يَاO ساكنيdwellers in جَنَّةٍa paradise رِضوانُRidwan خَازنُهاits keeper
يَا ساكني جَنَّةٍ رِضوانُ خَازنُها
هُنّيتُمُmay you be blessed العيشَlife فيin رَوحٍrepose ورَيْحَانِand sweet fragrance
هُنّيتُمُ العيشَ في رَوحٍ ورَيْحَانِ
O dwellers in a paradise whose keeper is Ridwan,
O dwellers of Paradise, its keeper is pleased with you
May you be blessed with life in repose and sweet fragrance.
You have enjoyed living in spirit and basil.
مُرُواcommand النّسِيمَthe breeze إذاwhen مَاemphatic particle الفجرُdawn أيقظَهawakens it
مُرُوا النّسِيمَ إذا مَا الفجرُ أيقظَه
بحملِهِwith its carrying طيبَsweetness of نَشرٍa wafting fragrance مِنهُfrom him أَحيانيrevived me
بحملِهِ طيبَ نَشرٍ مِنهُ أَحياني
Command the breeze, when dawn awakens it,
Send the breeze when dawn awakens it
To carry a sweet fragrance from him that revived me.
With its scent of diffusion that gives life at times.
أوor فَابعَثُواthen send نَغْمَةًa melody منهfrom him يعيشُlives بهاby it
أو فَابعَثُوا نَغْمَةً منه يعيشُ بها
قَلبيmy heart فقدfor indeed مَاتhas died مُذْsince حِينٍa while وأَزمانِand ages
قَلبي فقد مَات مُذْ حِينٍ وأَزمانِ
Or send a melody from him to give life to
Or send out a melody that my heart can live by
My heart, for it has been dead for ages upon ages.
Since it died long ago and times past.
ظَبيٌa gazelle أغَنُّsweetly nasal-voiced تردَّىrobed himself بالدُّجَىin darkness وَجَلاَand unveiled
ظَبيٌ أغَنُّ تردَّى بالدُّجَى وَجَلاَ
شَمْسthe sun النّهارِthe day علىupon غُصْنٍa bough منof الْبانِthe bān tree
شَمْس النّهارِ على غُصْنٍ من الْبانِ
A sweet-voiced gazelle, robed in darkness, unveiled
A gazelle, the most melodious, roams in the dew
The sun of day upon a bough of the bān tree.
The sun of daylight on a branch of acacia.
فيin فِيهِhis mouth مَاwhat فيin جِنَانِthe gardens of الخُلدِeternity منof دُرَرٍpearls
في فِيهِ مَا في جِنَانِ الخُلدِ من دُرَرٍ
ومنand of رَحِيقٍpure wine ومنand of مسْكٍmusk ومَرْجَانِand coral
ومن رَحِيقٍ ومن مسْكٍ ومَرْجَانِ
In his mouth is what the gardens of eternity hold: pearls,
In it is what is in the gardens of eternity of pearls
And pure wine, and musk, and coral.
And of nectar, musk and coral.
إذاwhen بَدَاhe appears وشَدَاand sings فيin مَجلسٍa gathering ظَفِرُواthey attain
إذا بَدَا وشَدَا في مَجلسٍ ظَفِرُوا
بمُنيةwith the desire of النّفسِthe soul منof حُسنٍbeauty وإحسَانِand kindness
بمُنية النّفسِ من حُسنٍ وإحسَانِ
When he appears and sings at a gathering, they attain
When it appears and tightens in victory, be victorious
The soul's desire for beauty and kindness.
With the wishes of the soul of beauty and benevolence.
لاdo not تَنْسَنِيforget me ياO أباAbu (father of) نَصرٍNasr إذاwhen حَضَرتْare present
لا تَنْسَنِي يا أبا نَصرٍ إذا حَضَرتْ
قُلوبُكمyour hearts بينbetween مَزمُومٍMazmum وطَرخانيand Tarkhani
قُلوبُكم بين مَزمُومٍ وطَرخاني
Do not forget me, Abu Nasr, when
Do not forget me, O Abu Nasr, when
Your hearts gather between Mazmum and Tarkhani.
Your hearts are present between blended and pure wine.
كُنbe ليfor me وكيلاًa proxy علىfor الرّؤيِاthe sight ووكّلْand appoint a proxy لِيfor me
كُن لي وكيلاً على الرّؤيِا ووكّلْ لِي
سواكَsomeone other than you يَسمعُhears عَنّيon my behalf شَدوَthe singing of رضْوانِRidwan
سواكَ يَسمعُ عَنّي شَدوَ رضْوانِ
Be my proxy in seeing, and appoint for me
Be my deputy for the vision and delegate for me
Someone other than you to hear Ridwan's singing on my behalf.
