سَلامٌpeace وَلاand not أَقرَاI send سلاماًa greeting علىto هِندِHind
سَلامٌ وَلا أَقرَا سلاماً على هِندِ
صرفتُI would have diverted إِذاًthen مَسرايَmy night journey عنaway from مَسلكthe path الرشدِof right guidance
صرفتُ إِذاً مَسرايَ عن مَسلك الرشدِ
Peace—but I send no greeting to Hind;
Peace, though I bid no peace to Hind,
I would then have diverted my night journey from the path of right guidance.
If so, I strayed from the path of right.
علىupon قَمَرٍa moon لوif أطلعتهُmade him rise يدُthe hand الثّرىof the earth
على قَمَرٍ لو أطلعتهُ يدُ الثّرى
لقصّرwould surely fall short عنof لألائهhis radiance قمرُthe moon السّعدِof good fortune
لقصّر عن لألائه قمرُ السّعدِ
Upon a moon—were the hand of the earth to make him rise,
To a moon, if the hand of earth unveiled him,
the moon of good fortune would fall short of his radiance,
The full moon of Sa'd would fail before his radiance.
وأَربَىand would surpass علىbeyond نورِthe light الغزالةof the sun نورُهhis light
وأَربَى على نورِ الغزالة نورُه
كماjust as يفضلsurpasses الحُرُّthe freeman الكريمُnoble علىover العَبدِthe slave
كما يفضل الحُرُّ الكريمُ على العَبدِ
and his light would surpass the light of the sun,
His light excels the glow of the gazelle,
as the noble freeman surpasses the slave.
As the free excels the slave in generosity.
فَطَابَso grew fragrant بهِthrough him تُربُthe earth الضريحof the tomb بِطيبةٍin Taybah
فَطَابَ بهِ تُربُ الضريح بِطيبةٍ
فيعبَقُso it exhales fragrance عنof مسكٍmusk ندِيّfresh وعنand of نَدِّincense
فيعبَقُ عن مسكٍ ندِيّ وعن نَدِّ
So, through him, the tomb's earth in Taybah grew fragrant,
By it the earth of the tomb is sweetly scented
and exhales the scent of fresh musk and incense.
With pure musk and ambergris.
وَيَضحكُand it smiles عنrevealing روضٍa garden تُدانيbrings close يدthe hand الصبّاof the east wind
وَيَضحكُ عن روضٍ تُداني يد الصبّا
بهwithin it صفحةthe cheek السّوسانِof the iris مِنto صفحةِthe cheek الوردِof the rose
به صفحة السّوسانِ مِن صفحةِ الوردِ
And it smiles, revealing a garden where the east wind's hand
It laughs beyond a garden the zephyr courts
brings the iris's cheek close to the cheek of the rose.
To the cheek of the lily from the cheek of the rose.
فَطوبىso blessedness لمَنto whoever أضحىhas come to يمرّغrub لوعَةًout of burning longing
فَطوبى لمَن أضحى يمرّغ لوعَةً
بتربةin the soil ذاكof that القَبرgrave خدّاًa cheek إلىbeside خَدِّa cheek
بتربة ذاك القَبر خدّاً إلى خَدِّ
So blessed is he who, in burning longing, comes to rub
Happy he who with burning passion
a cheek beside a cheek in the soil of that grave.
Rubs his cheek in the earth of that tomb.
نبيa prophet عليهupon him منfrom تلألؤthe radiance نورِهof his light
نبي عليه من تلألؤ نورِه
تَلألؤthe brilliance برقٍof lightning أسرجَتهُkindled it يدُthe hand الرّعدِof thunder
تَلألؤ برقٍ أسرجَتهُ يدُ الرّعدِ
A prophet upon whom, from his light's radiance,
A prophet upon whom from the brilliance of his light
shines the brilliance of lightning kindled by thunder's hand.
Flares a lightning kindled by the hand of the clouds.
نماhe sprang منfrom قريشٍQuraysh فيat ذؤابةthe summit هاشمٍof Hashim
نما من قريشٍ في ذؤابة هاشمٍ
فماso whatever شئتyou could wish منof فضلٍexcellence عميمabundant ومنand of مجدglory
فما شئت من فضلٍ عميم ومن مجد
He sprang from Quraysh, at the summit of Hashim,
He sprang from Quraysh, from the Hashimites,
so his is all you could wish of abundant excellence and glory.
So take whatever bounty, glory and honor you wish.
سلامٌpeace عليهِbe upon him ماas long as تغنّتsings حمامةٌa dove
سلامٌ عليهِ ما تغنّت حمامةٌ
وفاحَand wafts ذكيrichly fragrant المسكِmusk منfrom جنّةthe Garden الخُلدِof Eternity
وفاحَ ذكي المسكِ من جنّة الخُلدِ
Peace be upon him as long as a dove sings,
Peace upon him, so long as ringdove has cooed,
and fragrant musk wafts from the Garden of Eternity,
And the agreeable scent of musk blows from the eternal garden.
وماand as long as أنشدَchants المشتاقُthe yearning one إنwhen هبّتblows الصبّاthe east wind
وما أنشدَ المشتاقُ إن هبّت الصبّا
ألاAh ياO صبَاeast wind نجدٍof Najd متىwhen هِجتِdid you rise منfrom نجدِNajd
ألا يا صبَا نجدٍ متى هِجتِ من نجدِ
and as long as the yearning one chants when the east wind blows:
So long as the longing lover sings, when the breeze stirs,
“Ah, east wind of Najd, when did you rise from Najd?”
“O breeze of Najd, when will you stir from Najd!”