ياO غادياdeparting in the morning فيin الهجرestrangement رائحreturning in the evening
يا غاديا في الهجر رائح
قربhas drawn near الغرامpassionate love وأنتand you نازحfar away
قرب الغرام وأنت نازح
O you who depart in the morning and return in the evening, in estrangement,
O you who are departing in estrangement, going away
Passion has drawn near, though you are far away.
You are nearing passion though you are moving away
كذبتI deemed liars فيكabout you العاذلاthe reproaching women (continued)
كذبت فيك العاذلا
تcompletes 'the reproaching women' وبتand I spent the night أتّهمsuspecting النّواصحthe advisers
ت وبت أتّهم النّواصح
I called the reproaching women liars about you,
The blamer has lied about you
and spent the night distrusting the advisers.
And the well-wishers are accused of blame
وقنعتand I was content منكfrom you بأَنwith the fact that تساyou favor (continued)
وقنعت منك بأَن تسا
عفcompletes 'you favor' بالوصالwith union وإنand if تسامحyou show indulgence
عف بالوصال وإن تسامح
And I was content that you should
And you were content that you would pardon
favor me with union, if you would also show indulgence.
Reunion, even if you showed forgiveness
كمhow many زفرةa sigh ليof mine فيin هواlove (continued)
كم زفرة لي في هوا
كof you تقصّcuts through أَثناءfolds الجوانحthe ribs
ك تقصّ أَثناء الجوانح
How many a sigh is mine, for love
How many sighs for you in love
of you, cutting through the folds of my ribs!
Reveal during the rising of my ribs
وزنادand a fire-striker وجدpassionate longing قدindeed وثقtrusted (continued)
وزناد وجد قد وثق
تI (verb ending) بأَنّهthat it فيin كفّthe palm of قادحa spark-striker
ت بأَنّه في كفّ قادح
And longing's fire-striker—I have come to trust
And a kindled fire that has been ignited
that it lies in the palm of one who strikes sparks.
As if it is in the palm of one who lights it
برحhas vanished الخفاءconcealment لمنto the one whom أُحبI love (continued)
برح الخفاء لمن أُحب
بُcompletes 'I love' وهبَّتand blew النكباءthe crosswind بارحa scorching blast
بُ وهبَّت النكباء بارح
The secret is laid bare to the one I love,
The secret does not remain for one whom I loved
and the crosswind blew a scorching blast.
Misfortune was granted last night
ياah ربmany a يومday مرpassed ليfor me
يا رب يوم مر لي
فيin رقةriverside meadow الزوراءal-Zawra صالحpleasant
في رقة الزوراء صالح
Ah, many a day passed for me,
O Lord, one day pass by me
pleasant, in the meadow of al-Zawra.
In the softness of the brilliant dawn
والماءand the water مصقولpolished المتوthe surfaces (continued)
والماء مصقول المتو
نcompletes 'the surfaces' كأنهas though it were بيضgleaming white الصفائحsword blades
ن كأنه بيض الصفائح
And the water, its surfaces polished,
And the water smooth like mirrors
seemed like gleaming white sword blades.
As if it were sheets of silver
والطلand the dew فيon فرعthe bough of الأراthe arak tree (continued)
والطل في فرع الأرا
كةِcompletes 'the arak tree' حائرbewildered والظلand the shade سانحoffering itself
كةِ حائر والظل سانح
And the dew on the bough of the arak
And the dew in the branches of the trees, wandering
tree was bewildered, while the shade offered itself.
And the shade outstretched
والوردand the roses يغدوهvisits them in the morning رذاdrizzle (continued)
والورد يغدوه رذا
ذcompletes 'drizzle' منfrom سقيطfalling droplets المزنrainclouds راشحtrickling
ذ من سقيط المزن راشح
And the roses were visited at morning by drizzle
And the roses at dawn
trickling from droplets shed by rainclouds.
Spraying from the falling rain
وعلىand upon الغصونthe boughs المائلاthe swaying (continued)
وعلى الغصون المائلا
تcompletes 'the swaying' حمائمdoves هتفloud-calling صوادحsinging aloud
ت حمائم هتف صوادح
And upon the swaying boughs
And on the bending branches
were doves, calling loudly and singing.
Are doves, singing noisily
فكأنهنso, as though they were وفودdelegations to أَحمدAhmad
فكأنهن وفود أَحمد
حينwhen يتلونthey recite المدائحpoems of praise
حين يتلون المدائح
As though they were delegations to Ahmad
As if they are delegations praising Ahmad
when they recite poems of praise.
When they recite poems