طربتrejoiced بناwith us ريحwind النسيthe breeze (continued)
طربت بنا ريح النسي
مِ(completes 'breeze') صبيحةthe morning of العيدthe Eid feast الكبيرgreat
مِ صبيحة العيد الكبير
The gentle breeze rejoiced with us
The breeze of forgetfulness delighted us
on the morning of the great Eid.
On the morn of Eid al-Adha, the great feast
منfrom بعدafter أنthat صلىprayed الاماthe imam (continued)
من بعد أن صلى الاما
م(completes 'imam') وكانand he was فيamong جمa multitude غفيرvast
م وكان في جم غفير
After the imam had prayed,
After the imam had prayed
and was amid a vast throng,
With a large congregation
فتسابقthen raced الاخوانthe brothers كeach (continued)
فتسابق الاخوان ك
ل(completes 'each') راكبriding متنatop; the back of السريرthe couch
ل راكب متن السرير
the brothers raced, each
So the brothers raced, each
riding atop a couch,
Rider on the back of his steed
عالlofty جميلهits beauty شكلهits form
عال جميله شكله
فكأنهso, as though it were تختa throne الاميرthe prince
فكأنه تخت الامير
lofty and beautiful in form,
Raising beautiful, graceful shapes
as though it were the prince's throne.
As if they were a prince's carriage
والخيلand the horses تمرحfrolic والحواand the hooves (continued)
والخيل تمرح والحوا
فر(completes 'hooves') ليناتsoft كالحريرlike silk
فر لينات كالحرير
And the horses frolic, and their hooves
And the horses frolicked, their manes
are soft as silk:
Flowing like silk
خيلhorses عتاقnoble-bred تعتليexcel; rise above
خيل عتاق تعتلي
لوif قابلتthey faced خيلhorses السفيرthe envoy
لو قابلت خيل السفير
noble-bred horses that would excel
Steeds bred for racing that would surpass
if they faced the envoy's horses.
Even an envoy's horses
تطويthey fold up سجلthe scroll of الارضthe earth طيa folding (continued)
تطوي سجل الارض طي
اً(completes 'a folding') لاnot يمازجهmingles with it خريرa murmur; gurgling
اً لا يمازجه خرير
They fold up the scroll of the earth,
Gliding over the land's expanse
a folding unmingled with any murmur.
With no trace or murmur
يشدوsings بهاof them الشعراءthe poets لوif; were it
يشدو بها الشعراء لو
كانwere الفرزدقal-Farazdaq أوor جريرJarir
كان الفرزدق أو جرير
Poets would sing of them, whether
Poets would sing their praises
al-Farazdaq or Jarir,
Were they Farazdaq or Jarir
أوor فارسthe knight of الشرقthe East الاماthe imam (continued)
أو فارس الشرق الاما
م(completes 'imam') الحضرميal-Hadrami ذاكthat الشهيرrenowned
م الحضرمي ذاك الشهير
or the knight of the East, Imam
Or the famous Eastern Imam
al-Hadrami, that renowned man.
Al-Hudhrami of great repute
والىand to اليمينthe right معwith اليساthe left (continued)
والى اليمين مع اليسا
ر(completes 'left') اذاif; when نظرتyou look ترىyou see الغدريthe pool (likely الغدير)
ر اذا نظرت ترى الغدري
And to the right, as to the left,
To the right, with ease and calm
if you look, you see the pool.
You'd see Al-Ghadri
والجوand the sky صافclear والحماand the doves (continued)
والجو صاف والحما
م(completes 'doves') علىupon الغصونthe boughs لهit has هديرcooing
م على الغصون له هدير
And the sky is clear, and the doves
The air was clear, the doves
coo upon the boughs.
Cooing in the branches
وأمامناand before us بحرa sea خضمvast; deep
وأمامنا بحر خضم
راقserene لاnot يبديgives forth هريرa growl
راق لا يبدي هرير
And before us lies a vast sea,
Before us, a deep green sea
serene, giving forth no growl.
