى عَلَى الشطِّ منشداً
عيونthe eyes of المهاthe oryx بَيْنbetween الرُصافةِRusafa والجسرand the bridge
عيون المها بَيْن الرُصافةِ والجسر
And many a youth, singing on the bank at evening
Many a lad has spent the eve on the bank, reciting
'The eyes of the oryx between Rusafa and the bridge,'
Eyes of gazelles between Rusafa and the Bridge
فأوردنيso led me to drink ماwhat قَدْhad تحاميتُI shunned وِردَهits draught
فأوردني ما قَدْ تحاميتُ وِردَه
زماناًfor a long time وَهاجَand stirred الوجدَlonging والشعرَand poetry فيin صدريmy breast
زماناً وَهاجَ الوجدَ والشعرَ في صدري
Led me to waters whose draught I had shunned
Bringing me to what I've longed for but avoided
For a long time, and stirred longing and poetry in my breast.
When passion and song stirred wildly in my chest
"فياso O ليلةًa night منfrom دونهاbeneath it ""ألفُa thousand ليلةٍnights"""
"فيا ليلةً من دونها ""ألفُ ليلةٍ"""
سأذكرُهاI shall remember it بالخيرِfondly ماas long as مُدّis prolonged فيin عمريmy life
سأذكرُها بالخيرِ ما مُدّ في عمري
So, what a night, surpassing 'A Thousand Nights'!
"What a night without peer among a thousand nights"
I shall remember it fondly for as long as I live.
I will recall it well, for as long as I live
شهدتُI witnessed بهاduring it ماwhat يملأُfills النفسَthe soul بهجةًwith delight
شهدتُ بها ما يملأُ النفسَ بهجةً
وَيقضيand condemns علىupon العينينthe two eyes والقلبِand the heart بالأَسرto captivity
وَيقضي على العينين والقلبِ بالأَسر
In it I witnessed what fills the soul with delight,
I witnessed in it what fills the soul with delight
And condemns the eyes and the heart to captivity.
And captivates the eyes and heart entirely
كأنas though الحسانَthe beauties الغيدَgraceful يخطرنَthey walk swaying بينناamong us
كأن الحسانَ الغيدَ يخطرنَ بيننا
ملائكةُangels of الرحمنthe All-Merciful فيon ليلةِthe Night of القدرDecree
ملائكةُ الرحمن في ليلةِ القدر
It was as though the graceful beauties swaying among us
As if the celestial houries were strolling among us
Were angels of the All-Merciful on the Night of Decree.
Angels of the Merciful, on Laylat Al-Qadr
فكمْand how many غادةٍa graceful maiden تصبيcaptivates الحليمَthe sober-minded man بسحرِهاwith her enchantment
فكمْ غادةٍ تصبي الحليمَ بسحرِها
تضيءُshe lights ظلامَthe darkness of الليلnight كالكوكبِlike a star الدريpearl-bright
تضيءُ ظلامَ الليل كالكوكبِ الدري
And how many a maiden beguiles the sober-minded with her spell,
How many a languorous beauty enchants the wise
Lighting the darkness of night like a pearl-bright star!
Her light dispelling the darkness of night like a shining star
تَفَتَّحَopened أعلىthe upper part of الثوبthe gown عنto reveal غضِّtender جسمِهاher body
تَفَتَّحَ أعلى الثوب عن غضِّ جسمِها
كماjust as انشقَّsplit open كمُّthe calyx of الزهرِflowers عنto reveal ناضرِfresh الزهرblossoms
كما انشقَّ كمُّ الزهرِ عن ناضرِ الزهر
The gown's upper part opened to reveal her tender body,
Her dress falls open, revealing tender limbs
As a flower's calyx splits open to reveal a fresh bloom.
As the bud bursts open, exposing the flowering bloom
تَقَلَّصَdrew back عنfrom صدرٍa chest وَظهرٍand a back سوادُهits blackness
تَقَلَّصَ عن صدرٍ وَظهرٍ سوادُه
كماjust as انشقَّsplit open ليلٌnight عنto reveal عمودٍa pillar منof الفجرdawn
كما انشقَّ ليلٌ عن عمودٍ من الفجر
Its blackness drew back from breast and back,
The blackness recedes from her chest and back
As night splits open to reveal a pillar of dawn.
As night splits open before a pillar of dawn
تشبَّثَit clung لماwhen زلَّslipped أعلاهits upper part عنهماoff them both
تشبَّثَ لما زلَّ أعلاه عنهما
بناهدِto the swell of ثدييهاher two breasts وَدارand wound عَلىaround الخصرthe waist
بناهدِ ثدييها وَدار عَلى الخصر
It clung, when its upper part slipped off them,
As it slides down, she clasps her swelling breasts
To the swell of her breasts, and wound around her waist.
