حَيٍّgreet الرَّبِيْعَspring تَحِيَّةَthe greeting المُسْتَقْبِلِof one welcoming
حَيٍّ الرَّبِيْعَ تَحِيَّةَ المُسْتَقْبِلِ
أَهْدَىbestowed السُّرُورَjoy لَنَاupon us بِغَيْثٍwith rain مُسْبَلِpouring down
أَهْدَى السُّرُورَ لَنَا بِغَيْثٍ مُسْبَلِ
Greet spring with the greeting of one welcoming it.
O springtime, greeting the future
It has brought us joy with pouring rain,
Brought us joy with pouring rain
مُتَكَاثِفِthickly gathered الأَنْوَاءِrainclouds مُنْغَدِقِabundant الحَيَاrain
مُتَكَاثِفِ الأَنْوَاءِ مُنْغَدِقِ الحَيَا
هَطِلِpouring النَّدَىmoisture هَزِمِcrashing الرُّعُودِthunder مُجَلْجِلِresounding
هَطِلِ النَّدَى هَزِمِ الرُّعُودِ مُجَلْجِلِ
thick with rainclouds, abundant in showers,
Of condensed clouds, life overflowing
pouring moisture, with thunder crashing and resounding.
Rain pouring, thunder roaring, rumbling
جَاءَتْthey came بِعَزْلِwith the removal الجَدْبِof drought فِيْهِin it فَبَشَّرَتْthen heralded
جَاءَتْ بِعَزْلِ الجَدْبِ فِيْهِ فَبَشَّرَتْ
بِالْخِضْبِof fertility (apparently الخصب) أَنْوَاءُthe rains السِّمَاكِof al-Simak الأَعْزَلِal-A'zal (the Unarmed)
بِالْخِضْبِ أَنْوَاءُ السِّمَاكِ الأَعْزَلِ
They came to depose drought in it and heralded
It came, dispelling drought
fertility—the rains of al-Simak al-A'zal.
The clouds announced fertility to the barren land
فِيin لِيْلَةٍa night حَجَبَhid السَّماءُthe sky نُجُومَهَاits stars
فِي لِيْلَةٍ حَجَبَ السَّماءُ نُجُومَهَا
فَكَأَنَّهَاso as though they أَفَلَتْhad set وَإِنْand although لَمْdid not تَأْفُلِset
فَكَأَنَّهَا أَفَلَتْ وَإِنْ لَمْ تَأْفُلِ
On a night when the sky hid its stars,
In a night when the sky hid its stars
they seemed to have set, although they had not.
It was as though it had set though it did not set
وَالبَدْرُand the full moon مِنْthrough خَلَلِgaps in الغَمَامِthe clouds كَأَنَّهُas though it
وَالبَدْرُ مِنْ خَلَلِ الغَمَامِ كَأَنَّهُ
قَبَسٌa flame يُضِئُshines وَرَاءَbehind سِتْرٍa veil أَكْحَلِkohl-dark
قَبَسٌ يُضِئُ وَرَاءَ سِتْرٍ أَكْحَلِ
And the full moon, through gaps in the clouds, seemed
The moon through the clouds was like
a flame shining behind a kohl-dark veil.
A lamp shining behind a blue veil
وَكَأَنَّand as though لَمْعَthe flashing البَرْقِof lightning مِنْfrom جَنَبَاتِهِits sides
وَكَأَنَّ لَمْعَ البَرْقِ مِنْ جَنَبَاتِهِ
كَفُّthe hand الشُّجَاعِof the brave man تَهُزُّbrandishes مَتْنَthe blade المُنْصُلِof the sword
كَفُّ الشُّجَاعِ تَهُزُّ مَتْنَ المُنْصُلِ
And the lightning flashing from its sides seemed
And lightning flashes from its sides
a warrior's hand brandishing a sword's blade.
Like the palm of a brave warrior brandishing a sword
يَدْنُوdraws near فِيُحْسَبُso it is thought لِلرَّيَاضِto the meadows مُعَانِقَاًembracing
يَدْنُو فِيُحْسَبُ لِلرَّيَاضِ مُعَانِقَاً
طَوْرَاًat times وَيَعْطِفُهُand turns it aside هُبُوبُthe blowing الشَّمَأَلِof the north wind
طَوْرَاً وَيَعْطِفُهُ هُبُوبُ الشَّمَأَلِ
It draws near and seems to embrace the meadows
It comes near, and is thought to be embracing
at times, then the north wind's gusts turn it aside,
The meadows, turning towards them with the blowing wind
كَالصَّبِّlike the lovesick lover هَمَّintended بِقُبْلَةٍa kiss حَتَّىuntil إِذَاwhen
كَالصَّبِّ هَمَّ بِقُبْلَةٍ حَتَّى إِذَا
لَحَظَتْهُglimpsed him عَيْنُthe eye رَقِيْبِهِof his watcher لَمْdid not يَفْعَلِact
لَحَظَتْهُ عَيْنُ رَقِيْبِهِ لَمْ يَفْعَلِ
like a lover intent on a kiss, but when
Like a lover, it intended a kiss until
his watcher's eye catches him, he refrains.
