علىat واديthe valley of النقاal-Naqa قِفْstop ليfor me صباحاin the morning
على وادي النقا قِفْ لي صباحا
وحَيِّand greet الرِّيمَthe gazelle والغُررand the radiant faces الصِّباحاbright and fair
وحَيِّ الرِّيمَ والغُرر الصِّباحا
Stop for me at Wadi al-Naqa one morning,
Pause for me in the morning by Wadi al-Naqa
and greet the gazelle and the radiant, fair faces.
And stir the sands and little pebbles in the morning
وعانقْand embrace ليfor me بِسحِّwith a pouring of الدمعِtears بانًاa ban tree
وعانقْ لي بِسحِّ الدمعِ بانًا
بسُوحٍin open grounds فيin العقيقal-Aqiq لديهbeside it ساحاflowed
بسُوحٍ في العقيق لديه ساحا
And embrace a ban tree for me with streaming tears,
And embrace for me, with the caress of tears, a weeping lover
in al-Aqiq's open grounds, where tears flowed beside it.
In the meadows where carnelian lies sleeping
ومرِّغْand rub ليfor me الخدودَthe cheeks علىupon ترابٍdust
ومرِّغْ لي الخدودَ على ترابٍ
تشمُّyou smell بهin it عبيرَthe fragrance of المسكِmusk فاحاwafted
تشمُّ به عبيرَ المسكِ فاحا
And rub your cheeks upon the dust for me,
And wipe for me my cheeks upon earth
where you smell the wafting fragrance of musk.
Where you can smell the scent of musk diffusing
وغضَّand lower الصوتَthe voice فيin نجواكyour whispered converse واخفضْand lower
وغضَّ الصوتَ في نجواك واخفضْ
جناحَthe wing of الذُّلِّhumility منكof yours عسىperhaps نجاحاsuccess
جناحَ الذُّلِّ منك عسى نجاحا
And lower your voice in your whispered converse, and lower
And lower your voice as you whisper, and fold
your wing of humility, in hope of success.
The wing of humility - perhaps you'll find success
وأُمَّand head toward الجانبَthe side الغربيَّwestern منهof it
وأُمَّ الجانبَ الغربيَّ منه
سقىmay water اللهGod رُباهits hills والبِطاحاand the valley flats
سقى الله رُباه والبِطاحا
And make for its western side;
And head for the west side of it
may God water its hills and valley flats.
May God water its pastures and lowlands
وسَلْand ask عنabout جيرةٍneighbors فيat سفحthe foot of سلعٍSal'
وسَلْ عن جيرةٍ في سفح سلعٍ
وقبلَand before القوْلِspeaking قبِّلْkiss ليfor me المراحاthe encampment
وقبلَ القوْلِ قبِّلْ لي المراحا
And ask after neighbors at the foot of Sal',
And ask about a neighbor on the skirt of Sala’
and, before speaking, kiss the encampment for me.
But before speaking, kiss the dunes for me
بهمamong them خزٌّsilk brocade يشيembroiders حِبَرًاpatterned cloths، بَرتْنيwore me thin
بهم خزٌّ يشي حِبَرًا، بَرتْني
بُروقُlightning flashes of ظِباهhis blade-edges، دعْleave عنكaway from you الرّماحاthe spears
بُروقُ ظِباه، دعْ عنك الرّماحا
Among them is silk embroidering patterned cloths; I have been worn thin
Some have a persistent love that wounds me
by the lightning flashes of his blade-edges—leave the spears aside.
The lightning of their glare blinds me - leave off your spears
لِروحيfor my soul منfrom صداهُhis echo غِذًاnourishment وراحٌand wine
لِروحي من صداهُ غِذًا وراحٌ
غداwent forth at dawn يجلوpolishes away الصَّداthe rust عنهاfrom her وراحاand went forth at dusk
غدا يجلو الصَّدا عنها وراحا
His echo gives my soul nourishment and wine;
For my soul, solace and comfort
morning and evening, it clears the rust from her.
