ياهِزَّةَO swaying الغُصنِthe bough الوَريقِthe leafy
ياهِزَّةَ الغُصنِ الوَريقِ
وَبَشاشَةَand cheerfulness الرَوضِthe garden الأَنيقِthe lovely
وَبَشاشَةَ الرَوضِ الأَنيقِ
O swaying of the leafy bough,
O swaying branch, delicate bough,
and cheerfulness of the lovely garden!
O garden's cheer, charming now,
أَتَتكُماhas come to you both بُشرىglad news بِسُقياof watering
أَتَتكُما بُشرى بِسُقيا
أَمor سَلامٌa greeting مِنfrom صَديقِa friend
أَم سَلامٌ مِن صَديقِ
Has glad news of watering reached you both,
Does good news or a friend bid you sway?
or a greeting from a friend?
For courtesy I bowed away.
فَهَزَزتُso I shook مِنfrom عِطفٍa flank نَدٍdewy
فَهَزَزتُ مِن عِطفٍ نَدٍ
وَسَفَرتَand you unveiled عَنfrom وَجهٍa face طَليقِsmiling
وَسَفَرتَ عَن وَجهٍ طَليقِ
So I set a dewy flank swaying,
When you went, radiance went too.
and you unveiled a smiling face.
When along the thorns I make my way
وَلَقَدand indeed أَقولُI say إِذاwhen سَرىit traveled by night
وَلَقَد أَقولُ إِذا سَرى
بَينَamong الأَقاحيthe daisies وَالشَقيقِand the anemones
بَينَ الأَقاحي وَالشَقيقِ
And indeed I say, when it passes by night
By God, my soul, greet friend from friend, I say.
among the daisies and anemones:
Say to my love, my bosom's dear delight,
بِاللَهِby God يانَفسَO breath الصَباthe east wind
بِاللَهِ يانَفسَ الصَبا
حَيِّgreet الصَديقَthe friend عَنِon behalf of الصَديقِthe friend
حَيِّ الصَديقَ عَنِ الصَديقِ
By God, O breath of the east wind,
My tender friend, my heart's sweet light,
greet the friend on behalf of the friend.
O noble mannered, gentle faced and bright,
قُلsay لِلحَبيبِto the beloved بَلِrather الحَميمِthe intimate friend
قُل لِلحَبيبِ بَلِ الحَميمِ
بَلِrather الشَفيقِthe compassionate one بَلِrather الشَقيقِthe brother
بَلِ الشَفيقِ بَلِ الشَقيقِ
Say to the beloved—rather, the intimate friend,
Salvation's far. Show me the way aright.
rather, the compassionate one—rather, the brother:
Run with me swift upon the way
يامُلتَقىO meeting place الخُلقِcharacter الشَريفِthe noble
يامُلتَقى الخُلقِ الشَريفِ
وَهِشَّةَand cordiality الوَجهِthe face الطَليقِthe smiling
وَهِشَّةَ الوَجهِ الطَليقِ
O meeting place of noble character
From glances languid turn away.
and the cordiality of a smiling face,
For one so fair as you I save
إِنَّindeed النَجاةَdeliverance بَعيدَةٌfar away
إِنَّ النَجاةَ بَعيدَةٌ
فَاِسلُكso travel بِناwith us قَصدَthe direct course of الطَريقِthe road
فَاِسلُك بِنا قَصدَ الطَريقِ
Deliverance is far away,
A friend as true, kind and brave,
so take us along the straight path.
Spurn what debased you, climb anew,
وَاِركُضand gallop بِناwith us رَكضاًa gallop حَثيثاًswift
وَاِركُض بِنا رَكضاً حَثيثاً
فيهِalong it عَنfrom نَظَرٍinsight دَفيقِfreely flowing
فيهِ عَن نَظَرٍ دَفيقِ
And gallop with us at a rapid pace
Exalted word and meaning pursue,
along it, guided by overflowing insight.
