صَيفُ الصَّويرةِ كالشِّتاءِ بِغيرها

صَيفُ الصَّويرةِ كالشِّتاءِ بِغيرها

ومَصيفُها كشِتائِها في حَرِّها

ومَصيفُها كشِتائِها في حَرِّها

Summer in Essaouira is like winter elsewhere;

Summer in Essaouira is like winter elsewhere;

and her summertime, even at its hottest, is like her winter.

And her summer is like her winter, even in her heat.

لا شيءَ أنعشُ للفؤادِ كما إذا

لا شيءَ أنعشُ للفؤادِ كما إذا

هبَّ النَّسيمُ بِبَرِّها من بَحرِها

هبَّ النَّسيمُ بِبَرِّها من بَحرِها

Nothing is more refreshing to the heart than when

Nothing is more refreshing to the heart than when

the breeze rises over her land from her sea.

The breeze blows over her land from her sea.

والبَحرُ مُمتَثِلٌ لِطاعَةِ أَمرِها

والبَحرُ مُمتَثِلٌ لِطاعَةِ أَمرِها

وإذا طَغى يوماً يُرجَّعُ صاغراً

وإذا طَغى يوماً يُرجَّعُ صاغراً

The sea submits obediently to her command;

And the sea submits to her command;

and if one day it rages, it is driven back humbled,

And if one day it oversteps, it is turned back, humbled,

حتى تُقبِّلَ موجُ يَدَ صَدرِها

حتى تُقبِّلَ موجُ يَدَ صَدرِها

فيعودُ مُبتهِجاً وصوتُ هَديرِه

فيعودُ مُبتهِجاً وصوتُ هَديرِه

until its waves kiss the hand of her bosom.

Until the waves kiss the hand of her bosom.

Then it returns rejoicing, while the sound of its roar

It returns rejoicing, and the sound of its roar

يَحكي نشيدَ الغانياتِ لِشعرِها

يَحكي نشيدَ الغانياتِ لِشعرِها

فيعودُ مسروراً بنَيلِ رِضائِها

فيعودُ مسروراً بنَيلِ رِضائِها

echoes the beauties’ song for her verse.

Echoes the beauties’ song to her verse.

It returns delighted to have won her favor,

It returns delighted at winning her approval,

وهديرُ مائِه مُفصحٌ عن شُكرها

وهديرُ مائِه مُفصحٌ عن شُكرها

قد يسحَرُ الألبابَ منظرُ شَكلِها

قد يسحَرُ الألبابَ منظرُ شَكلِها

while the roar of its waters eloquently proclaims its gratitude.

And its waters’ roar expresses thanks to her.

The sight of her form may bewitch the mind—

The sight of her form may enchant minds.

أبهِج بها وبِشكلِها وبسِحرِها

أبهِج بها وبِشكلِها وبسِحرِها

وأفاضلٌ حلُّوا بها مامِثلُهم

وأفاضلٌ حلُّوا بها مامِثلُهم

how delightful she is, in form and enchantment!

How delightful she is, her form, and her enchantment!

Men of distinction have settled in her, with none to equal them

And eminent men have settled in her, with none their equal

مِن فاضلٍ في بأسرِها

مِن فاضلٍ في بأسرِها

فهِلالُها وفقيُهها وشَرِيفها

فهِلالُها وفقيُهها وشَرِيفها

among the worthy, anywhere at all:

Among the worthy in all of her.

her Hilal, her Faqih, and her Sharif,

Then her Hilal, her jurist, and her sharif,

وأمينُها

وأمينُها

وأمينُها الوَرزازيُ النَّدبُ الرِّضى

وأمينُها الوَرزازيُ النَّدبُ الرِّضى

and her Amin—

And her trustee,

her Amin al-Warzazi, valiant and esteemed,

And her trustee al-Warzazi, gallant and esteemed,

حِلفُ المَكارمِ والرَّئيسُ بِثَغرِها

حِلفُ المَكارمِ والرَّئيسُ بِثَغرِها

يَتساءلُ الرُّكبانُ عنه إذا أتوا

يَتساءلُ الرُّكبانُ عنه إذا أتوا

sworn ally of noble virtues and chief at her port.

