تأنَّوا ففي طَيِّ النَّسيمَ رَسائِلُ

تأنَّوا ففي طَيِّ النَّسيمَ رَسائِلُ

وَمِيلُوا فَإنَّ البانَ في السَّفحِ مائِلُ

وَمِيلُوا فَإنَّ البانَ في السَّفحِ مائِلُ

Take your time: folded in the breeze are messages.

Gently now, for in the breeze's fold there are messages

And incline, for the bān tree on the hillside is leaning.

And lean, for the valley-slope is leaning

وَمَا مالَ إلاَّ للسُّؤالِ وعندَهُ

وَمَا مالَ إلاَّ للسُّؤالِ وعندَهُ

حَديثُ هوىً فاستَحدثُوهُ وسَائِلوا

حَديثُ هوىً فاستَحدثُوهُ وسَائِلوا

And it has bent only to be questioned, and it holds

And it leaned only to ask, and it has

A tale of love: ask it to tell you, and inquire.

A discourse of love's madness - so draw it out and question it

رَوَى خَبَراً عَن بانِ نَعمانَ مُرسَلاً

رَوَى خَبَراً عَن بانِ نَعمانَ مُرسَلاً

وأَسنَد عَنهُ ما حَكَتهُ الشَّمائِلُ

وأَسنَد عَنهُ ما حَكَتهُ الشَّمائِلُ

It relayed a report from Nuʿmān’s bān tree, without a full chain of transmission,

It related a story about the slopes of Nu'man unfettered

And attributed to it what the north winds had recounted.

And traced from it what the facets have recounted

فَعَلَّلَ مُعتَلاًّ وَحَرَّكَ ساكِناً

فَعَلَّلَ مُعتَلاًّ وَحَرَّكَ ساكِناً

مِنَ الوَجدِ أَضحَى وَهوَ في الحالِ عامِل

مِنَ الوَجدِ أَضحَى وَهوَ في الحالِ عامِل

So it soothed an ailing one and stirred a motionless one,

So it has justified the lovesick and given motion to the reticent

Grown so from yearning, while it exerts its influence at once.

From ardour it has risen while still influencing

وَمِيلوا على رَملِ الحِمَى علَّ سربهُ

وَمِيلوا على رَملِ الحِمَى علَّ سربهُ

تُلاحظُكُم غزلانُهُ وتُغازِلُ

تُلاحظُكُم غزلانُهُ وتُغازِلُ

And turn onto the sands of the protected pasture; perhaps its herd—

And lean on the ridge of the preserve so its gazelles may

Its gazelles—will exchange glances with you and flirt.

Observe you and be amorous

وقُصُّوا غَرامي للنَّسيمِ فإنَّهُ

وقُصُّوا غَرامي للنَّسيمِ فإنَّهُ

غَريمي إذا ما هَيَّجتني البَلابِلُ

غَريمي إذا ما هَيَّجتني البَلابِلُ

And recount my passion to the breeze, for it

And tell my passions to the breeze for it is

Is my adversary whenever sorrows stir me.

My confidant when the wind-puffs stir me

سَقَى دِمنَةَ الوادي بمُنعَرجِ اللِّوى

سَقَى دِمنَةَ الوادي بمُنعَرجِ اللِّوى

مِنَ المُزنِ محلُولُ النِّطاقَين هاطلُ

مِنَ المُزنِ محلُولُ النِّطاقَين هاطلُ

May the valley’s ruined campsite at al-Liwā’s bend be watered

It has watered the valley-bed from the bent spout

By a pouring rain cloud, both its girdles loosened.

Of rain-clouds, fetterless, streaming down

وَحَيَّا رُبا مُصطافِ سَلعِ وَمَرتَعَ ال

وَحَيَّا رُبا مُصطافِ سَلعِ وَمَرتَعَ ال

غُوَيرِ وَروَّى بَطنَ نَعمانَ وابِلُ

غُوَيرِ وَروَّى بَطنَ نَعمانَ وابِلُ

And may it greet the hills of Salʿ’s summer retreat and the pasture of al-

And greeted the environs of Sal' and the pasture

Ghuwayr; may a downpour drench Nuʿmān’s valley floor.

Of Guwair and sated the belt of Nu'man, pouring down

فَمِنها ضَفَت عندَ الَمقيلِ ظِلالُها

فَمِنها ضَفَت عندَ الَمقيلِ ظِلالُها

وَفيها صَفَت عِندَ الوِدادِ الَمناهلُ

وَفيها صَفَت عِندَ الوِدادِ الَمناهلُ

So from them their shades spread wide at midday rest,

So from it its shades overlap at al-Maqil

And in them the watering places grew clear in times of love.

And in it the water-holes line up by al-Widad

وَإِنَّ سُؤالي للنَّسيمِ عُلاَلةٌ

وَإِنَّ سُؤالي للنَّسيمِ عُلاَلةٌ

كَمَا أَنَّ دَمعي لِلَمنازلِ سائِلُ

كَمَا أَنَّ دَمعي لِلَمنازلِ سائِلُ

And indeed, my questioning of the breeze is a little solace,

And my questioning of the breeze is a preoccupation

Just as my tears flow for the dwelling places.

Just as my tears for the encampments are questioning