Betraying no ripple or stir
والزهرand the flowers يبسمsmiles والربىand the hills
والزهر يبسم والربى
تختالstrut; sway proudly فيin بردcoolness الضميرthe inner self; conscience
تختال في برد الضمير
And the flowers smile, and the hills
Flowers smiled, pastures
strut in the coolness of the soul.
Swayed in the conscience's chill
وعلىand on البسيطةthe earth سندسfine silk
وعلى البسيطة سندس
خضرgreen حكىimitated; resembled نسجthe weave of الحريرsilk
خضر حكى نسج الحرير
And on the earth lies fine silk,
On the meadow, green satin
green, imitating the weave of silk.
Wove like finest silk
حتىuntil جرىflowed ذهبthe gold of الاصيlate afternoon (continued)
حتى جرى ذهب الاصي
ل(completes 'late afternoon') علىover اللجينthe silver المستنيرgleaming
ل على اللجين المستنير
Until the gold of late afternoon flowed
Until gold threads ran
over the gleaming silver.
Over luminous fabrics
والشمسand the sun فيin رفعascent وفيand in
والشمس في رفع وفي
خفظdescent (likely خفض) علىalong سمتa course تسيرtravels
خفظ على سمت تسير
And the sun, in ascent and in
The sun rose and set
descent, travels along a course.
On a perfect trajectory
فكأنهاso, as though she were والبحرand the sea يغبطcovets; envies
فكأنها والبحر يغبط
وصلهاunion with her حوراءa dark-eyed maiden ديرa convent
وصلها حوراء دير
As though she—with the sea coveting
As if it and the sea envied
union with her—were a dark-eyed maiden of a convent,
Their tryst with a convent's beauty
أبدتshe revealed محياthe countenance of وجههاher face
أبدت محيا وجهها
والىand toward مغازلهاher wooer تشيرshe gestures
والى مغازلها تشير
who has revealed her countenance
Her face shone, her glances
and gestures toward her wooer.
Beckoned with promise
فكأنناso, as though we were وكأنهand as though he were
فكأننا وكأنه
وكأنهاand as though she were وهيand she is المنيرthe radiant one
وكأنها وهي المنير
As though we, and he,
As if we, as if they, as if she
and she—she, the radiant one—
Were the source of all light
خلa lover; close friend خلاwas alone بخليلهwith his beloved
خل خلا بخليله
وعليهماand over them both اطغpeered down (probably أطلّ) الخفيرthe watchman
وعليهما اطغ الخفير
were a lover alone with his beloved,
Two lovers embraced
with the watchman peering down upon them both.
Watched by disapproving eyes
واذand when الجزائرAlgiers رصعتwas studded
واذ الجزائر رصعت
بالكهرباwith electricity النورthe light الشهيرcelebrated
بالكهربا النور الشهير
And when Algiers was studded
Then the islands were adorned
with electricity, that celebrated light,
With electricity's famed glow
ومنand from المشارقthe eastern horizons لاحappeared; shone بدa full moon (continued)
ومن المشارق لاح بد
ر(completes 'full moon') التمfullness وارتاحand relaxed السميرthe evening companion
ر التم وارتاح السمير
from the eastern horizons appeared the moon
From the east, the new moon's
in its fullness, and the evening companion relaxed.
Crescent brought peace
حلsettled; alighted الركابthe riding party برحلهat its lodging
حل الركاب برحله
وعميرناand our Umayr هوhe المديرthe one in charge
وعميرنا هو المدير
The riding party settled at its lodging,
Our caravan halted, its journey done
and our Umayr was the one in charge.
Thanks to our leader's care
قلناwe said السلامpeace علىupon الجزاAlgiers (continued)
قلنا السلام على الجزا
ئر(completes 'Algiers') وانتهىand ended هذاthis المسيرjourney
ئر وانتهى هذا المسير
We said, "Peace be upon Algiers,"
We bid farewell to Algeria
and this journey came to an end.
And so ended our passage
Sol 6.1