طَفَلَgrew dusky المَساءُthe evening وَلِلنَسيمُand the breeze has تَضوُّعُa wafting fragrance
طَفَلَ المَساءُ وَلِلنَسيمُ تَضوُّعُ
وَالأُنسُand fellowship يَنظمbinds together شَمَلناour company وَيَجمّعُand gathers
وَالأُنسُ يَنظم شَمَلنا وَيَجمّعُ
Evening has grown dusky, and the breeze wafts fragrance;
The evening welcomed a child, and the breeze sighed,
And fellowship binds our company and draws us together.
While companionship knitted our gathering and united us.
وَالزَهرُand the flowers يَضحكlaugh مِنat بُكاءthe weeping of غَمامَةa cloud
وَالزَهرُ يَضحك مِن بُكاء غَمامَة
رِيعَتwas frightened لِشَيمِby the unsheathing of سُيوفswords of بَرقٍlightning تَلمَعُgleaming
رِيعَت لِشَيمِ سُيوف بَرقٍ تَلمَعُ
And the flowers laugh at the weeping of a cloud
And flowers laughed at the weeping of a small cloud
frightened by the unsheathing of lightning’s gleaming swords.
Whose lightning swords shone brightly.
وَالنَهرُand the river مَنfrom طَرَبٍdelight يَصفِّقُclaps مَوجُهُits waves
وَالنَهرُ مَن طَرَبٍ يَصفِّقُ مَوجُهُ
وَالغُصنُand the bough يَرقُصُdances وَالحَمامَةُand the dove تَسجَعُcoos
وَالغُصنُ يَرقُصُ وَالحَمامَةُ تَسجَعُ
And the river’s waves clap for joy;
The river clapped its waves in rapture,
And the bough dances, and the dove coos.
The branch danced and the dove cooed.
فَاِنعمso enjoy yourself أَباAbu (father of) عُمرانʿImrān وَالهُand make merry بِرَوضَةٍin a garden
فَاِنعم أَبا عُمران وَالهُ بِرَوضَةٍ
حَسُنَwas lovely المَصيفُthe summer retreat بِهاin it وَطابَand was delightful المَربَعُthe spring retreat
حَسُنَ المَصيفُ بِها وَطابَ المَربَعُ
So enjoy yourself, Abu ʿImrān, and make merry in a garden
So take your ease, Abu Umran, in a garden
where the summer retreat is lovely and the spring retreat delightful.
Where summer is beautiful and the square delightful,
ياO شادِنَyoung gazelle of البانِthe bān trees الَّذيwho دُونَthis side of النَقاthe sand dune
يا شادِنَ البانِ الَّذي دُونَ النَقا
حَيثُwhere التُقىmet واديthe valley of الحِمىal-Ḥimā (the protected pasture) وَالأَجرَعُand al-Ajraʿ (the sandy plain)
حَيثُ التُقى وادي الحِمى وَالأَجرَعُ
O young gazelle of the bān trees, dwelling this side of the dune,
O you who settled by the white sands
where the valley of al-Ḥimā and al-Ajraʿ meet.
Where the valley of Al-Hima joins Al-Ajra’a,
الشَمسُthe sun يَغرُبُsets نورُهاits light وَلربّماand sometimes
الشَمسُ يَغرُبُ نورُها وَلربّما
كُسِفَتis eclipsed وَنُوركand your light كُلّevery حينَmoment يَسطعُshines
كُسِفَت وَنُورك كُلّ حينَ يَسطعُ
The sun’s light sets, and sometimes
The sun sets and its light disappears, but yours
it is eclipsed; yet your light shines at every moment.
Remains shining at all times.
إِنif غابَvanishes نُورُthe light of الشَمسthe sun بِتناwe spend the night نَتّقيwe ward off
إِن غابَ نُورُ الشَمس بِتنا نَتّقي
بِسناكَwith your radiance لَيلَa night of تَفَرُّقٍseparation يَتَطلُعlooming
بِسناكَ لَيلَ تَفَرُّقٍ يَتَطلُع
If the sun’s light vanishes, we spend the night warding off
When the sun’s light is gone, we take shelter
with your radiance a looming night of separation.
In your light, dispelling the night’s darkness.
أَفَلَتit set فَنابَso stood in سَناكَyour radiance عَنfor إِشراقِهاits shining
أَفَلَت فَنابَ سَناكَ عَن إِشراقِها
وَجَلاand dispelled مِنof الظَلماءِthe darkness ماwhat يُتَوقَّعُis anticipated
وَجَلا مِن الظَلماءِ ما يُتَوقَّعُ
It has set, and your radiance has replaced its shining
When it set it relied on your rising
and dispelled whatever darkness one might fear.
To dispel the expected gloom.
فَأَمِنتَso you are safe from ياO مُوسىMusa الغُروبَsetting وَلَمand did not أَقُلI say
فَأَمِنتَ يا مُوسى الغُروبَ وَلَم أَقُل
فَودَدتُso I wished ياO مُوسىMusa لَوif only أَنّكthat you يوشعYūshaʿ (Joshua)
فَودَدتُ يا مُوسى لَو أَنّك يوشع
Thus you are safe from setting, O Musa, and I did not say:
You felt safe from sunset, Moses, and I did not say
“So I wished, O Musa, that you were Yūshaʿ.”
I wish, O Moses, you were Joshua!
Sol 6.1