Tomorrow it will disperse the discord from her
ترىyou see الأوتارَthe strings ناطقةًspeaking فِصاحاeloquent
ترى الأوتارَ ناطقةً فِصاحا
إذاwhen غنَّىhe sang بنغمتِهاto their melody فَصاحاthen cried aloud
إذا غنَّى بنغمتِها فَصاحا
You see the strings speaking eloquently
You see the strings speaking out loud
when he sings to their melody, then cries aloud.
When the professional singers sing their tunes
بهin him معنًىa meaning فهِمناهwe understood it فهُمْناso we became love-struck
به معنًى فهِمناه فهُمْنا
فلاحَthen shone سنًاa radiance فشاهدْناso we beheld فلاحاfelicity
فلاحَ سنًا فشاهدْنا فلاحا
In him is a meaning we understood, and so we became love-struck;
With a meaning we understood and grasped
then a radiance shone, and we beheld felicity.
So it thrived, and we saw it thrive
فشاهدْso behold ساعةًa while وارجعْand return سريعًاquickly
فشاهدْ ساعةً وارجعْ سريعًا
وحاذرْand beware يستميلُكَhe entices you إنif تصاحَىyou feign sobriety
وحاذرْ يستميلُكَ إن تصاحَى
So behold him a while, and return quickly,
Just watch awhile and hurry back
and beware lest he entice you, if you feign sobriety.
And beware in case he tries to entice you if you meet
فإنfor indeed حشَايَmy bosom ممّاfrom what فيin فؤاديmy heart
فإن حشَايَ ممّا في فؤادي
يئنَّgroans أنينَthe groan of مَنْone who ذاقtasted السِّلاحاweapons
يئنَّ أنينَ مَنْ ذاق السِّلاحا
For my bosom, from what lies in my heart,
For my thoughts are pained by what’s in my heart
groans like one who has tasted weapons.
A moan like those who have tasted the sword
فحسبيso it suffices me أنَّthat محبوبيmy beloved بقلبيin my heart
فحسبي أنَّ محبوبي بقلبي
وأنيand that I فيin الهوىlove أهوىI love المِلاحاthe fair ones
وأني في الهوى أهوى المِلاحا
It is enough for me that my beloved is in my heart,
It's enough that my beloved's in my heart
and that, in love, I love the fair ones.
And that in passion I desire union
وسلِّمْand send greetings ليfor me علىto قُمْريْthe turtledove of العلاليthe upper chambers
وسلِّمْ لي على قُمْريْ العلالي
وندْمانيand my boon companion غبوقًاevening drinking واصطِباحاand morning drinking
وندْماني غبوقًا واصطِباحا
And greet for me the turtledove of the upper chambers,
Convey my greetings to my shining moon and my regret
and my boon companion in evening and morning drinking.
In the darkness and at dawn
وجمعand the company of الصحبthe friends بلِّغْهمconvey to them سلاميmy greeting
وجمع الصحب بلِّغْهم سلامي
لعلَّmay اللهَGod يجمعُناHe brings us together صِحاحاsafe and sound
لعلَّ اللهَ يجمعُنا صِحاحا
And the company of friends—convey my greeting to them;
Gather my friends and convey my greetings
may God bring us together safe and sound.
May God gather us at daybreak
وكرِّرْand repeat ليfor me السلامَthe greeting علىto عقيقٍAqiq
وكرِّرْ لي السلامَ على عقيقٍ
كذَوْبِlike the melt of مُكرَّرٍrefined sugar يسقيwaters الأقاحاthe daisies
كذَوْبِ مُكرَّرٍ يسقي الأقاحا
And repeat the greeting to Aqiq for me,
Repeat my greetings to ‘Uqayq
like melted refined sugar watering the daisies.
Like ceaseless rainfall watering the thickets
وتعرفُand you know ياO عقيقَAqiq; agate الروحِthe soul منيfrom me
وتعرفُ يا عقيقَ الروحِ مني
لمنfor whom فيin الحُسْنِbeauty قوليmy words القصْدplain; direct لاحاshone forth
لمن في الحُسْنِ قولي القصْد لاحا
And you, O Aqiq, agate of the soul, will know from me
You know, O soul’s ‘Uqayq, my words were true
for whom my plain words on beauty shone forth.
When in beauty I spoke plain and clear
Sol 6.1