بَلغَتconveyed ريحُwind النُّعامَىthe south wind
بَلغَت ريحُ النُّعامَى
عنكمُfrom you الصَّبَّthe lovelorn one السَّلاماthe greeting
عنكمُ الصَّبَّ السَّلاما
The breeze of al-Naʿāmā conveyed
The south wind conveyed
your greetings to the ardent lover,
your greeting to the lovelorn one.
وَرَوتand recounted عنكُمfrom you حديثاًa tale
وَرَوت عنكُم حديثاً
رَاحَbecame للصَّبِّfor the lovelorn one مُداماwine
رَاحَ للصَّبِّ مُداما
and related a tale of you
And it recounted a tale from you
that turned to wine for the lover.
that became wine for the lovelorn.
وَأَتتand came تَحمِلُbearing عنكُمfrom you
وَأَتت تَحمِلُ عنكُم
نشرfragrance رندٍlaurel وخُزامَىand lavender
نشر رندٍ وخُزامَى
It came bearing from you
And it came bearing from you
the fragrance of bay and lavender.
the fragrance of laurel and lavender.
عَشِقتَyou loved قلباًa heart منَfrom الشَّوlonging (first fragment)
عَشِقتَ قلباً منَ الشَّو
قِlonging (final fragment) كَئِيباًsorrowful مُستَهاماlost in love
قِ كَئِيباً مُستَهاما
You loved a heart that longing left
You loved a heart that, from longing,
sorrowful and utterly love-distraught.
was sorrowful and lost in love.
لَمdid not يَزَلcease فيin سالِفِbygone الدَّthe [time, inferred; defective fragment]
لَم يَزَل في سالِفِ الدَّ
رِfinal fragment of the apparent word 'time' إليكُمtoward you يَتَرامَىflung itself
رِ إليكُم يَتَرامَى
Through all the ages past, it never ceased
It never ceased, in bygone [time],
to cast itself toward you.
to fling itself toward you.
إنَّindeed قلباًa heart رُحتُمُyou went فيin
إنَّ قلباً رُحتُمُ في
هِit (completing 'in it') فقَدthen indeed نَالَattained الَمرامَاthe desired goal
هِ فقَد نَالَ الَمرامَا
Surely, a heart in which you came to dwell
Indeed, a heart you have entered
has thereby attained its heart’s desire.
has surely attained its desire.
وَتَهنَّتand was gladdened كُلُّevery أُذنٍear
وَتَهنَّت كُلُّ أُذنٍ
سَمِعتheard مِنكُمfrom you كَلاماwords
سَمِعت مِنكُم كَلاما
And every ear rejoiced
And every ear was gladdened
that heard words from you.
that heard words from you.
آهِah! منfor عيشٍa life تَقَضَّىpassed
آهِ من عيشٍ تَقَضَّى
مَعَكُمwith you لوif only كانَit was داماlasted
مَعَكُم لو كانَ داما
Ah, for a life that passed away
Ah, for a life that passed
with you—if only it had lasted!
with you—if only it had lasted!
مَعwith مَليحٍa fair one يُخجِلُputs to shame البَدthe full moon (first fragment)
مَع مَليحٍ يُخجِلُ البَد
رَfull moon (final fragment) أَرخَىlowered اللِّثامَاthe face-veil
رَ أَرخَى اللِّثامَا
With a beauty who puts the full
With a fair one who shames the full
moon to shame whenever he lowers his veil.
moon, having lowered his face-veil.
