هبّblew النسيمthe breeze بطيبwith the fragrance of ذكرmention of الهاديthe Guide
هبّ النسيم بطيب ذكر الهادي
فتأرجتand spread fragrance نفحاتwafts عرفof perfume الناديof the gathering
فتأرجت نفحات عرف النادي
The breeze blew, fragrant with mention of the Guide,
The breeze blows gently, spreading the sweet fragrance,
and wafts of the gathering's perfume spread their fragrance.
Filling the air with the scent of the meadows.
ياO شادياًsinger تشدوyou sing بمدحin praise of محمدMuhammad
يا شادياً تشدو بمدح محمد
كررrepeat فديتكmay I be your ransom مدحهhis praise ياO شاديsinger
كرر فديتك مدحه يا شادي
O singer, singing Muhammad's praise,
Oh nightingale, sing the praises of Muhammad,
repeat his praise—may I be your ransom—O singer.
Repeat, my dear, sing his praises again.
كررrepeat علىto الأسماعthe ears ذكرmention of محمدMuhammad
كرر على الأسماع ذكر محمد
فلذكرهfor remembrance of him بردcoolness علىupon الأكبادthe livers (hearts)
فلذكره برد على الأكباد
Repeat the mention of Muhammad to listening ears,
Repeat his name to all who would hear,
for remembrance of him brings coolness to the hearts.
For his remembrance soothes all hearts.
وأعدand recite again عليناto us نظمverse فخرglory خلالthe virtues of منthe one who
وأعد علينا نظم فخر خلال من
بهرdazzled الورىmankind منfrom among حاضرa town-dweller أوor بادىa desert-dweller
بهر الورى من حاضر أو بادى
And recite again to us verses glorifying the virtues of him
Recite again the glories of the best of men,
who dazzled mankind, town-dwellers and desert-dwellers alike.
He who amazed the world, present and gone.
هوhe ذروةthe summit المجدof glory الأصيلdeep-rooted وقطبُهand its axis
هو ذروة المجد الأصيل وقطبُه
هوhe صفوةthe choicest الأشرافof the noble والأمجادand the illustrious
هو صفوة الأشراف والأمجاد
He is the summit of deep-rooted glory and its axis;
He is the peak of noble glory, its pillar and axis,
he is the choicest of the noble and illustrious.
The finest of nobility and grand deeds.
هوhe بحرa sea جودof generosity فاضoverflowed عذبsweet نوالهhis bounty
هو بحر جود فاض عذب نواله
وصفَتand became clear مواردهhis watering places لدىfor الورّادthose coming to drink
وصفَت موارده لدى الورّاد
He is a sea of generosity whose sweet bounty overflows,
He is an ocean of generosity, its waters abundantly flowing,
and his watering places are clear for those who come to drink.
Quenching the thirst of all who come to drink.
هوhe خيرthe best خلقof the creation اللَهof God والمختارand the Chosen One منfrom
هو خير خلق اللَه والمختار من
أعلىthe loftiest نجارlineage جلّexalted عنbeyond أندادpeers
أعلى نجار جلّ عن أنداد
He is the best of God's creation, and the Chosen One from
He is the best of Allah's creations, the chosen one,
the loftiest lineage, exalted beyond peers.
Above all peers, supreme and unmatched.
هوhe منتهىthe utmost limit أملىof my hope وملجأand the refuge مفزعىof my fear
هو منتهى أملى وملجأ مفزعى
هوhe شمسthe sun إيمانيof my faith وبدرand the full moon رشاديof my right guidance
هو شمس إيماني وبدر رشادي
He is my highest hope and my refuge in fear;
He is my greatest hope, my place of refuge,
he is the sun of my faith and the full moon of my right guidance.
The sun of my faith, the full moon of my guidance.
هوhe عصمتيmy safeguard مماagainst what أخافI fear وحبّهand love for him
هو عصمتي مما أخاف وحبّه
يومthe Day القيامةof Resurrection للخطوبagainst calamities عمادىmy support
يوم القيامة للخطوب عمادى
He is my safeguard against what I fear, and love for him
He is my protection from all I fear,
on the Day of Resurrection is my support against calamities.
On the Day of Reckoning, he is the pillar of my faith.
إشراقthe radiance كلof all النيراتthe luminaries وحسنهاand their beauty
إشراق كل النيرات وحسنها
منfrom نورthe light حسنof the beauty شهابهof his meteor الوقادblazing
من نور حسن شهابه الوقاد
The radiance of all the luminaries, and their beauty,
The glow of all goodness emanates from his light,
come from the light of his beautiful, blazing meteor.
The radiance of his brilliant torch.
لاdo not تعجبواmarvel فعنايةfor the favor المختارof the Chosen One قدhas
لا تعجبوا فعناية المختار قد
خرقتdefied قياسthe measure العقلof reason فيin المعتادthe ordinary
خرقت قياس العقل في المعتاد
Do not marvel, for the Chosen One's favor has
Do not be surprised - the care of the Chosen One
defied reason's measure of the ordinary.
Has surpassed all reason in the extraordinary.
شوقيmy longing إلىfor ذاكthat المقامplace أثارهstirred it
شوقي إلى ذاك المقام أثاره
حزنgrief تلهّبblazed لفحهits scorching breath بفؤاديin my heart
حزن تلهّب لفحه بفؤادي
My longing for that place was stirred
My longing for that blessed place stirs sorrow in me,
by grief whose scorching breath blazed within my heart.
A sadness that smolders painfully in my heart.
