زُمُرد أورقَت أغصانُهُ دُرراً

زُمُرد أورقَت أغصانُهُ دُرراً

فَراحَ كالرَاحةِ البيضاءِ منفَطِرا

فَراحَ كالرَاحةِ البيضاءِ منفَطِرا

An emerald whose branches put forth pearls,

Emerald branches laden with pearls

Then it spread open like a white hand's palm,

Sway gracefully like billowing white sails

يُقِلُّ ياقوتَةً صَفراء فاقِعَةً

يُقِلُّ ياقوتَةً صَفراء فاقِعَةً

كأنها التبرُ من فوق اللُجين جرى

كأنها التبرُ من فوق اللُجين جرى

Bearing a vivid yellow sapphire,

Dropping golden beads that shine like stars

As though it were gold flowing over silver.

As if amber flowing over smooth clay

هُو النَهارُ ولكن رَدَّ نُقطَتَهُ

هُو النَهارُ ولكن رَدَّ نُقطَتَهُ

مَكِيدَةً تحتَهُ النُوارُ إذ وَعِرا

مَكِيدَةً تحتَهُ النُوارُ إذ وَعِرا

It is nahār—daylight—but its dot was shifted

It's still daytime, though its light dims

Beneath it by the blossoms, in a ruse, when it proved formidable.

While shadows creep beneath, cunning and sly

ثُمَّت دَعاهُ بَهاراً كي يُهَجِّنَهُ

ثُمَّت دَعاهُ بَهاراً كي يُهَجِّنَهُ

وقد حوى قَصبات السَبقِ إذ بَهَرا

وقد حوى قَصبات السَبقِ إذ بَهَرا

Then they called it bahār, to disparage it,

Then morning called out to awaken the day

Though it had won the reeds of victory, so dazzling was it.

Having won the race at dawn's first light

كَمُقلَةٍ دَبَّ في أجفانِها وسَنٌ

كَمُقلَةٍ دَبَّ في أجفانِها وسَنٌ

فَدَتَّقَت غير ان لم يدر طعمَ كرى

فَدَتَّقَت غير ان لم يدر طعمَ كرى

Like an eye into whose lids drowsiness crept,

Like kohl on eyelids with a hint of sleep

So it [narrowed], though it had never known the taste of slumber.

That blinks open without knowing the taste of sorrow