عَرِّجturn aside عَلىtoward نَجدٍNajd لَعَلَّكَperhaps you will مُنجِديmy helper
عَرِّج عَلى نَجدٍ لَعَلَّكَ مُنجِدي
بِنَسيمِهاwith its breeze وَبِذِكرِand with mention of سُعدىSu'da مُسعِديgladdening me
بِنَسيمِها وَبِذِكرِ سُعدى مُسعِدي
Turn aside toward Najd; perhaps you will come to my aid,
With its breeze, and gladden me with mention of Su'da.
بَدَوِيَةُBedouin الأَلفاظِspeech دونَbefore خَبائِهاher tent
بَدَوِيَةُ الأَلفاظِ دونَ خَبائِها
خَيلٌhorses تَروحُgo out in the evening إِلىto الطِعانِlance-combat وَتَغتَديand go out in the morning
خَيلٌ تَروحُ إِلى الطِعانِ وَتَغتَدي
Bedouin in her speech; before her tent
Horses ride to lance-combat at evening and at morning.
قَدindeed كانَused to يُغَنّيsuffice لَحظُهاher glance وَقَوامُهاand her stature
قَد كانَ يُغَنّي لَحظُها وَقَوامُها
عَنin place of كُلِّevery خَطِّىٍّKhatti spear وَكُلِّand every مُهَنَّدِIndian-steel sword
عَن كُلِّ خَطِّىٍّ وَكُلِّ مُهَنَّدِ
Her glance and her stature once sufficed
In place of every Khatti spear and every Indian blade.
ياO سائِليyou who ask me لِمwhy دَمعُtears عَينيmy eye سائِلُflowing
يا سائِلي لِم دَمعُ عَيني سائِلُ
هاكَtake this الحَديثَthe tale عَنِabout الغَزالِthe gazelle الأَغيَدِthe graceful, supple
هاكَ الحَديثَ عَنِ الغَزالِ الأَغيَدِ
O you who ask me why my eye's tears flow,
Take this tale of the graceful gazelle.
مَنwho ليfor me بِمَعسولِwith honey-sweet الثَناياfront teeth عَذبِهاwhose teeth are sweet
مَن لي بِمَعسولِ الثَنايا عَذبِها
لَدنٍsupple كَخوطِlike a twig of البانَةِthe ban tree المُتَأَوِّدِthe bending
لَدنٍ كَخوطِ البانَةِ المُتَأَوِّدِ
Who will bring me the one whose front teeth are honeyed and sweet,
Supple as a bending twig of the ban tree?
أَبَداًforever هَواهُlove for him ليfor me مُقيمٌmaking me rise مُقعِدٌmaking me sit
أَبَداً هَواهُ لي مُقيمٌ مُقعِدٌ
روحيmy soul فِداهُhis ransom مِنsuch a مُقيمٍone who makes me rise مُقعِدِone who makes me sit
روحي فِداهُ مِن مُقيمٍ مُقعِدِ
Love for him forever makes me rise and sit;
My soul be his ransom—he who makes me rise and sit.
وَلَقَدand indeed نَعِمتُI delighted بِوَصلِهِin union with him فيin نَيرَبٍNayrab
وَلَقَد نَعِمتُ بِوَصلِهِ في نَيرَبٍ
أَلِفَbefriended الرَبيعَspring بِرَوضِهِin its garden الغُصنُthe bough النَدِيِّthe dewy
أَلِفَ الرَبيعَ بِرَوضِهِ الغُصنُ النَدِيِّ
And indeed I delighted in union with him in Nayrab,
In whose garden the dewy bough befriended spring.
أَزهارُهُits blossoms مِنof جَوهَرٍjewels وَنَسيمُهُand its breeze
أَزهارُهُ مِن جَوهَرٍ وَنَسيمُهُ
مِنof عَنبَرٍambergris وَثِمارُهُand its fruits مِنof عَسجَدِgold
مِن عَنبَرٍ وَثِمارُهُ مِن عَسجَدِ
Its blossoms are of jewels, and its breeze
Of ambergris, and its fruits of gold.
وَعَلىand on الغُصونِthe boughs مِنَamong الحَمائِمِthe doves قَينَةٌa songstress
وَعَلى الغُصونِ مِنَ الحَمائِمِ قَينَةٌ
تُغنيكَleaves you no need عَنfor شَدوِthe singing of الغَريضِal-Gharid وَمَعبَدِand Ma'bad
تُغنيكَ عَن شَدوِ الغَريضِ وَمَعبَدِ
And on the boughs, among the doves, is a songstress
Who leaves you no need for al-Gharid's singing or Ma'bad's.
وَالماءُand the water فيin بَرَدىBarada كَأَنَّas though حَبابَهُits bubbles
وَالماءُ في بَرَدى كَأَنَّ حَبابَهُ
بَرَدٌhail جَنَتهُgathered it الريحُthe wind غَيرُnot مُجَمَّدِfrozen
بَرَدٌ جَنَتهُ الريحُ غَيرُ مُجَمَّدِ
And the water in Barada—its bubbles seem
Like hail gathered by the wind, yet unfrozen.
بَيناwhile تَراهُyou see it كَالسَجَنجَلِlike a mirror ساكِناًstill
بَينا تَراهُ كَالسَجَنجَلِ ساكِناً
حَتىthen تَراهُyou see it أَجعَداًridged كَالمِبرَدِlike a file
حَتى تَراهُ أَجعَداً كَالمِبرَدِ
One moment you see it still as a mirror,
The next, you see it ridged like a file.
وَكَأَنَّماand as though أَنفاسُthe breaths of رِئاهُits fragrance (uncertain reading) ثَناpraise
وَكَأَنَّما أَنفاسُ رِئاهُ ثَنا
أَبقِAbaq الهُمامِthe valiant الماجِدِthe illustrious بنِson of مُحَمَّدِMuhammad
أَبقِ الهُمامِ الماجِدِ بنِ مُحَمَّدِ
And as though the breaths of its fragrance were praise
Of Abaq, the valiant, illustrious son of Muhammad.
مَلِكٌa king تَشَرَّفَتِwere honored المَنابِرُthe pulpits بِاِسمِهِby his name
مَلِكٌ تَشَرَّفَتِ المَنابِرُ بِاِسمِهِ
وَعَلَتand rose مَناقِبُهُhis virtues فُوَيقَa little above الفَرقَدِal-Farqad (a star)
وَعَلَت مَناقِبُهُ فُوَيقَ الفَرقَدِ
A king whose name has ennobled the pulpits,
And whose virtues have risen just above al-Farqad.
وَعَلىand upon الأَسِرَّةِthe thrones وَجهُهُhis face
وَعَلى الأَسِرَّةِ وَجهُهُ
شَمسٌa sun تَجَلَّتshone forth مِنfrom بُروجِthe zodiacal signs الأَسعَدِthe most auspicious
شَمسٌ تَجَلَّت مِن بُروجِ الأَسعَدِ
And upon the thrones, his face
Is a sun shining forth from the most auspicious signs.