An ally of noble deeds and the chief at her port.

Travelers ask one another about him when they arrive

The riders ask one another about him when they come

مِن بلدةِ الحمراء أو مِن قُطرِها

مِن بلدةِ الحمراء أو مِن قُطرِها

إن كنتَ مُصطافا فلستَ بمُصطَفٍ

إن كنتَ مُصطافا فلستَ بمُصطَفٍ

from the Red City or from its surrounding region.

From the city of al-Hamra or from her region.

If you would summer somewhere, you would never prefer

If you are summering, you will not choose

فَرسخاً عن شِبرِها

فَرسخاً عن شِبرِها

وبهَا مِن الجِنس اللَّطيفِِ كَواعبٌ

وبهَا مِن الجِنس اللَّطيفِِ كَواعبٌ

a parasang elsewhere to a single span of her.

A parasang over a handspan of her.

Among her fair sex are nubile maidens

And in her are full-breasted maidens of the fair sex,

تَختالُ في حُمرٍ البُرودِ وخُضرِها

تَختالُ في حُمرٍ البُرودِ وخُضرِها

أجفانُها جَزَمَت بنَصبِ حُشاشَتي

أجفانُها جَزَمَت بنَصبِ حُشاشَتي

who strut in robes of red and green.

Strutting in red cloaks and green ones.

Her eyelids resolved—“jussive”—to plant—“accusative”—against my heart

Her eyelids resolved to torment my last spark of life,

هُدباً وقد رفعت لأسهُمِ كَسرِها

هُدباً وقد رفعت لأسهُمِ كَسرِها

بِعذارِه شَعراتُ طعنٍ لم تَزَل

بِعذارِه شَعراتُ طعنٍ لم تَزَل

their lashes; then “raised” them—“nominative”—as arrows to “break” it—“genitive.”

With lashes she has raised as arrows to break it.

In her side-lock, piercing strands have never ceased

The piercing hairs on his cheek have never ceased

في مُهجَتي يَلعَبنَ أتقنَ دَورِها

في مُهجَتي يَلعَبنَ أتقنَ دَورِها

يَمَّمتُها وبرُفقَتِي عِصابةٌ

يَمَّمتُها وبرُفقَتِي عِصابةٌ

playing within my heart, consummately mastering their turns.

To play their most masterful role in my heart.

I set out for her, accompanied by a band

I headed for her, accompanied by a band,

يَذكو أريجُ المِسكِ ساعةَ ذِكرِهَا

يَذكو أريجُ المِسكِ ساعةَ ذِكرِهَا

فَمُوَفَّقٌ

فَمُوَفَّقٌ

whose musk-sweet fragrance grows whenever she is named.

At whose mention the fragrance of musk grows stronger.

Among them is Muwaffaq—

Then Muwaffaq—

تَزهُو به مُراكِشٌ عن غَيرِها

تَزهُو به مُراكِشٌ عن غَيرِها

ما انفكَّ عن طَلبِ العُلُوم مُثابِراً

ما انفكَّ عن طَلبِ العُلُوم مُثابِراً

in him Marrakesh glories above all other cities.

Marrakesh glories in him above the rest.

He has never ceased diligently pursuing the branches of learning

He never ceased persevering in the pursuit of the sciences,

حتَّى تَحلَّى جيدُه من دُرِّهَا

حتَّى تَحلَّى جيدُه من دُرِّهَا

تَتَتابعُ الأمواجُ

تَتَتابعُ الأمواجُ

until his neck was adorned with their pearls.

Until his neck was adorned with their pearls.

The waves follow one another,

The waves follow one another,

فتَرى عليلَ هوائِها في إثرِها

فتَرى عليلَ هوائِها في إثرِها

يا ليتَ شِعري هل أفوزُ بِعصرها

يا ليتَ شِعري هل أفوزُ بِعصرها

and in their wake you see one lovesick for her air.

And you perceive her gentle air in their wake.

Ah, would that I knew: shall I be blessed with time in her company?

Oh, if only I knew: shall I enjoy her afternoon?