سَرَتdrifted by night نَفحةٌa fragrant waft للِبانَof the bān tree يَشفَىis healed بِهاby it الوَجدُlove's anguish
سَرَت نَفحةٌ للِبانَ يَشفَى بِها الوَجدُ
إِلىto مُغرمٍa lovesick man قَدalready شَفَّهُhad worn him thin الهَجرُestrangement والبُعدُand distance
إِلى مُغرمٍ قَد شَفَّهُ الهَجرُ والبُعدُ
A waft of bān drifted by night, healing love's anguish,
to a lovesick man whom estrangement and distance had worn thin.
تَبدَّتit appeared علىupon مَتنِthe back of النَّسيمthe breeze كأَنَّهاas though it were
تَبدَّت على مَتنِ النَّسيم كأَنَّها
مَعَwith الصبُّحِthe dawn مِسكٌmusk قَدalready تَضوَّعَgave off fragrance أَوor نَدُّincense
مَعَ الصبُّحِ مِسكٌ قَد تَضوَّعَ أَو نَدُّ
It appeared upon the breeze's back, as though it were
musk giving off its fragrance at dawn, or incense.
وَمرَّتand it passed بِذَاتِby Dhāt الرَّندِal-Rand (laurel) مِنfrom أَيمنِthe right side of الحِمَىthe preserve
وَمرَّت بِذَاتِ الرَّندِ مِن أَيمنِ الحِمَى
أَياah حَبَّذاhow lovely تِلكَthose الَمرَابعُspring encampments والرّندُand the laurel trees
أَيا حَبَّذا تِلكَ الَمرَابعُ والرّندُ
And it passed by Dhāt al-Rand, from the preserve's right-hand side—
ah, how lovely those spring encampments and the laurel trees!
أتَتit came والنَّوىwhile separation قَدalready وَكلَّتhad appointed بِقُلوبِناover our hearts
أتَت والنَّوى قَد وَكلَّت بِقُلوبِنا
غَرَاماًa consuming passion لَهُit has فيin كُلِّevery جارِحَةٍlimb وَقدُa blaze
غَرَاماً لَهُ في كُلِّ جارِحَةٍ وَقدُ
It came when separation had set over our hearts
a passion with a blaze in every limb.
فَقُلتُso I said وأَنضاءُwhile the worn-out ones الَمطِيِّof the riding camels مِنَfrom السُّرىnight travel
فَقُلتُ وأَنضاءُ الَمطِيِّ مِنَ السُّرى
مُسَهمَّةٌwere gaunt والصَّحبُand the companions قَدalready مَسَّهُhad afflicted them جَهدُexhaustion
مُسَهمَّةٌ والصَّحبُ قَد مَسَّهُ جَهدُ
Then I said, while the mounts, worn down by night travel,
were gaunt, and exhaustion had overtaken the companions:
أَقيمواhalt, all of you فَهذاfor this is رَبعُthe dwelling of عَلوَةَʿAlwa قَدalready بَداhas appeared
أَقيموا فَهذا رَبعُ عَلوَةَ قَد بَدا
لِعَيِنيto my eye وَهذاand this is البانُthe bān trees والأَجرَعُand the sandy tract الفَردُthe solitary one
لِعَيِني وَهذا البانُ والأَجرَعُ الفَردُ
Halt, for here is ʿAlwa's dwelling, now revealed
to my eyes; here are the bān trees and the solitary sandy tract.
وَتِلكَand those رُباًhills قَضيَّتُI fulfilled فيهاamong them لُبانَةًa heart's desire
وَتِلكَ رُباً قَضيَّتُ فيها لُبانَةً
ِمَعَwith الحُبِّthe beloved والأَيَّامُwhile the days مِنof وَصلِناour union عِقدُa necklace
ِمَعَ الحُبِّ والأَيَّامُ مِن وَصلِنا عِقدُ
And those are hills where I fulfilled a heart's desire
with the beloved, while the days were a necklace of our union.
أَريحواgive rest, all of you فُؤاديmy heart فَهوfor it is عِندَwith أُهَيلِهاher dear folk
أَريحوا فُؤادي فَهو عِندَ أُهَيلِها
لَهُit has عِندَهُمwith them دَينٌa debt لَهُit has عِندَهمwith them وَعدُa promise
لَهُ عِندَهُم دَينٌ لَهُ عِندَهم وَعدُ
Give my heart rest, for it is with her dear folk;
they owe it a debt; they have given it a promise.
لَعلَّهَمُperhaps they أَنthat يُسعِفُوهُthey favor it بِنظرَةٍwith a glance
لَعلَّهَمُ أَن يُسعِفُوهُ بِنظرَةٍ
يُراحُit is relieved بِهاthrough it أَوor منِهُمُfrom them يَحسُنُis kind الرَّدُّthe reply
يُراحُ بِها أَو منِهُمُ يَحسُنُ الرَّدُّ
Perhaps they will favor it with a glance
that brings it rest—or may their reply be kind.
أَأحبابَناO our beloved ones لاmay not أَوحشَتbecome desolate مِنfor lack of جَمالِكُمyour beauty
أَأحبابَنا لا أَوحشَت مِن جَمالِكُم
شِعابُthe ravines حِمَىthe preserve of نَجدٍNajd ولاand may not أَوحشَتbecome desolate نَجدُNajd
شِعابُ حِمَى نَجدٍ ولا أَوحشَت نَجدُ
O our beloved ones, may your beauty never desert
the ravines of Najd's preserve, and may Najd never be desolate.
وَلاand may not غَيَّرَتchange ماwhat بَينَنَاis between us غُربَةُthe estrangement النَّوىof distance
وَلا غَيَّرَت ما بَينَنَا غُربَةُ النَّوى
ولاَnor may زاغَwaver مِيثَاقٌa covenant ولاnor نُسِيbe forgotten العَهدُthe pledge
ولاَ زاغَ مِيثَاقٌ ولا نُسِي العَهدُ
And may the estrangement of distance never change what lies between us,
nor any covenant waver, nor the pledge be forgotten.
Sol 6.1