The watchman's eye saw it, and it did not
فَامْنَحْso grant أَخَاكَyour brother الغَيْثَthe rain وَجْهَa face طَلاَقَةٍof cheerfulness
فَامْنَحْ أَخَاكَ الغَيْثَ وَجْهَ طَلاَقَةٍ
وَالْقَand welcome الرَّبِيْعَspring بِأُنْسَةٍwith friendliness وَتَهَلُّلِand beaming joy
وَالْقَ الرَّبِيْعَ بِأُنْسَةٍ وَتَهَلُّلِ
So offer your brother, the rain, a cheerful face,
So grant your brother the rain with a cheerful face
and welcome spring with friendliness and beaming joy.
And meet the spring with comfort and delight
وَاعْرِفْand acknowledge لَهُfor it حَقَّthe due القُدُومِof arrival بِقَهْوَةٍwith wine
وَاعْرِفْ لَهُ حَقَّ القُدُومِ بِقَهْوَةٍ
عَذْرَاءَvirgin تُمْزَجُis mixed بِالزُّلاَلِwith limpid water السَّلْسَلِsmoothly flowing
عَذْرَاءَ تُمْزَجُ بِالزُّلاَلِ السَّلْسَلِ
And honor the welcome owed it with wine,
Acknowledge his right to arrive with coffee
virgin, mixed with limpid, smoothly flowing water.
Pure, mixed with flowing cool chains
صَهْبَاءُtawny wine تُجْلَىis unveiled فِيin الزُّجَاجِglass وَيُتَّقَىand is guarded against
صَهْبَاءُ تُجْلَى فِي الزُّجَاجِ وَيُتَّقَى
مِنْهَاfrom it أَلِيْمُpainful القَتْلِslaying إِنْif لَمْdo not تَقْتُلِyou slay
مِنْهَا أَلِيْمُ القَتْلِ إِنْ لَمْ تَقْتُلِ
Tawny wine is unveiled in glass, and one fears
Pale, clarified in glass, and avoided
its painful slaying if you do not slay it.
Lest it kill with painful death if it does not kill
كَالْخَدِّlike a cheek لاقَتْهُmet it العُيُونُthe eyes فَعَصْفَرَتْthen dyed safflower-red
كَالْخَدِّ لاقَتْهُ العُيُونُ فَعَصْفَرَتْ
مُبْيَضَّthe pale part وَجْنَتِهِof its cheek بِلَحْظٍwith a glance مُخْجِلِabashing
مُبْيَضَّ وَجْنَتِهِ بِلَحْظٍ مُخْجِلِ
Like a cheek met by eyes that redden
Like a cheek the eyes met and yellowed
its pale surface with an abashing glance.
Whitening its apple with a shy glance
مِنْfrom كَفِّthe hand مَيَّاسِswaying القَوَامِin stature كَأَنَّهُas though he
مِنْ كَفِّ مَيَّاسِ القَوَامِ كَأَنَّهُ
رَيْحَانَةٌa basil sprig رَيَّانَةٌlush لَمْhas not تَذْبُلِwithered
رَيْحَانَةٌ رَيَّانَةٌ لَمْ تَذْبُلِ
From the hand of one with a swaying figure, who seems
From the palm of the erect statured cupbearer as though
a lush sprig of basil that has not withered.
It were a fresh fragrant basil not yet wilted
يَشْدُوhe sings بِفَتَّانِwith one bewitching in الجَنِيْنِplaintive tone (apparently الحنين) كَأَنَّهُas though it
يَشْدُو بِفَتَّانِ الجَنِيْنِ كَأَنَّهُ
طِفْلٌa child تَمَهَّدَbedded down in حِجْرَthe lap ظِئْرٍof a wet nurse مُطْفِلِwith an infant
طِفْلٌ تَمَهَّدَ حِجْرَ ظِئْرٍ مُطْفِلِ
He sings with a bewitchingly plaintive instrument, as though it were
It captivates with the melody of the instrument as though
a child cradled in the lap of a wet nurse with an infant.
It were a child resting in the lap of a foster mother
تَلْوِيshe twists أَنَامِلَهَاher fingers عَلَىaround آذَانِهِits ears
تَلْوِي أَنَامِلَهَا عَلَى آذَانِهِ
فَتَبِيْنُso it becomes clear أَنَّهُthat it is ذِيafflicted with سَقَامٍsickness مُنْحَلِwasted away
فَتَبِيْنُ أَنَّهُ ذِي سَقَامٍ مُنْحَلِ
She twists her fingers around its ears,
Her fingers coil around its ears
and it becomes clear that it is wasted by sickness.
