Core sense — morning, or forenoon, counted from sunrise to noongenerated
1.1[God's morning: not your morning]—صَبَاحُ ٱللّٰهِ لَا صَبَاحُكَ
Also the opposite of مَسَآءٌ; and so صَبِيحَةٌ [and أُصْبُوحَةٌ, as in a phrase coming later in this paragraph, and مَصْبَحٌ]; that is, morning, or forenoon, counted from sunrise to noon. See the article مسو.
Or, according to some, from midnight to noon; see the article مسو.
Or, according to the Arabs, from the beginning of the latter half of the night to the time when the sun passes the meridian; then begins the مَسَآء, extending to the end of the first half of the night. So Th explains it, according to El-Jawáleekee.
The Arabs say this of a man, or the like, whom they regard as an omen of evil; and if you wish, you may say صَبَاحَ ٱللّٰهِ لَا صَبَاحَكَ.
may your life be pleasant during the morning—عِمْ صَبَاحًا
may your life be pleasant during the morning—عِمُوا صَبَاحًا
Literally an imperative, but meant as a prayer; a greeting of the people of the Time of Ignorance. See the articles نعم and وعم.
[I met him, or I came to him,] in a morning, between daybreak and sunrise—لَقِيتُهُ صَبَاحًا
[I met him, or I came to him,] in a morning, between daybreak and sunrise—ذَا صَبَاحٍ
[I met him, or I came to him,] in a morning, between daybreak and sunrise—أَتَيْتُهُ ذَا صَبَاحٍ
This last [that is, ذا صباح] is used only adverbially, except in the dialect of Khathʿam.
The following verse, by Anas Ibn-Nuheyk, of Khathʿam, or, as some say, by Iyás Ibn-Mudrikeh El-Hanafee, is an exception to the adverbial use:
shāhidعَزَمْتُ عَلَى إِقَامَةِ ذِى صَبَاحٍلِأَمْرٍ مَّا يُسَوَّدُ مَنْ يَسُودُ
The poet means: I determined to stay until the time of the صباح [either dawn or forenoon]; for it is on account of some particular thing, some good quality or something praiseworthy, that one who becomes a chief is made a chief. So Ibn-Es-Seeráfee explains this verse.
in a morning, between daybreak and sunrise—أَتَيْتُهُ ذَا صَبُوحٍ
Used only adverbially; it means the same as ذَا صَبَاحٍ, explained above.
in the morning, in the first part of day, before sunrise—ذَاتَ الصَّبُوحِ
Or ذَا صَبُوحٍ [properly means] at a time of drinking the morning-draught called صَبُوح.
[I came to him in the dawn, or in the morning, or forenoon, of such a day]—أَتَيْتُهُ صَبِيحَةَ يَوْمِ كَذَا
[in the morning of every day]—أُصْبُوحَةَ كُلِّ يَوْمٍ
And in the same way أُمْسِيَّةَ كُلِّ يَوْمٍ.
[I came to him morning and evening,] meaning every morning and evening—أَتَيْتُهُ صَبَاحَ مَسَآءَ
For صَبَاحًا وَمَسَآءً. Some of the Arabs construct the two nouns in this way, after the manner of خَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ; but some prefix the first noun to the second, putting the second in the genitive, except when the expression is used as a denotative of state, or adverbially.
[Or, according to IHsh,] صَبَاحَ مَسَآءٍ is allowable as an adverbial expression meaning صَبَاحَ ذَا مَسَآءٍ [literally, in a morning having an evening]; and a similar instance occurs in the Kur, chapter 79, last verse.
1.2figurative · مجاز — inferredthe day of the hostile, or predatory, incursion—يَوْمُ الصَّبَاحِ
[Oh! a hostile, or predatory, incursion!]—يَا صَبَاحَاهْ
The Arabs cry this out when suddenly attacked in the morning by a troop of horsemen, warning the whole tribe; it is said by the one who calls for aid, since they generally made their incursions in the morning.
Or, as some say, the two conflicting parties used to stop when night came and begin again when day returned, so that the speaker is as though he meant: the time of the صَبَاح [or morning] has come, so prepare yourselves for fighting.
Qur’ānic occurrences صَبَاح
37:177
فَإِذَا نَزَلَ بِسَاحَتِهِمْ فَسَآءَ صَبَاحُ ٱلْمُنذَرِينَBut when it descends into the open space before them, evil will be the morning for those who were warned (and heeded not)!
Occurrences of this form in the Qur’ān, not Lane’s choice of verse. They show the word in use; they do not say which sense above applies. Where more occur than are shown, the shortest āyāt are chosen.
