أَلاAh! حَبَذاhow lovely يَومَa day يَقَرُّlingers بِهِon it الصَباthe east wind
أَلا حَبَذا يَومَ يَقَرُّ بِهِ الصَبا
لَناfor us وَعَشِيّاتٌand evenings تَجَلَّتhave cleared غُيومُهاtheir clouds
لَنا وَعَشِيّاتٌ تَجَلَّت غُيومُها
Ah, how lovely a day when the east wind lingers
For us, and evenings whose clouds have cleared,
بِنَعمانَat Nuʿman إِذwhen أَهليmy people بِنَعمانَat Nuʿman جيرَةٌneighbors
بِنَعمانَ إِذ أَهلي بِنَعمانَ جيرَةٌ
لَيالِيَnights لاnot تُرضىare approved of بِلادٌlands نُقيمُهاwe inhabit
لَيالِيَ لا تُرضى بِلادٌ نُقيمُها
At Nuʿman, when my people at Nuʿman were neighbors,
Nights when no land we inhabited found favor.
أَياO جَبَلَيtwo mountains of نَعمانَNuʿman بِاللَهِby God خَلِّياboth of you, let through
أَيا جَبَلَي نَعمانَ بِاللَهِ خَلِّيا
نَسيمَthe breeze of الصَباthe east wind يَخلُصmay reach unhindered إِلَيَّto me نَسيمُهاits breeze
نَسيمَ الصَبا يَخلُص إِلَيَّ نَسيمُها
O two mountains of Nuʿman, by God, let through
The east wind’s breeze, that its breath may reach me,
أَجِدI may feel بَردَهاits coolness أَوor تَشفِit may heal مِنيfrom me حَرارَةًa burning heat
أَجِد بَردَها أَو تَشفِ مِني حَرارَةً
عَلىupon كَبِدٍa liver لَمdid not يَبقَremain إِلّاexcept صَميمُهاits innermost core
عَلى كَبِدٍ لَم يَبقَ إِلّا صَميمُها
That I may feel its coolness, or it may soothe my burning
Upon a liver with nothing left but its core.
فَإِنَّfor indeed الصَباthe east wind ريحٌa wind إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle تَنَسَّمَتit breathes gently
فَإِنَّ الصَبا ريحٌ إِذا ما تَنَسَّمَت
عَلىupon نَفسِthe soul of مَحزونٍa sorrowing person تَجَلَّتare dispelled هُمومُهاits cares
عَلى نَفسِ مَحزونٍ تَجَلَّت هُمومُها
For the east wind is a wind that, whenever it breathes
Upon a sorrowing soul, its cares disperse.
تَذَكَّرتُI recalled مِنهاthrough it بِالعَشِيّاتِin the evenings وَالضُحىand in the forenoon
تَذَكَّرتُ مِنها بِالعَشِيّاتِ وَالضُحى
لَذاذَةَthe sweetness of دُنياa world قَدalready تَوَلّىhas passed away نَعيمُهاits bliss
لَذاذَةَ دُنيا قَد تَوَلّى نَعيمُها
Through it I recalled, at evening and in the forenoon,
The sweetness of a world whose bliss has passed away.
أَتَعذِرُdo you excuse? لَيلىLayla ماwhat لِغَيريfor anyone but me بِلَومِهاwith blaming her
أَتَعذِرُ لَيلى ما لِغَيري بِلَومِها
وَلَيلىand Layla فِدىa ransom نَفسيmy soul الَّتيwhom لاnot أَلومُهاI blame her
وَلَيلى فِدى نَفسي الَّتي لا أَلومُها
Do you excuse Layla? What right has anyone else to blame her?
And Layla is my soul’s ransom, she whom I do not blame.
أَياO زينَةَadornment of الدُنياthe world الَّتيwhom لاnot يَنالُهاattains her
أَيا زينَةَ الدُنيا الَّتي لا يَنالُها
مُنايَmy desires وَلاnor يَبدوappears لِقَلبيto my heart صَريمُهاparting from her
مُنايَ وَلا يَبدو لِقَلبي صَريمُها
O adornment of the world, beyond the reach
Of my desires; nor can my heart imagine parting from her.
بِعَينيin my eye قَذاةٌa mote مِنfrom هَواكِlove for you لَوَif اِنَّهاthat it
بِعَيني قَذاةٌ مِن هَواكِ لَوَ اِنَّها
تُداويtreats بِمَنthrough the one whom تَهوىit loves لَسَحَّwould stream سَقيمُهاits ailing one
تُداوي بِمَن تَهوى لَسَحَّ سَقيمُها
In my eye is a mote from love for you; if it
Sought healing through the one it loves, its ailing eye would stream.
وَماand not صَبَرَتhas endured عَنwithout ذِكرِكِremembering you النَفسُthe soul ساعَةًan hour
وَما صَبَرَت عَن ذِكرِكِ النَفسُ ساعَةً
وَإِنand although كُنتُI was أَحياناًat times كَثيراًa great deal أَلومُهاI reproach it
وَإِن كُنتُ أَحياناً كَثيراً أَلومُها
And my soul has not endured an hour without remembering you,
Though at times I reproach it a great deal.
عَلَيَّbinding on me نُذورٌvows يَومَon the day زُرتُكِI visited you خالِياًalone
عَلَيَّ نُذورٌ يَومَ زُرتُكِ خالِياً
لَيالٍnights وَأَيامٌand days كَثيرٌmany أَصومُهاI fast during them
لَيالٍ وَأَيامٌ كَثيرٌ أَصومُها
I am bound by vows for the day I visited you alone:
Nights and many days that I shall fast.
وَإِنّيand indeed I لَمَجلوبٌam surely drawn إِلىto الشَوقِlonging كُلَّماwhenever
وَإِنّي لَمَجلوبٌ إِلى الشَوقِ كُلَّما
بَداappeared لِيَto me مِنamong أَعلامِthe landmarks of لَيلىLayla رُسومُهاher traces
بَدا لِيَ مِن أَعلامِ لَيلى رُسومُها
And I am surely drawn to longing whenever
Her traces appear to me among Layla’s landmarks.
Sol 6.1