Revealing it to be diseased and weak
كَلَمَتْshe wounded تَرَائِيَهُits breastbones (apparently ترائبه) فَبَانَthen became plain كَلاَمُهُits speech
كَلَمَتْ تَرَائِيَهُ فَبَانَ كَلاَمُهُ
لِلسَّمْعِto the ear مِنْfrom جَسَدٍa body خَفِيْفِlight المَحْمَلِto carry
لِلسَّمْعِ مِنْ جَسَدٍ خَفِيْفِ المَحْمَلِ
She wounded its breastbones, and its speech became plain
She spoke to it and its speech became apparent
to the ear, from a body light to carry.
To the ear from a body light of burden
خَلْخَالُهُits anklet فِيat نَحْرِهِits throat وَلِسَانُهُand its tongue
خَلْخَالُهُ فِي نَحْرِهِ وَلِسَانُهُ
فِيin أُذُنِهِits ear وَجَبِيْنُهُand its brow مِنْfrom أَسْفَلِbelow
فِي أُذُنِهِ وَجَبِيْنُهُ مِنْ أَسْفَلِ
Its anklet is at its throat, and its tongue
Its anklet is around its neck, its tongue
is in its ear, while its brow is underneath.
In its ear, and its forehead from below
هَزِجٌmelodious يَخِفُّis light عَلَىupon الأَكُفِّthe hands وَلَفْظُهُand its utterance
هَزِجٌ يَخِفُّ عَلَى الأَكُفِّ وَلَفْظُهُ
يَعْلُوrises بِتَأْلِيْفِwith the setting الثَّقِيْلِof the Heavy rhythm الأَوَّلِthe First
يَعْلُو بِتَأْلِيْفِ الثَّقِيْلِ الأَوَّلِ
Melodious, light upon the hands, its voice
Jesting, it lightly treads the palms, and its pronunciation
soars with the setting of the First Heavy rhythm.
Is loud with the composition of the first heavy [rhyme]
فَكَأَنَّمَاso it is as though شَخْصُthe person الغَرِيْضَof al-Gharid مُمَثَّلٌembodied
فَكَأَنَّمَا شَخْصُ الغَرِيْضَ مُمَثَّلٌ
فِيin العُودِthe oud أَوْor سَكَنَتْهُinhabited it رُوحُthe spirit المَوْصِلِيof al-Mawsili
فِي العُودِ أَوْ سَكَنَتْهُ رُوحُ المَوْصِلِي
It is as though al-Gharid's very person were embodied
It is as though the persona of the throaty singer is
in the oud, or the spirit of al-Mawsili had inhabited it,
Personified in the lute or the soul of Al-Mawsili inhabited it
لاَnot سِيَّمَاthe like of (together: especially) إِنْif حَثَّhe quickens مِنْfrom among أَصْوَاتِهِits tunes
لاَ سِيَّمَا إِنْ حَثَّ مِنْ أَصْوَاتِهِ
صَوْتَاًa melody يُصَابُis struck بِهِby it مَكَانُthe site المَقْتَلِof a fatal wound
صَوْتَاً يُصَابُ بِهِ مَكَانُ المَقْتَلِ
especially when, among its tunes, he quickens
Especially if it elicits from its sounds
a melody that strikes the fatal spot:
A note that strikes the place of death
يَاO أُخْتَsister نَاجِيَةَof Najiyah السَّلاَمُpeace عَلَيْكُمُupon you all
يَا أُخْتَ نَاجِيَةَ السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمُ
قَبْلَbefore الرَّحِيْلِdeparture وَقَبْلَand before لَوْمِthe blame العُذَّلِof the reproachers
قَبْلَ الرَّحِيْلِ وَقَبْلَ لَوْمِ العُذَّلِ
“O sister of Najiyah, peace be upon you all,
O sister conversing, peace be upon you
before departure and before the reproachers' blame.”
Before parting and before the blame of the critic
فَاشْرَبْso drink عَلَىto نَغَمَاتِهِits melodies مِنْfrom كَفِّهِhis hand
فَاشْرَبْ عَلَى نَغَمَاتِهِ مِنْ كَفِّهِ
وَاجْلُand dispel الصَّبَابَةَyearning بِالمُدَامَةِwith wine تَنْجَلِit will fade
وَاجْلُ الصَّبَابَةَ بِالمُدَامَةِ تَنْجَلِ
So drink to its melodies from his hand,
So drink from his palm to its melodies
and dispel yearning with wine; it will fade.
And meet the youth with the cup, relax
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.