ياO ويحalas for مكتئبa dejected man لماbecause of what قدalready شفّهُwore him thin
يا ويح مكتئب لما قد شفّهُ
منfrom فرطexcess أحزانof sorrows وطولand length of بعادseparation
من فرط أحزان وطول بعاد
Alas for a dejected man, worn thin
Alas, anguished am I by the distance,
by overwhelming sorrows and long separation.
The separation is long, the sorrows plenty.
كمhow often رامhe sought قربَnearness الدارof the dwelling منto أحبابهhis loved ones
كم رام قربَ الدار من أحبابه
لوif only أسعفَfavored المقدورfate بالإسعادwith good fortune
لو أسعفَ المقدور بالإسعاد
How often he sought a dwelling near his loved ones,
How I wish to be near that home of loved ones,
if only destiny had favored him with good fortune!
If only fate would allow such joy.
كمhow often رامhe sought أنto يشفىquench بزورتهby visiting him ظماthirst
كم رام أن يشفى بزورته ظما
قلبof a heart إلىfor تلكthose المعاهدabodes صادىthirsty
قلب إلى تلك المعاهد صادى
How often he sought, by visiting him, to quench the thirst
How I wish to heal my grieving heart
of a heart thirsting for those abodes,
At those houses of memories that call to me.
أيامin the days when أطلعrose بدرthe full moon حسنof the beauty شبابهof his youth
أيام أطلع بدر حسن شبابه
منfrom فوقabove ناعمsupple غصنهhis bough الميّادswaying
من فوق ناعم غصنه الميّاد
in the days when the full moon of his youthful beauty rose
Days when the full moon of his beauty rose
from atop his supple, swaying bough.
Above the delicate branch of his youth.
والآنand now قدalready لعبتtoyed بهwith him أيّامهُhis days
والآن قد لعبت به أيّامهُ
وعدَتand assailed عليهupon him للمشيبof graying عوادravages
وعدَت عليه للمشيب عواد
And now his days have toyed with him,
Now the days have played with him
and the ravages of graying have assailed him:
And old age has come to visit its companion.
شيبٌgray hair وضعفand weakness وانتزاحُand remoteness مواطنٍof dwelling places
شيبٌ وضعف وانتزاحُ مواطنٍ
فمتىso when يتيحallows الدهرtime نيلattainment مرادىof my desire
فمتى يتيح الدهر نيل مرادى
Gray hair, weakness, and dwelling places far away—
Old age, weakness, the loss of faculties...
so when will time allow me to attain my desire?
When will fate grant me my wishes?
لهفىmy sorrow علىover عمرa lifetime تصرّمended وانقضىand passed away
لهفى على عمر تصرّم وانقضى
أفنيتI exhausted فيهin it طارفىmy newly acquired wealth وتلاديand my inherited wealth
أفنيت فيه طارفى وتلادي
Alas for a lifetime that ended and passed away,
I grieve for a life now worn and faded,
in which I exhausted my new possessions and my inheritance.
Spent heedlessly in play and leisure.
فلأنزفنّso I shall surely drain مدامعيmy tears أسفاًin remorse علىfor
فلأنزفنّ مدامعي أسفاً على
ماwhat قدّمتهُsent it ahead يديmy hand ليومfor the day معاديof my return
ما قدّمتهُ يدي ليوم معادي
So I shall surely pour out all my tears in remorse for
I will weep in regret for all
what my hand has sent ahead for the day of my return.
That my hands have sent forth for the day of judgment.
ياO حاديdriver الأظعانof the caravans يأملُhe longs for طيبَةًTaybah
يا حادي الأظعان يأملُ طيبَةً
اقصُصrecount فديتكmay I be your ransom قصتيmy story ياO حاديdriver
اقصُص فديتك قصتي يا حادي
O caravan-driver, longing for Taybah,
Oh guide of sorrows, I hope for comfort,
tell my story—may I be your ransom—O driver.
Please share, my dear, please share my story.
وانزلand alight بهاتيكin those الربوعabodes وقفand stand علىat
وانزل بهاتيك الربوع وقف على
نادىthe gathering-place الندىof generosity إمّاif ever عرضتَyou pass by ونادِand call out
نادى الندى إمّا عرضتَ ونادِ
And alight in those abodes, and stand at
Visit these meadows, stop at the valley of dew,
the gathering-place of generosity, if ever you pass by, and call:
Where the breeze spreads fragrance.
هذاthis أسيرa captive بعادكمof separation from you أجفانهhis eyelids
هذا أسير بعادكم أجفانه
تحكىresemble بفيضwith the flood الدمعof tears سحبclouds عهادof recurring rains
تحكى بفيض الدمع سحب عهاد
This is a captive of separation from you; his eyelids
His eyes relating tales of sadness.
mimic, with their flood of tears, clouds of recurring rain.
When will he, so far from home and family,
فمتىso when علىdespite بعدthe distance الديارof the abodes وشحطهاand their remoteness
فمتى على بعد الديار وشحطها
يحظىwill be favored بوصلكمwith reunion with you حليفa sworn ally سهادof sleeplessness
يحظى بوصلكم حليف سهاد
So when, despite the distance and remoteness of the abodes,
Be blessed with your company again?
will sleeplessness's sworn ally gain reunion with you?
I send you a sweet greeting,
فعليكمso upon you منىfrom me سلامٌpeace طيبٌfragrant
فعليكم منى سلامٌ طيبٌ
ماas long as ناحlaments غريدa songbird بصرحةin a tall tree وادof a valley
ما ناح غريد بصرحة واد
So may fragrant peace from me be upon you,
That sighs through the halls and valleys.
as long as a songbird laments in a valley's tall tree.
Partial English translation: 49 of 50 Arabic lines translated.