أَغَادِيَةًO morning raincloud بَكَرَتْcame early بِالحَيَاwith rain
أَغَادِيَةً بَكَرَتْ بِالحَيَا
رَعَتْكِmay it watch over you العِنَايَةُProvidence مِنْas a غَادِيَهْmorning raincloud
رَعَتْكِ العِنَايَةُ مِنْ غَادِيَهْ
O morning raincloud that came early with rain,
She bloomed at dawn with life,
may Providence watch over you, raincloud.
Providence grazed you from the fading ones.
إِذَاwhen مَاemphatic particle سَكَبْتِyou pour out طَهُورَpurifying النَّدَىdew
إِذَا مَا سَكَبْتِ طَهُورَ النَّدَى
أَلِمِّيvisit بِبَاحِثَةِupon Bahithat (the woman researcher) البَادِيَهْal-Badiya (the desert)
أَلِمِّي بِبَاحِثَةِ البَادِيَهْ
Whenever you pour out purifying dew,
When you poured the purity of dew,
visit Bahithat al-Badiya.
Touch me with the seeker of the desert.
أَجَفَّwithered الرَّدَىdeath غُصْنَهَاher branch وَالغُصُوand the branches (word continues)
أَجَفَّ الرَّدَى غُصْنَهَا وَالغُصُو
نُ(completes 'branches') فِيin الرَّوْضِthe garden زهرةٌa blossom نَادِيَهْdewy
نُ فِي الرَّوْضِ زهرةٌ نَادِيَهْ
Death withered her branch, while the branches
Time's corruption withered its branch and blossoms in the garden called out.
in the garden are dewy blossoms.
Egypt's captive, the unique one of an era,
فَقِيدَةْlamented woman مِصْرٍof Egypt فَرِيدَةُpeerless woman عَصْرٍof an age
فَقِيدَةْ مِصْرٍ فَرِيدَةُ عَصْرٍ
لَهَاfor her كُلُّevery غَانِيَةٍbeautiful woman فَادِيَهْwilling to sacrifice herself
لَهَا كُلُّ غَانِيَةٍ فَادِيَهْ
Egypt's lamented one, peerless in her age,
Every singer has sung her praises.
for whom every fair woman would sacrifice herself.
She was the literary figure of her days,
وَكَانَتْand she was أَدِيبَةَthe woman of letters أَيَّامِهَاof her days
وَكَانَتْ أَدِيبَةَ أَيَّامِهَا
وَكَانَتْand she was مَنَارَتَهَاits beacon الهَادِيَهْguiding
وَكَانَتْ مَنَارَتَهَا الهَادِيَهْ
And she was the woman of letters of her time,
And its guiding beacon.
and she was its guiding beacon.
When we read one of her verses,
إِذَاwhen مَاemphatic particle قَرَأْنَاwe read لَهَاof hers آيَةًa verse
إِذَا مَا قَرَأْنَا لَهَا آيَةً
حَسِبْنَاwe thought الحُرُوفَthe letters بِهَاin it شَادِيَهْsinging
حَسِبْنَا الحُرُوفَ بِهَا شَادِيَهْ
Whenever we read a verse of hers,
We deemed the letters singing through her.
we thought the letters in it were singing.
Fate assailed her murderously,
أَلَمَّdescended بِهَاupon her دَهْرَهَاher fate قَاتِلاًas a killer
أَلَمَّ بِهَا دَهْرَهَا قَاتِلاً
فَيَاso, alas قِتْلَةًa slaying لاnot تَفِيهَاcan compensate for it دِيَهْblood money
فَيَا قِتْلَةً لا تَفِيهَا دِيَهْ
Her fate descended upon her as a killer;
Oh what a loss no blood money can replace!
so, alas for a slaying no blood money can repay!
The lyre weeps sorrowfully for her,
تَظَلcontinues الكِنَانَةُthe Quiver (Egypt) تَبْكِيweeping أَسىًin sorrow
تَظَل الكِنَانَةُ تَبْكِي أَسىً
عَلَيْهَاover her وَمُهْجَتُهَاand its heart صَادِيَهْparched with thirst
عَلَيْهَا وَمُهْجَتُهَا صَادِيَهْ
Egypt, the Quiver, keeps weeping in sorrow
And its strings lament her.
over her, while its heart is parched with thirst.
Partial English translation: 15 of 16 Arabic lines translated.