1. Come now as the eyelid of time has grown weary with blinking
And the field of contention is open for racing
١. هَلُمَّ فَجَفْنُ الدَّهْرِ قَدْ لاَذَ بِالْغَمْضِ
وَأَمْكَنَ مَيْدَانُ التَّصَابِي مِنَ الرَّكْضِ
2. To the gathering of Hayya, its expanse perfumed
With sweet basil spreading far and wide
٢. إِلَى مَجْلِسِ حَيَّى مَقَاصِيرَهُ الْحَيَا
وَرَاحَ بِهِ الرَّيْحَانُ فِي الطُّولِ وَالْعَرْضِ
3. On a day like the temper of a child, when he weeps
The heavens soothe him with whatever would please
٣. وَيَوْمٍ كَأَخْلاَقِ الصَّبِيّ إِذَا بَكَى
حَبتْهُ مِنَ الصَّحْوِ السَّمَاءُ بِمَا يُرْضِي
4. So he laughs at times and frowns at others
With a laugh he comes and with a tear he leaves
٤. فَيَضْحَكُ أَحْيَاناً وَيَعْبِسُ تَارَةً
فَمِنْ ضَحِكٍ يَأَتِي وَمِنْ عَبْرَةٍ تَمْضِي
5. With a trot whose harvest drew near for the reapers
And the people's words were shared between them
٥. وَرَوْصٍ دَنَتْ لِلْهَاصِرِينَ قِطَافُهَا
فَكَانَ كَلاَمُ الْقَوْمِ بَعْضاً إِلَى بَعْضِ
6. "Are these the same we were promised to harvest
And the people's words were shared between them?"
٦. أَهَذِي الَّتِي كُنَّا لِلْهَاصِرِينَ قِطَافُهَا
فَكَانَ كَلاَمُ الْقَوْمِ بَعْضاً إِلَى بَعْضِ
7. "Is this the garden of Eden we were promised
In the heavens or from the earth?"
٧. أَهَذِي الَّتِي كُنَّا وُعِدْنَا بِنَيْلِهَا
وَجَنَّةُ عَدْنٍ فِي السَّمَا أَمْ مِنَ الأَرْضِ
8. As if the morning breeze came to tell its twigs
Hurriedly that the time for duty had grown tight
٨. كَأَنَّ الصَّبَا جَاءَتْ تُخَبِّرُ قُضْبهَا
سُحَيْراً بِأَنَّ الْوَقْتَ ضَاقَ عَنِ الْفَرْضِ
9. So the branches raced to grasp the soil
And fill the rest of time with all they could fulfill
٩. فَأسْرَعَتِ الأَغْصَانُ تَبْتَدِرُ الثَّرى
وَتَعمُرُ بَاقِي الْوَقْتِ مِنْهَا بِمَا تَقْضِي
10. And the raindrops flowed when kneeling in prayer
As the worshippers wept in awe and dread
١٠. وَسَالَتْ دُمُوعُ الطَّلِّ عِنْدَ سُجُودِهَا
كَمَا بَكَتِ الْعُبَّادُ مِنْ خَشْيَةِ الْعَرْضِ
11. And the narcissus petals slept among themselves
As if the orator of birds told them: close now
١١. وَنَامَتْ جُفُونُ النَّرْجِسِ الغَضِّ بَيْنَهَا
كَأَنَّ خَطِيبَ الطَّيْرِ قَالَ لَهَا غُضِّي
12. So rings of white nestled with rings of yellow
While over them the bees swarmed like money changers counting dirhams
١٢. فَمنْ أَبْيَضٍ كَالدُّرِّ حُفَّ بِأَصْفَر
هُنَاكَ ومُصْفرٍّ يَحُفُّ بِمُبْيَضِّ
13. And a wetnurse suckling a child of fragrant wood
Who learns nothing but good manners
١٣. تَرَى النَّحْلَ فِي أَثْنَائِهِنَّ كَأَنَّهَا
صَيَارفُ عَاثَتْ فِي الدَّرَاهِمِ بِالْقَرْضِ
14. As if his father Douha turned his cheek
With the roses of April in first bloom
١٤. وَمُرْضِعَةٍ طِفْلاً مِنَ الْعُودِ ثَدْيُهَا
وَلاَ دَرَّ إِلاَّ مِنْ أَدَبٍ مَحْضِ
15. And sometimes seeks by right of nursing
To pinch those coins in legal tender
١٥. كَأَنَّ أَبَاهُ الدَّوْحَ وَرَّدَ خَدَّهَا
بِمَا جَادَهُ النِّيسَانُ مِنْ وَرْدِهِ الْغَضِّ
16. When she touches him with her fingertips, like a doctor
Feeling the pulse of the expert in healing
١٦. وَتَطْلُبُ أَحْيَاناً بِفَرْضِ رِضَاعِهِ
فَيبتَزُّ مِنْ تِلْكَ الدَّرَاهمِ بِالْفَرْضِ
17. And brings her ear close, listening as if
To determine the force of contraction and expansion
١٧. إِذَا لَمَستْهُ بِالْبَنَانِ تَخَالُهَا
طَبِيباً مِنَ الْحُذَّاقِ جَسَّ عَلَى نَبْضِ
18. And the soul of wine, when whispering in the cup
You see the spirit's connection to the earthly realm
١٨. وتُدْنِي إِلَيْهِ السَّمْعَ تُصْغِي كَأَنَّهُ
يُحَقِّقُ قَدْرَ الْبَسْطِ فِيهِ مِنَ القَبْضِ
19. When it rises cheerful in its clarity
The laws of happiness foretell what's to come
١٩. وَرَاحٍ إِذَا نَاجَيْتَ فِي الْكَأَسِ رُوحَهَا
رَأَيْتَ اتِّصَالَ الرُّوح بِالْعَالَمِ الأَرضِي
20. If time's miser relents with an hour
Seize it vigorously, bite down hard as you can
٢٠. إِذَا طَلعَتْ مُفْتَرَّةً فِي سُعُودِهَا
تُبشِّرُ أَحْكَامُ السُّرورِ بِمَا تَقْضِي
21. But if fortune does not favor you
Your being in the days is like pure nothingness
٢١. إِذَا سَمحَ الدَّهْرُ الضَّنِينُ بِسَاعَةٍ
فَعَضَّ عَلَيْهَا جَاهِداً أَيَّمَا عَضٍّ
٢٢. فَإِنْ لَمْ يُسَاعِدْكَ الزَّمَانُ فَإِنَّمَا
وُجُودُكَ فِي الأَيَّامِ كَالْعَدَمِ المَحْضِ