سَقىmay ... be watered العَهدَthe bygone days مِنfrom نَجدٍNajd معاهدَهits familiar haunts بِماbecause
سَقى العَهدَ مِن نَجدٍ معاهدَه بِما
يغارُis jealous عَلَيهاover them الدَمعُtears أَنlest تَشرَبَthey drink القَطراthe rain
يغارُ عَلَيها الدَمعُ أَن تَشرَبَ القَطرا
May the haunts of bygone days in Najd be watered, for
He made a pact from Najd with covenants that
Tears jealously begrudge them a drink of rain.
The tear is jealous for it to drink the drops.
فَياso, O غَينَةَleafy thicket الجَرعاءِal-Jar‘a ماnot حالَintervened بَينَناbetween us
فَيا غَينَةَ الجَرعاءِ ما حالَ بَينَنا
سِوىexcept الدَهرِTime شَيءٌanything فَاِرجِعيso return نَشتَكيlet us complain of الدَهراTime
سِوى الدَهرِ شَيءٌ فَاِرجِعي نَشتَكي الدَهرا
So, O thicket of al-Jar‘a, nothing has come between us
So O fleeting life, what is between us
Except Time; return, and let us complain of Time.
Besides time something so return we complain of fate.
تَقَضَّتhas passed away حَياةُthe vitality العَيشِof life إِلاexcept حُشاشَةًa last flicker of life
تَقَضَّت حَياةُ العَيشِ إِلا حُشاشَةً
إِذاwhen سَأَلَتit asks for لُقياكِmeeting you عَلَّلتُهاI console it ذِكراwith remembrance
إِذا سَأَلَت لُقياكِ عَلَّلتُها ذِكرا
Life's vitality has ebbed away, save a last flicker;
The life of living has ended except for a brief revival
When it asks to meet you, I console it with remembrance.
When I asked for your meeting, I excused it with mention.
وَكَمand how many بِالنَقاat al-Naqa مِنof رَوضَةٍa meadow مُرجَحِنَّةٍluxuriant
وَكَم بِالنَقا مِن رَوضَةٍ مُرجَحِنَّةٍ
تَضَمَّخُbecome perfumed أَنفاسُbreaths الرِياحِof the winds بِهاin it نَشراwith fragrance
تَضَمَّخُ أَنفاسُ الرِياحِ بِها نَشرا
And how many a luxuriant meadow lies at al-Naqa,
And how many meadows waving with soft growth
Where the breaths of the winds are steeped in fragrance!
The breezes soak their breaths in spreading fragrance.
وَمِنand of نُطفَةٍa small pool زَرقاءَblue تَلعَبُplays بِالصَدىwith thirst
وَمِن نُطفَةٍ زَرقاءَ تَلعَبُ بِالصَدى
إِذاwhen ماever ثَنىdoubles ظلٌّa shadow مُدارٌencircling بِهاaround it سُمراdusky trees
إِذا ما ثَنى ظلٌّ مُدارٌ بِها سُمرا
And many a small blue pool that toys with thirst,
And from a blue bud playing with the echo
When a shadow cast around it doubles the dusky trees.
When a bending shadow revolves around it reddish brown.
وَبَردُand the coolness نَسيمٍof a breeze أَنثَنيI turn عِندَat ذِكرِهِits remembrance
وَبَردُ نَسيمٍ أَنثَني عِندَ ذِكرِهِ
عَلىto زَفَراتٍsighs تَصدَعُcleave الكَبدَthe liver الحَرّىburning
عَلى زَفَراتٍ تَصدَعُ الكَبدَ الحَرّى
And a breeze's coolness—at its remembrance I turn
And the coolness of a breeze that leaned over at the mention
To sighs that cleave the burning liver.
On sighs that rupture the burning liver.
وَإِنand indeed لباناتٍlongings تَضَمَّنَهاhas harbored them الحَشاthe breast
وَإِن لباناتٍ تَضَمَّنَها الحَشا
قَليلٌlittle لَدَيهاbeside them أَنthat نَضيقَwe feel distressed بِهاbecause of them صَدراin the breast
قَليلٌ لَدَيها أَن نَضيقَ بِها صَدرا
And indeed, the longings harbored in the breast—
And for yearnings that the night contained
Beside them, it is little enough that our breasts tighten with distress.
Little there is for it that we would narrow our chests.
Sol 6.1