لولاwere it not for الهوىlove ماnot صباyearned صبٌّa lovesick lover إلىfor السِّلمِthe salam acacias
لولا الهوى ما صبا صبٌّ إلى السِّلمِ
يوماًever ولاand not هاجَهُstirred him برقٌlightning بذيat Dhu سلمِSalam
يوماً ولا هاجَهُ برقٌ بذي سلمِ
Were it not for love, no lovesick lover would yearn for the salam trees,
Without passion's fire, no longing towards Salma
Ever, nor would lightning at Dhu Salam stir him.
Would have flared, nor lightning struck Thi Salm.
كلاَّno indeed ولاand not شاقهثmade him yearn (apparent typo) مرُّthe passing النسيمِof the breeze وقدand already
كلاَّ ولا شاقهث مرُّ النسيمِ وقد
سرىtraveled by night عليلاًlanguidly بذاتِthrough Dhat الضَّالِal-Dal منfrom إِضمِIdam
سرى عليلاً بذاتِ الضَّالِ من إِضمِ
No, nor would the passing breeze awaken his longing, when
Nor would the passing breeze have shaken boughs
It drifted languidly by night through Dhat al-Dal from Idam.
Where it blew gently through the strayer's thorn-trees.
ياO منَزلاًdwelling بينbetween رضوىRadwa والعقيقِand al-Aqiq سقَىmay water
يا منَزلاً بين رضوى والعقيقِ سقَى
أيامكَyour days الغُرَّradiant هطَّالٌa heavy downpour منof الدِّيمِsteady rains
أيامكَ الغُرَّ هطَّالٌ من الدِّيمِ
O dwelling between Radwa and al-Aqiq, may rain water
O home between pleasure and reddish sand,
Your radiant days in abundant, steady showers.
Your days were watered by generous downpours.
ففيكَfor in you نلناwe attained منof الآمالِhopes غايتَهاtheir utmost limit
ففيكَ نلنا من الآمالِ غايتَها
وفيكَand in you حُزناwe won الُمنىwishes معwith جيرةِthe neighbors العلمِof al-Alam
وفيكَ حُزنا الُمنى مع جيرةِ العلمِ
For in you we reached the utmost of our hopes,
In you we attained the heights of all we hoped;
And in you won our wishes among the neighbors of al-Alam.
In you sorrow for the loved one, with a wise neighbor.
أيامَin the days when فيكَin you بدورُfull moons الحُسنِof beauty مُشرقةٌshining
أيامَ فيكَ بدورُ الحُسنِ مُشرقةٌ
منfrom حنسِgloom (reading uncertain) الشَّعرِof hair والأَجفانِand the eyelids منfrom ظلمِshadows
من حنسِ الشَّعرِ والأَجفانِ من ظلمِ
In the days when beauty’s full moons shone within you,
Days when beauty's constellation shone in you
Out of the gloom of hair and the darkness of eyelids,
With the splendor of poetry and dark-lashed eyes.
منfrom كلِّevery ريمٍgazelle كَحيلِkohl-dark الطَّرفِof eye قدalready سَقمَتhave grown languid
من كلِّ ريمٍ كَحيلِ الطَّرفِ قد سَقمَت
منهُof him الجُفونُthe eyelids ويشفيناand heals us منof السَّقمِsickness
منهُ الجُفونُ ويشفينا من السَّقمِ
From each gazelle with kohl-dark eyes, whose
Eyes whose lids were sickened by every roving glance,
Eyelids had grown languid, yet who heals us of our sickness,
But you healed them of their sickness.
وكلِّand every ثغرٍmouth يُريناshows us الدرَّpearls مُنتثراًscattered
وكلِّ ثغرٍ يُرينا الدرَّ مُنتثراً
عندَduring الحديثِspeech ومنظوماًand strung together كمبُتَسِمِlike a smiling mouth
عندَ الحديثِ ومنظوماً كمبُتَسِمِ
And every mouth that shows us pearls scattered
Lips that showed us scattered pearls
In speech, and strung together as in a smiling mouth.
When they spoke, outlined as in a smile.
أعائدٌwill ... return? فيكin you ياO ظلَّshade الأثيلِof the little tamarisk لناto us
أعائدٌ فيك يا ظلَّ الأثيلِ لنا
عَيشٌa life تُرىyou would think أنَّهُthat it قدalready كانَhad been فيin حُلمِa dream
عَيشٌ تُرى أنَّهُ قد كانَ في حُلمِ
Will there return to us beneath you, O tamarisk shade,
I live again in you, O shade of the encampment,
A life you would think had been lived in a dream?
A life that seems to have been only in a dream.
وتُصبحُand will become الدَّارُthe dwelling منof نُعمانَNu'man دانِيةٍnear
وتُصبحُ الدَّارُ من نُعمانَ دانِيةٍ
مناto us وتصبحُand will become بالأَحبابِwith loved ones فيin نِعَمِbliss
منا وتصبحُ بالأَحبابِ في نِعَمِ
And will the dwelling at Nu'man draw near
The house becomes, with Numan's blessings,
To us, and thrive in bliss with loved ones?
Ours, and dawns with loved ones in bliss.