ياO هندُHind أيّwhat جمالٍbeauty
يا هندُ أيّ جمالٍ
أعطاكِgave you ربيmy Lord فأبدعand wrought wondrously
أعطاكِ ربي فأبدع
O Hind, what beauty
my Lord gave you—how wondrously He wrought!
نعمyes وأيّand what دلالٍcoquettish charm
نعم وأيّ دلالٍ
فيهِthrough it الخلائقَall creatures روَّعfilled with awe
فيهِ الخلائقَ روَّع
Yes, and what coquettish charm,
with which He awed all creation!
فلوfor if حبيسٌa recluse بدَيرٍin a monastery
فلو حبيسٌ بدَيرٍ
رآكِsaw you يوماًone day تخشَّعbecame reverent
رآكِ يوماً تخشَّع
For if a recluse in a monastery
saw you one day, he would bow in awe,
كأنَّهُas though he were فارسيٌّa Persian قدhad
كأنَّهُ فارسيٌّ قد
عاينbeheld الشمسthe sun تَطلَعrising
عاين الشمس تَطلَع
as though he were a Persian who had
beheld the sun rising.
فراحَthen he began يعبدto worship هذاthis
فراحَ يعبد هذا
الجمالbeauty والطَرفُand the eye يهمَعstreams with tears
الجمال والطَرفُ يهمَع
Then he would begin to worship this
beauty, his eye streaming with tears.
يجثوkneels لديكِbefore you ولُوعاًpassionately enamored
يجثو لديكِ ولُوعاً
والناسُwhile people لِلهto God رُكَّعbowing
والناسُ لِله رُكَّع
He would kneel before you, lovestruck—
while people bow to God—
منfrom بعدafter نَذرٍa vow قضاهُhe fulfilled it
من بعد نَذرٍ قضاهُ
والأَهلَand family والمالَand wealth وَدَّعbade farewell to
والأَهلَ والمالَ وَدَّع
after fulfilling a vow
and bidding farewell to family and wealth.
والعذرُand the excuse ياO هندُHind بادٍplain
والعذرُ يا هندُ بادٍ
يُتلىis recited ويُروىand is recounted ويُسمَعand is heard
يُتلى ويُروى ويُسمَع
And the excuse, O Hind, is plain,
recited, recounted, and heard:
هذاthis حَمامُdove أَركٍarak trees
هذا حَمامُ أَركٍ
رآكِsaw you فيin الروضِthe garden سَجَّعcooed
رآكِ في الروضِ سَجَّع
Here is the dove of the arak trees:
it saw you in the garden and cooed,
وهوَthough it is الحزينُsorrowful دواماًalways
وهوَ الحزينُ دواماً
يقضيspends الحيوةَlife مُوَجَّعin pain
يقضي الحيوةَ مُوَجَّع
though it is forever sorrowful,
spending its life in pain.
فالشرقُso the East والغربُand the West طرّاًaltogether
فالشرقُ والغربُ طرّاً
والبرُّand the land والبحرُand the sea أجمعall together
والبرُّ والبحرُ أجمع
So East and West, altogether,
and land and sea, in their entirety,
والإنسand humankind والجنand the jinn تهوىlove
والإنس والجن تهوى
هذاthis الجمالَbeauty الممنَّعunattainable
هذا الجمالَ الممنَّع
and humankind and jinn adore
this unattainable beauty.