أَبِشرُكَ أَم ماءٌ يَسُحُّ وَبُستانُ

أَبِشرُكَ أَم ماءٌ يَسُحُّ وَبُستانُ

وَذِكرُكَ أَم راحٌ تُدارُ وَرَيحانُ

وَذِكرُكَ أَم راحٌ تُدارُ وَرَيحانُ

Is it your cheerful countenance, or pouring water and a garden?

Do I give you good news, or is it water that washes and a garden in bloom?

And is it the mention of you, or wine passed round and sweet basil?

Is it your memory, or is it a gentle breeze amid basil plants?

وَإِلّا فَما بالي وَفَودِيَ أَشمَطٌ

وَإِلّا فَما بالي وَفَودِيَ أَشمَطٌ

تَلَوَّيتُ في بُردي كَأَنِّيَ نَشوانُ

تَلَوَّيتُ في بُردي كَأَنِّيَ نَشوانُ

And if not, what has come over me, though my temple is grizzled,

Otherwise why are my cheeks sunken, as if I were lovesick?

That I have swayed in my cloak as though drunk?

I've tossed and turned in my chill, as if I were troubled with anxiety.

وَهَل هِيَ إِلّا جُملَةٌ مِن مَحاسِنٍ

وَهَل هِيَ إِلّا جُملَةٌ مِن مَحاسِنٍ

تَغايَرُ أَبصارٌ عَلَيها وَآذانُ

تَغايَرُ أَبصارٌ عَلَيها وَآذانُ

And is it anything but a collection of beauties

Is it not just a collection of beauties

Over which eyes and ears vie jealously?

That vary in their sights and sounds?

بِأَمثالِها مِن حِكمَةٍ في بَلاغَةٍ

بِأَمثالِها مِن حِكمَةٍ في بَلاغَةٍ

تُحَلِّلُ أَضغانٌ وَتَرحَلُ أَظعانُ

تُحَلِّلُ أَضغانٌ وَتَرحَلُ أَظعانُ

Through such examples of wisdom in eloquence,

With wisdom and eloquence like theirs

Grudges dissolve, and caravans depart.

Problems get solved, sorrows get packed up.

وَتُنظَمُ في نَحرِ المعالي قِلادَةٌ

وَتُنظَمُ في نَحرِ المعالي قِلادَةٌ

وَتُسحَبُ في نادي المَفاخِرِ أَردانُ

وَتُسحَبُ في نادي المَفاخِرِ أَردانُ

And a necklace is strung at the throat of noble achievements,

And a necklace gets strung with the highest virtues,

And sleeves are trailed in the assembly of glories.

Awards get handed out in the club of the proudest.

كَلامٌ كَما اِستَشرَفتَ جيدَ جَدايَةٍ

كَلامٌ كَما اِستَشرَفتَ جيدَ جَدايَةٍ

وَفُصَّلَ ياقوتٌ هُناكَ وَمُرجانُ

وَفُصَّلَ ياقوتٌ هُناكَ وَمُرجانُ

Words, as though you beheld a young gazelle's neck,

Words, as you’ve predicted, extremely excellent,

And rubies and coral were interspersed there.

Where rubies were detailed, and coral was inlaid.

تَدَفَّقَ ماءُ الطَبعِ فيهِ تَدَفُّقاً

تَدَفَّقَ ماءُ الطَبعِ فيهِ تَدَفُّقاً

فَجاءَ كَما يَصفو عَلى النارِ عِقيانُ

فَجاءَ كَما يَصفو عَلى النارِ عِقيانُ

The water of innate talent gushed through it in a torrent,

The water of natural talent flowed copiously in it,

So it came forth like gold refined over the fire.

Coming out refined, like silver purified by fire.

أَتاني يَرِفُّ النَورُ فيهِ نَضارَةً

أَتاني يَرِفُّ النَورُ فيهِ نَضارَةً

وَيَكرَعُ مِنهُ في الغَمامَةِ ظَمآنُ

وَيَكرَعُ مِنهُ في الغَمامَةِ ظَمآنُ

It came to me, with fresh blossoms fluttering within it,

It came to me, radiating vitality,

And a thirsty one in the cloud drinks deeply from it.

As if, from the clouds, a thirsty one drank deep.

وَتَأخُذُ عَنهُ صَنعَةَ السِحرِ بابِلٌ

وَتَأخُذُ عَنهُ صَنعَةَ السِحرِ بابِلٌ

وَتَلوي إِلَيهِ أَخدَعَ الصَبِّ بَغدانُ

وَتَلوي إِلَيهِ أَخدَعَ الصَبِّ بَغدانُ

And Babylon learns from it the craft of magic,

Babylon takes from it the craft of magic,

And Baghdad turns a lovesick lover's neck toward it.

And the most cunning youth strives toward it.

وَجَدتُ بِهِ ريحَ الشَبابِ لُدونَةً

وَجَدتُ بِهِ ريحَ الشَبابِ لُدونَةً

وَدونَ صِبا ريحِ الشَبيبَةِ أَزمانُ

وَدونَ صِبا ريحِ الشَبيبَةِ أَزمانُ

I found in it the tender breeze of youth,

In it, I found the scent of youth made gentle,

Though ages lie between me and that youthful breeze.

Without the tempest of adolescence, seasons go by.

وَشاقَ إِلى تُفّاحِ لُبنانَ نَفحَهُ

وَشاقَ إِلى تُفّاحِ لُبنانَ نَفحَهُ

وَهَيهاتَ مِن أَرضِ الجَزيرَةِ لُبنانُ

وَهَيهاتَ مِن أَرضِ الجَزيرَةِ لُبنانُ

And its fragrance stirred longing for Lebanon's apples,

Its breath rivals the apples of Lebanon,

And how far Lebanon lies from the land of al-Jazira!

While, alas, the land of the peninsula is far from Lebanon.

فَهَل تَرِدُ الأُستاذَ مِنّي تَحِيَّةٌ

فَهَل تَرِدُ الأُستاذَ مِنّي تَحِيَّةٌ

تَسيرُ كَما عاطى الزُجاجَةَ نَدمانُ

تَسيرُ كَما عاطى الزُجاجَةَ نَدمانُ

Will a greeting from me, then, reach the master,

Will the teacher then accept from me a greeting

Traveling as a drinking companion passes the bottle?

That travels like one drunk handed a flask?

تَهَشَّ إِلَيها رَوضَةُ الحَزنِ سَحرَةً

تَهَشَّ إِلَيها رَوضَةُ الحَزنِ سَحرَةً

وَيَثني إِلَيها مِن مَعاطِفِهِ البانُ

وَيَثني إِلَيها مِن مَعاطِفِهِ البانُ

At dawn the upland meadow welcomes it joyfully,

At dawn, the garden of sorrow hastens toward it,

And the ban tree bends some of its boughs toward it.

And the hero in his cloak leans toward it.

تَحَمَّلَها حَملَ السَفيرِ بَنَفسَجٌ

تَحَمَّلَها حَملَ السَفيرِ بَنَفسَجٌ

تَحَمَّلهُ حَملَ السَريرَةِ سَوسانُ

تَحَمَّلهُ حَملَ السَريرَةِ سَوسانُ

A violet bore it as an envoy would,

Lilac has undertaken to carry it, like an envoy,

A lily bore the violet as one bears a secret.

Lilies have undertaken to bear it, like a palanquin.