Other than you who can hear my voice of consent.
وقُلand tell لهto him يَتَغَنّىto sing منfrom قلائِدهhis necklaces
وقُل له يَتَغَنّى من قلائِده
صوتاًa song يُجدّدُrenews ليfor me شَجْويmy grief وأشْجَانيand my sorrows
صوتاً يُجدّدُ لي شَجْوي وأشْجَاني
And tell him to sing, from his necklaces,
And say to it to sing to me from his necklaces
A song that renews my grief and my sorrows.
A voice that renews my passion and love songs for me.
نسيمُهhis breeze يتلقّانيgreets me بزوْرَتِهِon his visit
نسيمُه يتلقّاني بزوْرَتِهِ
مُبَشِّراًbringing glad tidings ليto me بهِof him منfrom قَبلِbefore يَلقانِيhe meets me
مُبَشِّراً لي بهِ من قَبلِ يَلقانِي
His breeze greets me on his visit,
Its breeze meets me with its flowers
Heralding him to me before he meets me.
Bringing me the good news of it before meeting me.
وصَفُواthey described ليto me بغدادَBaghdad حيناًonce فلمّاthen when
وصَفُوا لي بغدادَ حيناً فلمّا
جئتُهاI came to it جئتُI came أحسنَthe finest of البُلدانِthe cities
جئتُها جئتُ أحسنَ البُلدانِ
They once described Baghdad to me; then, when
They described Baghdad to me once, but when
I came to it, I came to the finest of cities.
I came to it, I came to the best of countries.
منظرٌa sight مبهِجٌdelightful وقومٌand a people سَراةٌnobles
منظرٌ مبهِجٌ وقومٌ سَراةٌ
قدindeed تحَلَّوْاhave adorned themselves بالحُسنِwith beauty والإحسَانِand kindness
قد تحَلَّوْا بالحُسنِ والإحسَانِ
A delightful sight, and a people of distinction,
A delightful sight and cheerful people
Who have adorned themselves with beauty and kindness.
Who have adorned themselves with beauty and benevolence.
ليسthere is no فيهمْamong them عيبٌfault سوىexcept أنّthat فيon كُلْbeginning of 'every'
ليس فيهمْ عيبٌ سوى أنّ في كُلْ
لِcompletion of 'every' بنانٍfingertip علاّقَةَhanging loop الميزانِthe balance
لِ بنانٍ علاّقَةَ الميزانِ
They have no fault, save that every
They have no shortcoming except that in every
Fingertip bears a balance's hanging loop.
Pretty one there is a scale of balance.
وسمِعْنَاand we heard وماbut not رأينَاwe saw سوَىexcept
وسمِعْنَا وما رأينَا سوَى
أمِّUmm (mother of) ظَلومٍZalum فيهاin it منamong النّسوانِthe women
أمِّ ظَلومٍ فيها من النّسوانِ
And we heard, but saw none except
We heard and did not see anything but
Umm Zalum among the women there.
An unjust mother among the women.
وهْيand she جِنِّيَّةٌa female jinn كأَقبحِlike the ugliest of ماwhat شَوْbeginning of 'disfigured'
وهْي جِنِّيَّةٌ كأَقبحِ ما شَوْ
وَهَهُcompletion of 'disfigured it' ربّنَاour Lord منamong الغيلانِthe ghouls
وَهَهُ ربّنَا من الغيلانِ
And she is a female jinn, like the ugliest thing
She is a jinniya, uglier than what
Our Lord has disfigured among the ghouls.
Our Lord has created of ghilan.
إنّindeed فيهاin it منamong الصّبَاياthe young women شُموساًsuns
إنّ فيها من الصّبَايا شُموساً
فيon غُصونٍboughs تهتَزُّsway فيamid كُثبانِsand dunes
في غُصونٍ تهتَزُّ في كُثبانِ
Indeed, among its young women are suns,
It has among the maidens suns
On boughs that sway amid sand dunes.
That sway on branches in sand dunes.
شغلَتْنَاdistracted us السَبعونَseventy years والحجُّand the pilgrimage عَنهُنْfrom them (feminine; continued)
شغلَتْنَا السَبعونَ والحجُّ عَنهُنْ
نَcompletion of feminine 'them' فقلنَاso we spoke بالسَّمْعِfrom hearsay دُونَrather than العَيانِdirect sight
نَ فقلنَا بالسَّمْعِ دُونَ العَيانِ
Seventy years and the pilgrimage kept us from them,
The seventies and the pilgrimage distracted us from them
So we spoke from hearsay rather than firsthand sight.
So we said by hearing without seeing.