حَدِّثهtell him عنabout نجدٍNajd فَلولاfor were it not for عِينُهُits wide-eyed beauties
حَدِّثه عن نجدٍ فَلولا عِينُهُ
وعُيونهاand their eyes ماnot جُنَّwas driven mad منهbecause of it جُنونُهُhis madness
وعُيونها ما جُنَّ منه جُنونُهُ
Tell him of Najd: were it not for its wide-eyed beauties
and their eyes, his madness over it would never have raged.
واسَتملِand take dictation ماwhat تُمليهِdictates it عَبقَةُfragrance روضهِits garden
واسَتملِ ما تُمليهِ عَبقَةُ روضهِ
سَحراًbefore dawn وترفَعُهand transmits it إليكَto you غُصونُهits branches
سَحراً وترفَعُه إليكَ غُصونُه
Take down what the fragrance of its garden dictates
before dawn and its branches transmit to you.
وانقلand transmit أسانيدَchains of transmission الهوَىlove عنfrom أضلعيmy ribs
وانقل أسانيدَ الهوَى عن أضلعي
فحديثُfor the tradition أهلthe people of العشقِpassionate love أنتَyou أمينُهُits trusted keeper
فحديثُ أهل العشقِ أنتَ أمينُهُ
And relay love's chains of transmission from my ribs,
for you are the trusted keeper of the lovers' tradition.
ياO سعدُSa'd أسعدَكmay He gladden you الإِلهُGod ولاand may never خلاbe empty
يا سعدُ أسعدَك الإِلهُ ولا خلا
مَغناكَyour dwelling مِنof خِلِّa friend رآكَsaw you تُعيِنهُyou help him
مَغناكَ مِن خِلِّ رآكَ تُعيِنهُ
O Sa'd, may God gladden you, and may there never be lacking
in your dwelling a friend who has seen you help him.
أعدِrepeat الحديثَthe tale عنabout الحبيبِthe beloved مكرِّراًrepeating
أعدِ الحديثَ عن الحبيبِ مكرِّراً
أخبارَهhis tidings فالصَّبُّfor the lovesick one هذاthis دِينُهُhis creed
أخبارَه فالصَّبُّ هذا دِينُهُ
Repeat the tale of the beloved, repeating
his tidings, for this is the lovesick one's creed.
ولعلَّand perhaps ماwhat تَرويهِyou recount it يحملُcarries لوعةًburning anguish
ولعلَّ ما تَرويهِ يحملُ لوعةً
فيin طَيِّهاits folds داءٌan illness يَهيجُflares up دَفينهُits latent pain
في طَيِّها داءٌ يَهيجُ دَفينهُ
And perhaps what you recount bears a burning anguish,
within whose folds lies an illness whose latent pain flares up.
وبأيمنِand by the right-hand one of العَلمينِthe two landmarks ظبيٌa gazelle مُهجتيmy soul
وبأيمنِ العَلمينِ ظبيٌ مُهجتي
تَشكوcomplains of السَّقامَsickness وخصرُهُand his waist وجفونُهُand his eyelids
تَشكو السَّقامَ وخصرُهُ وجفونُهُ
And by the right-hand one of the two landmarks is a gazelle; my soul
complains of sickness, as do his waist and eyelids.
بالرَّاحِwith wine طافَwent round كلامُهhis speech وبمثِلهاand with its like
بالرَّاحِ طافَ كلامُه وبمثِلها
ألحاظُهhis glances وخدُودهُand his cheeks ويَمينُهُand his right hand
ألحاظُه وخدُودهُ ويَمينُهُ
His speech went round serving wine, and its like was served by
his glances, his cheeks, and his right hand.
Translation model: Sol 6.1