سِرْتُ في الرَّوضِ

سِرْتُ في الرَّوضِ

وقد لاحَتْ تَباشيرُ الصَّباحِ

وقد لاحَتْ تَباشيرُ الصَّباحِ

I walked through the garden,

I wandered in the garden

I wandered through the garden's bloom,

as morning’s first signs appeared,

As the dawn began to break

As the first heralds of the morning shone,

وجَناحُ الفَجْرِ يومي

وجَناحُ الفَجْرِ يومي

نَحْوَ رَبَّاتِ الجَناحِ

نَحْوَ رَبَّاتِ الجَناحِ

and dawn’s wing beckoned

And the wing of morning bore me

And the wing of dawn beckoned me,

toward the winged ladies.

Toward the maidens fair and meek

Toward the masters of flight and song,

والدُّجى يَسْعى رُوَيْداً

والدُّجى يَسْعى رُوَيْداً

سَعْيَ غَيْداءَ رَدَاحِ

سَعْيَ غَيْداءَ رَدَاحِ

And darkness moved slowly,

The gloom it hastened slowly

While darkness paced with lingering stride,

with the gait of a supple, full-hipped woman.

Like a wounded gazelle in flight

Like a maiden swaying, soft and slow,

ونَسيمُ الصُّبْحِ يَسْري

ونَسيمُ الصُّبْحِ يَسْري

سَجْسَجاً فَوقَ البِطاحِ

سَجْسَجاً فَوقَ البِطاحِ

And the morning breeze drifted,

The morning breeze flowed gently

And the morning breeze began to drift,

balmy over the broad plains.

Rustling through the trees at night

A gentle whisper o'er the lands below,

وخَريرُ النَّهْرِ سَكْرا

وخَريرُ النَّهْرِ سَكْرا

نٌ وزَهْرُ الرَّوضِ صاحِ

نٌ وزَهْرُ الرَّوضِ صاحِ

And the river’s murmur was drunk,

The stream it babbled sweetly

The river's murmur was drunk with mirth,

while the garden’s blossoms were sober.

Like the garden's song so bright

While garden flowers awoke, alert and bright,

فَرَنَتْ نَحْوَ جَلالِ الكَوْ

فَرَنَتْ نَحْوَ جَلالِ الكَوْ

نِ جَوْناءُ اللِّياحِ

نِ جَوْناءُ اللِّياحِ

Then toward the majesty of the universe gazed

The horizon thundered grandly

So the white sun gazed at the cosmos' grace,

the radiant sun.

As the winds took sudden flight

Toward the majesty of the morning light,

ثمَّ بانَتْ في سُفو

ثمَّ بانَتْ في سُفو

رٍ فاضِحٍ أيَّ افْتِضاحِ

رٍ فاضِحٍ أيَّ افْتِضاحِ

Then she appeared unveiled,

Then appeared in shameless guise

Then she emerged, unveiled and bold,

scandalously—utterly laid bare.

What a shocking sight!

In a dazzling display, exposed to sight,

فاحْتَسَتْ خَمْرَ نَدى الدَّا

فاحْتَسَتْ خَمْرَ نَدى الدَّا

مِسِ من كاسِ الأقاحِ

مِسِ من كاسِ الأقاحِ

Then she sipped the dew-wine of pitch-dark

She sipped the red wine's rapture

She sipped the wine of the dark night's dew,

night from the cup of daisies.

From the vine leaves' bowl uptilted

From the chamomile cups, pure and white,

واعْتَلَتْ بَلْقيسُ عَرْشَ

واعْتَلَتْ بَلْقيسُ عَرْشَ

اللَّيلِ في تِلْكََ النَّواحي

اللَّيلِ في تِلْكََ النَّواحي

And Bilqis ascended the throne

Bilqis rose on the throne of night

And Bilqis ascended the royal throne,

of night in those regions.

In those parts remote and guiltless

Ruling the night in those realms on high,

ثمَّ مالَتْ لِغُروبٍ

ثمَّ مالَتْ لِغُروبٍ

بَعْدَ إضْرامِ الكِفاحِ

بَعْدَ إضْرامِ الكِفاحِ

Then she inclined toward sunset,

Then she inclined toward a sunset

Then she leaned toward the western slope,

after kindling the struggle.

After the burning of the light

After the fires of struggle die,

واستوى اللَّيلُ بِرَغْمِ الشَّمْ

واستوى اللَّيلُ بِرَغْمِ الشَّمْ

سِ في العَرْشِ الفُساحِ

سِ في العَرْشِ الفُساحِ

And night settled, despite the sun,

And the night reigned despite

And Night established his reign once more,

upon the spacious throne.

The sun in its broad domains

Despite the sun, on the throne so vast,

هكذا الدَّهرُ بأزياءٍ

هكذا الدَّهرُ بأزياءٍ

غُدُوٍ ورُواحِ

غُدُوٍ ورُواحِ

Thus is time, in the guises

Thus is the way of fate

Such is Time, in changing guise,

of morning and evening,

Coming and going

In comings and goings, first and last,

وضياءٍ وظلامٍ

وضياءٍ وظلامٍ

وسُكونٍ وصِياحِ

وسُكونٍ وصِياحِ

and light and darkness,

Gleaming and gloaming

Between the light and the dark of night,

and stillness and clamour,

Silence and crying

Between the silence and the cry,

ونَشيدٍ وفَواحٍ

ونَشيدٍ وفَواحٍ

وانقِباضٍ وانْشِراحِ

وانقِباضٍ وانْشِراحِ

and song and wafting fragrance,

Song and sighing

Between the anthem and the wail,

and dejection and gladness.

Closing and prying

Between the gloom and the spirit high,

إنَّما الدَّهرُ وَميثا

إنَّما الدَّهرُ وَميثا

قُ اللَّيالي كَشُجاحِ

قُ اللَّيالي كَشُجاحِ

Time and the covenant

The ages but fickle

For Time and the covenant of the nights,

of the nights are but like Shujah.

Like a night full of trials

Are like a scar that will not fly.