حيّgreet روضةa garden بهاin it
حيّ روضة بها
سولdesire قلبيmy heart سكانdwelling
سول قلبي سكان
Greet a garden where
A garden in which dwells
my heart's desire dwells.
My heart's only inhabitant
قدalready علاهاrose over it البهاsplendor
قد علاها البها
والمسرةand joy أفنانboughs
والمسرة أفنان
Splendor has crowned it,
Exalted by glory
and joy spreads in boughs.
And endless joy
القمرthe moon كالسهاlike Suha
القمر كالسها
فيin comparison with قمرهاits moon الوسنانdrowsy
في قمرها الوسنان
The moon is like Suha
The moon like a lily
beside its drowsy moon.
Among its blossoming bushes
ماwhat is الظبيthe gazelle ماwhat are المهاthe oryxes
ما الظبي ما المها
ماwhat is غزيلa little gazelle نعمانNa‘man
ما غزيل نعمان
What is the gazelle, what the oryx?
Neither a gazelle nor a oryx
What is the little gazelle of Na‘man?
Nor the braids of Nu’man
كلهمall of them لهfor him خوادمservants
كلهم له خوادم
ماnot أحداanyone لهfor him مقاومa match
ما أحدا له مقاوم
All of them are his servants;
They are all his servants
no one can match him
None can resist him
فيin جميعall العوالمthe worlds
في جميع العوالم
ياO أهيلdear folk النهىreason ماnot كهذاlike this one انسانa human being
يا أهيل النهى ما كهذا انسان
in all the worlds.
In all the universes
O dear folk of reason, no human is like this one!
O most perfect of men, none is like this human
ذاthis جمالbeauty انتهىreached its utmost
ذا جمال انتهى
سبحواglorify للرحمنto the All-Merciful
سبحوا للرحمن
This is beauty at its utmost;
Of unmatched beauty
glorify the All-Merciful!
Glorify the Beneficent
ياO لياليnights مضتpassed بالكثيبat the dune الفردsolitary
يا ليالي مضت بالكثيب الفرد
كمhow often زهتflourished كمhow often أضتshone
كم زهت كم أضت
O nights that passed at the solitary dune!
O nights that have passed on the solitary dune
How often they flourished, how often they shone
How often you were bright, how often dark
فيin بروجconstellations السعدgood fortune
في بروج السعد
كمhow many مآربwishes قضتfulfilled
كم مآرب قضت
in the constellations of good fortune!
In the constellations of good fortune
How many wishes they fulfilled!
How many hopes you fulfilled
كمhow greatly تغالتgrew precious عنديto me
كم تغالت عندي
هاhere أناI بعدهاafter them
ها أنا بعدها
How dear they grew to me!
How often you lingered with me
Here I am after them,
Yet now after them
مستهامlove-stricken ولهانdistraught with longing
مستهام ولهان
واأسفيalas for my grief واهوانيalas for my humiliation
واأسفي واهواني
love-stricken and distraught with longing.
I am confused and distraught
Alas for my grief, alas for my humiliation
Regretful and troubled
منbecause of حبيبa beloved أبانيcast me off
من حبيب أباني
لمdid not أجدI find ليfor myself عنهin his place ثانيanother
لم أجد لي عنه ثاني
because of a beloved who cast me off!
Yearning for a lover who abandoned me
I have found no other to take his place.
I cannot find a substitute for him
زينبZaynab مالهاwhat ails her?
زينب مالها
لاdoes not تقيلgive relief to الحيرانthe bewildered one
لا تقيل الحيران
Zaynab—what ails her,
Zainab why does she
that she gives the bewildered one no relief?
Prolong the estrangement
قلtell لهاto her قلtell لهاto her
قل لها قل لها
لاdo not تطيلprolong الهجرانestrangement
لا تطيل الهجران
Tell her, tell her:
In al-‘Uqayq we parted
Do not prolong the estrangement.
And bitterness we tasted
فيin العقيقal-‘Aqiq المناhopes
في العقيق المنا
قدalready تباعدناwe have grown apart
قد تباعدنا
In al-‘Aqiq lie my hopes;
My body wasted away
we have grown far apart,
Our Lord reunited us
والجفاand coldness شفناwe have experienced
والجفا شفنا
وجسيميand my little body مضناworn out
وجسيمي مضنا
and we have known coldness,
As we once were
and my little body is worn out.
A wish, oh if only
ربناour Lord لفناreunite us
ربنا لفنا
مثلas ماwhat قدonce كناwe were
مثل ما قد كنا
Our Lord, reunite us
Time would be generous
as we once were!
That is the sum of desires
منيةa wish ياoh لهاfor it
منية يا لها
لوif only تجودwould be generous الأزمانthe times
لو تجود الأزمان
A wish—oh, what a wish!
And hopes and sorrows
If only time would be generous!
Mount your camel
ذاكthat كلّall المطالبthings sought
ذاك كلّ المطالب
والمناand hopes والمآربand desires
والمنا والمآرب
That is all I seek,
Do not be lazy
all my hopes and desires.
Then set off with it
واحويديO little camel-driver أمرa matter كايبsorrowful
واحويدي أمر كايب
المطيthe riding camels شدّهاsaddle them
المطي شدّها
O little camel-driver, this is a sorrowful affair:
Towards the Lord of ‘Adnan
saddle the riding camels,
لاdo not تكنbe شيat all كسلانlazy
لا تكن شي كسلان
ثمthen عرجturn aside بهاwith them
ثم عرج بها
do not be lazy at all,
then turn aside with them
نحوtoward سيدmaster عدنان‘Adnan
نحو سيد عدنان
toward the master of ‘Adnan's line.
Partial English translation: 39 of 43 Arabic lines translated.