Mote from an eye by canyon blue,
فَلِمِثلِهاso, for one like it مِنof شِقَّةٍa long journey
فَلِمِثلِها مِن شِقَّةٍ
أَعدَدتُI prepared مِثلَكَone like you مِنas رَفيقِa companion
أَعدَدتُ مِثلَكَ مِن رَفيقِ
For just such a long journey
Dash the drought with date wine true.
I have readied a companion like you.
From seas of plaint a brother raise,
فَاِرغَبso turn away بِنَفسِكَyourself عَنfrom مَكانٍa place
فَاِرغَب بِنَفسِكَ عَن مَكانٍ
قَدalready نُبِذتَyou were cast away بِهِin it سَحيقِfar distant
قَد نُبِذتَ بِهِ سَحيقِ
So turn yourself away from a place
Free not the hale, nor lame, nor bound, nor free.
far distant, where you have been cast.
Had you but come upon him unaware
وَاِركَبand ride بِناwith us اللَفظَthe utterance الجَليلَthe lofty
وَاِركَب بِنا اللَفظَ الجَليلَ
وَسِرand travel إِلىto المَعنىthe meaning الدَقيقِthe subtle
وَسِر إِلى المَعنى الدَقيقِ
And ride with us upon the lofty word,
Of waking eyes most debonair,
and journey toward the subtle meaning.
Stint not your redolence rare,
وَاِمسَحand wipe away قَذىa mote طَرفٍan eye بِهِwith it
وَاِمسَح قَذى طَرفٍ بِهِ
يَمتَدُّextends فيinto فَجٍّa mountain pass عَميقِdeep
يَمتَدُّ في فَجٍّ عَميقِ
And with it wipe the mote from an eye
On hill where thyme scents the air.
whose gaze extends into a deep mountain pass.
وَشُبِand blend الوَعيدَthe threat بِمَوعِدٍwith a promise
وَشُبِ الوَعيدَ بِمَوعِدٍ
فَالماءُfor water يُمزَجُis mixed بِالرَحيقِwith pure wine
فَالماءُ يُمزَجُ بِالرَحيقِ
And blend the threat with a promise,
for water is mixed with pure wine.
وَتَلافَand rescue مِنfrom بَحرِthe sea of الشُكاةِsuffering
وَتَلافَ مِن بَحرِ الشُكاةِ
أَخاًa brother يَمُدُّextends يَدَthe hand of الغَريقِthe drowning man
أَخاً يَمُدُّ يَدَ الغَريقِ
And rescue from the sea of suffering
a brother stretching out his hand like a drowning man,
لاnot بِالسَقيمِthe sick one ولاnor الصَحيحِthe healthy one
لا بِالسَقيمِ ولا الصَحيحِ
وَلاnor الأَسيرِthe captive وَلاnor الطَليقِthe free one
وَلا الأَسيرِ وَلا الطَليقِ
neither sick nor well,
neither captive nor free.
لَوif جِئتَهُyou came to him فَفَجَأتَهُand surprised him
لَو جِئتَهُ فَفَجَأتَهُ
لَأَقَلَّhe would lift جَفنَthe eyelid of المُستَفيقِone regaining consciousness
لَأَقَلَّ جَفنَ المُستَفيقِ
If you came to him and took him by surprise,
he would lift an eyelid like one regaining consciousness.
لاdo not تَبخَلَنَّever begrudge بِنَفحَةٍwith a fragrant breath
لا تَبخَلَنَّ بِنَفحَةٍ
وَثَراكَand your soil مِنof مِسكٍmusk فَتيقِfragrance-releasing
وَثَراكَ مِن مِسكٍ فَتيقِ
Do not begrudge a breath of fragrance,
while your soil is made of fragrant musk.
وَاِربَعand stay بِوادٍin a valley عُشبُهُits grass
وَاِربَع بِوادٍ عُشبُهُ
خَضلٌlush and moist وَنَمand sleep فيon رَأسِthe summit of نيقِa mountain peak
خَضلٌ وَنَم في رَأسِ نيقِ
And stay in a valley whose grass
is lush and moist, and sleep upon a mountain peak.
Partial English translation: 25 of 38 Arabic lines translated.