أيُّهاO الفجرُdawn النُّسَيْماتُthe gentle breezes شَذتْgave off fragrance
أيُّها الفجرُ النُّسَيْماتُ شَذتْ
عنكَfrom you مِسكاًmusk حينَماwhen لُحْتَyou appeared صَباحاin the morning
عنكَ مِسكاً حينَما لُحْتَ صَباحا
O dawn, the breezes grew fragrant—
O dawn, the gentle breezes have wafted
with musk from you when you appeared in the morning.
Musk from you when you appeared in the morning.
فاسْتُرِso conceal الوجدَthe longing عليناfor us كَرماًout of kindness
فاسْتُرِ الوجدَ علينا كَرماً
قَدْindeed فَضحْتَyou exposed اليومَtoday بالنُّورِwith the light البِطاحاthe broad plains
قَدْ فَضحْتَ اليومَ بالنُّورِ البِطاحا
So generously conceal our passion for us;
So conceal our longing, out of kindness;
today your light has laid the plains bare.
Today you have laid the plains bare with light.
ماnot رأتْكَsaw you العينُthe eye منamong أهلِthe people of الهَوَىlove
ما رأتْكَ العينُ من أهلِ الهَوَى
رَمشةًa blink إِلاَّexcept ومنهاand from it الدَّمعُtears ساحاflowed
رَمشةً إِلاَّ ومنها الدَّمعُ ساحا
No eye among the people of love has seen you
No eye among those in love has seen you
and blinked but tears streamed from it.
For a blink without tears streaming from it.
ولَعَمْريand by my life كُلَّماwhenever ضِئْتَyou shone لهُمfor them
ولَعَمْري كُلَّما ضِئْتَ لهُم
كُلُّهمْall of them ناحَwailed وبالأشجانِand with sorrows صاحاcried out
كُلُّهمْ ناحَ وبالأشجانِ صاحا
By my life, whenever you shone for them,
And by my life, whenever you shone for them,
every one of them wailed and cried out in sorrow.
They all wailed and cried out in sorrow.
قَدْindeed بَرزتْyou emerged اليومَtoday منfrom بطْنِthe womb of الدُّجىdarkness
قَدْ بَرزتْ اليومَ من بطْنِ الدُّجى
وقدِand indeed اسْتَطْلعْتَyou uncovered أسراراًsecrets صِراحاplain
وقدِ اسْتَطْلعْتَ أسراراً صِراحا
Today you emerged from the belly of darkness
You have emerged today from the womb of darkness,
and looked openly upon secrets.
And have uncovered secrets, clear and plain.
فيكَin you معنًىa meaning بارعٌwondrous فيin سرِّهِits mystery
فيكَ معنًى بارعٌ في سرِّهِ
كَلماتٌwords رُحْنَthey set about يُلْكِنَّthey make inarticulate الفِصاحاthe eloquent
كَلماتٌ رُحْنَ يُلْكِنَّ الفِصاحا
Within you lies a meaning, wondrous in its mystery—
Within you is a wondrous meaning, in whose mystery
words that go forth rendering the eloquent tongue-tied.
Words have set about making the eloquent stammer.
أنتَyou قَدْindeed شابهْتَyou resembled مِصباحَthe lamp of الهُدىguidance
أنتَ قَدْ شابهْتَ مِصباحَ الهُدى
وهوand he يعْلوstands higher لمdid not نَقُلْwe say حاكىimitated الصَّباحاthe morning
وهو يعْلو لم نَقُلْ حاكى الصَّباحا
You indeed resemble the Lamp of Guidance,
You have indeed resembled the lamp of guidance,
but he rises higher—we would not say he resembles the dawn.
And he stands higher—we have not said he imitated the morning.
فاحفَظِso keep العهدَthe pledge لناfor us واذْكرand recall بهthrough it
فاحفَظِ العهدَ لنا واذْكر به
مَدْمعاًa tearful eye قَدْindeed رشَّsprinkled فيin الرَّوضِthe garden الأقاحاthe daisies
مَدْمعاً قَدْ رشَّ في الرَّوضِ الأقاحا
So keep your covenant with us, and thereby remember
So keep the pledge for us, and through it recall
a tearful eye that sprinkled the meadow’s daisies.
A tearful eye that has sprinkled the daisies in the garden.
وإذاand when وافيتَyou reach منْthe one whom شابَهْتَهُyou resembled him
وإذا وافيتَ منْ شابَهْتَهُ
فارْوِso recount عنَّاon our behalf لوْعةَthe burning anguish of الوجدِlonging صِياحاcrying aloud
فارْوِ عنَّا لوْعةَ الوجدِ صِياحا
And when you reach the one whom you resemble,
And when you reach the one you resemble,
recount our torment of longing in a cry.
Then recount on our behalf, crying aloud, the burning anguish of longing.
واغْتنِمْand seize ياO فجرُdawn فضْلاًgraciously أجرَناour reward
واغْتنِمْ يا فجرُ فضْلاً أجرَنا
زادكَmay He increase you اللهُGod انْبِلاجاًradiance واتِّضاحاand clarity
زادكَ اللهُ انْبِلاجاً واتِّضاحا
Take the opportunity, O dawn, and, as a favor, grant us refuge.
And graciously claim our reward, O dawn;
May God make you ever more radiant and clear.
May God increase you in radiance and clarity.