And sways at the waist in a gentle twist
تموّجrippled دونbelow الكشحِthe flank وانداحَand spread out ذيلُهits train
تموّج دون الكشحِ وانداحَ ذيلُه
فكانتْso she was كمنlike one who يطفوfloats عَلَىon لججٍdeep waters خضرِgreen
فكانتْ كمن يطفو عَلَى لججٍ خضرِ
It rippled below her flank, and its train spread wide,
Below her dimples, her train ripples and flows
So she was like one floating on deep green waters.
Like one floating atop the greenest surges
يزيدgrows بريقاًin brilliance عقدُهاher necklace فوقover نحرِهاher throat
يزيد بريقاً عقدُها فوق نحرِها
فنورٌso light عَلَىupon نورٍlight حُلاهاher jewels عَلَىon النحرthe throat
فنورٌ عَلَى نورٍ حُلاها عَلَى النحر
Her necklace grows brighter upon her throat,
Her necklace shines atop her neck ever brighter
So her jewels at her throat are light upon light.
Light upon light, gracing her throat
إذاwhen رطَنَتْshe speaks a foreign tongue كانتshe is لكسرىof Kisra وَقيصرand Caesar
إذا رطَنَتْ كانت لكسرى وَقيصر
وَإِنand if أَعربتْshe speaks Arabic فهيthen she is الصريحةُpure-blooded منof فهرFihr
وَإِن أَعربتْ فهي الصريحةُ من فهر
When she speaks a foreign tongue, she is of Kisra and Caesar;
Speaking Arabic, she is the match of Chosroes and Caesar
And if she speaks Arabic, she is a pure-blooded descendant of Fihr.
Speaking frankly, she is the purest eloquence
أَرىI find سهريmy vigil فيهاin it أَلذَّsweeter منthan الكرىsleep
أَرى سهري فيها أَلذَّ من الكرى
بعينيthrough the two eyes of طليحٍone worn out منby سهادٍsleeplessness وَمنand by سكرintoxication
بعيني طليحٍ من سهادٍ وَمن سكر
I find my vigil there sweeter than sleep,
My vigil with her is sweeter than drink
Through the eyes of one worn out by sleeplessness and intoxication.
Through bleary eyes, pillows and wine
وَماand whatever أنسَI forget منof شيءٍanything فلاthen not أَنسI forget ليلةًa night
وَما أنسَ من شيءٍ فلا أَنس ليلةً
تبسّمsmiled فيهاduring it الأُفقُthe horizon عنto reveal بارقٍlightning يسريtraveling by night
تبسّم فيها الأُفقُ عن بارقٍ يسري
And whatever I may forget, I shall not forget a night
Of nothing I forget, I'll not forget a night
In which the horizon smiled to reveal lightning coursing through the night.
When the horizon smiled with a creeping glow
بداappeared منfrom أهاضيبِgreat masses of السحابِclouds كأنهas though it were
بدا من أهاضيبِ السحابِ كأنه
خوافقُfluttering راياتٍbanners عَلَىover عسكرan army مجرvast
خوافقُ راياتٍ عَلَى عسكر مجر
It appeared from masses of cloud, as though it were
From the clouds' hems emerged what seemed
Fluttering banners over a vast army.
Banners over an army on the march
تأَلَّقflashed فيon الأُفقthe horizon الشآميِّSyrian موهناًlate at night
تأَلَّق في الأُفق الشآميِّ موهناً
يضيءُit shines ويخبوand fades كالمشيرِlike one gesturing إلىtoward أمرsomething
يضيءُ ويخبو كالمشيرِ إلى أمر
It flashed on the Syrian horizon late at night,
Shimmering in the Levantine horizon, wavering
It shines and fades, like one gesturing toward something.
Lighting and dimming like a gesturing hand
فحيّاso it saluted قباباًdomes فيin العراقِIraq منيفةًlofty
فحيّا قباباً في العراقِ منيفةً
وأيقظَand awakened منfrom نومٍsleep (أباFather of الهولِTerror) فيin مصرEgypt
وأيقظَ من نومٍ (أبا الهولِ) في مصر
So it saluted lofty domes in Iraq,
It roused domes in Iraq, so elegant
And woke the Sphinx from sleep in Egypt.
And woke the Sphinx from slumber in Egypt
رجوتُI hoped (لبغدادَfor Baghdad) رجاءَthe hope of المحبِa lover أَنْthat
رجوتُ (لبغدادَ) رجاءَ المحبِ أَنْ
تعودwould return لياليهاher nights بأيّامهاwith her days الغرِّradiant
تعود لياليها بأيّامها الغرِّ
I hoped for Baghdad, with a lover's hope, that
For Baghdad, I hoped with a lover's hope
Her nights would return with her radiant days.
Her nights and days would return to glory
Sol 6.1