Show Lane's original text
: see صُبْحٌ . Also (Msb) Contr. of مَسَآءٌ , (S, A, Msb,) and so صَبِيحَةٌ , (S,) [and أُصْبُوحَةٌ (as in a phrase following in this paragraph), and مَصْبَحٌ , (see this last word,)] i. e. Morning, or forenoon, counted from sunrise to noon: (Msb and TA in art. مسو :) or, accord. to some, from midnight to noon: (TA in art. مسو :) or, accord. to the Arabs, from the beginning of the latter half of the night to the time when the sun declines from the meridian; then commences the مَسَآء , extending to the end of the former half of the night; thus expl. by Th; so says El-Jawá- leekee. (Msb.) The Arabs say, when they regard a man, &c., as ominous of evil, صَبَاحُ ٱللّٰهِ لَا صَبَاحُكَ [God's morning: not thy morning]: and if you will, you may say, صَبَاحَ ٱللّٰهِ لَا صَبَاحَكَ . (Lh, TA.) And عِمْ صَبَاحًا , (S,) or عِمُوا صَبَاحًا , (K,) lit. imperative, but meaning a prayer, i. e. May thy life, or your life, be pleasant during the morning, (Har p. 32, and TA * in arts. نعم and وعم ,) is a salutation of the people of the Time of Ignorance. (TA.) One says also, لَقِيتُهُ صَبَاحًا , and ذَا صَبَاحٍ , (S,) or أَتَيْتُهُ ذَا صَبَاحٍ , (K,) which [i. e. ذا صباح ] is only used adverbially, (Sb, S, K,) except in the dial. of Khath'am, (Sb, S,) meaning [I met him, or I came to him,] in a morning, [or] between daybreak and sunrise: (K:) the following verse (S, TA) by Anas Ibn-Nuheyk, of Khath'am, (TA,) or, as some say, by Iyás Ibn-Mudrikeh El-Hanafee, (so in a marg. note in a copy of the S,) presents an exception to the adverbial usage: 1 (S, TA:) the poet means, I determined to stay until the time of the صباح [i. e. either dawn or forenoon]: for it is on account of some particular thing, i. e. some good quality, or some praiseworthy thing, that he is made a chief who becomes a chief: thus Ibn-Es-Seeráfee explains this verse. (TA.) And one says, أَتَيْتُهُ ذَا صَبُوحٍ , not used otherwise than adverbially, meaning the same as ذَا صَبَاحٍ , expl. above; (K;) and ذَاتَ الصَّبُوحِ in the morning, or first part of day, before sunrise: (IAar, TA:) or ذَا صَبُوحٍ [properly means] in a time of drinking the [morning-draught called] صَبُوح . (TA.) And أَتَيْتُهُ صَبِيحَةَ يَوْمِ كَذَا [I came to him in the dawn, or in the morning, or forenoon, of such a day]: (A:) and أُصْبُوحَةَ كُلِّ يَوْمٍ [in the morning of every day]; and in like manner, أُمْسِيَّةَ كُلِّ يَوْمٍ . (S.) And أَتَيْتُهُ صَبَاحَ مَسَآءَ , (Sb, A, TA,) for صَبَاحًا وَمَسَآءً , [I came to him morning and evening,] meaning every morning and evening: (Sharh esh-Shudhoor, p. 31:) the two nouns are thus constructed by some of the Arabs, after the manner of خَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ : but some prefix the former noun to the other, putting the latter in the gen. case, except when the expression is used as a denotative of state, or adverbially: (TA:) [or, accord. to IHsh,] صَبَاحَ مَسَآءٍ is allowable as [an adverbial expression] meaning صَبَاحَ ذَا مَسَآءٍ [lit. in a morning having an evening, or in a forenoon having an afternoon]; and a similar instance occurs in the Kur, ch. lxxix. last verse. (Sharh esh-Shudhoor, ubi suprà.) عَزَمْتُ عَلَى إِقَامَةِ ذِى صَبَاحٍ | لِأَمْرٍ مَّا يُسَوَّدُ مَنْ يَسُودُ يَوْمُ الصَّبَاحِ means The day of the hostile, or predatory, incursion. (S, A, K.) The Arabs, when suddenly attacked in the morning by a troop of horsemen, cry aloud, يَا صَبَاحَاهْ [O! a hostile, or predatory, incursion!]; warning the whole tribe: (TA:) this is said by him who calls for aid: (JM:) for they generally made a hostile, or predatory, incursion in the morning: (TA, JM:) or, as some say, the two conflicting parties used, when night came, to abstain; and when day returned, they recommenced; so that the case is as though he who said thus meant, The time of the صَبَاح [or morning] has come, therefore prepare yourselves for fighting. (JM.)