فَتَرَت صَهوَتي وَأَقصَرَ شَجوي

فَتَرَت صَهوَتي وَأَقصَرَ شَجوي

وَأَتاني السُرورُ مِن كُلِّ نَحوِ

وَأَتاني السُرورُ مِن كُلِّ نَحوِ

My saddle has slackened, and my sorrow has ceased;

My vigor subsided and my plaint shortened

and joy has come to me from every direction.

And happiness came to me from all quarters

إِنَّ روحَ الشِتاءِ خَلَّصَ روحي

إِنَّ روحَ الشِتاءِ خَلَّصَ روحي

مِن حَرورٍ تَشوي الوُجوهَ وَتَكوي

مِن حَرورٍ تَشوي الوُجوهَ وَتَكوي

Indeed, winter's refreshing breath has freed my soul

Verily, the spirit of winter freed my soul

from scorching heat that roasts faces and sears them.

From scorching heat that burns faces and brands

بَرُدَ الماءُ وَالهَوا وَكَأَن قَد

بَرُدَ الماءُ وَالهَوا وَكَأَن قَد

سُرِقَ البَدرُ مِن جَوانِحِ خِلوِ

سُرِقَ البَدرُ مِن جَوانِحِ خِلوِ

The water and air have cooled, and it is as though

The water and air grew cold as though

the full moon had been stolen from the breast of one untouched by love.

The moon was stolen from the bosom of night

ريحُهُ تَلمُسُ الصُدورَ فَتَشفي

ريحُهُ تَلمُسُ الصُدورَ فَتَشفي

وَغَماماتُهُ تَصوبُ فَتَروي

وَغَماماتُهُ تَصوبُ فَتَروي

Its wind touches breasts and heals them,

Its breeze touches breasts and heals

and its clouds pour down and quench thirst.

And its clouds pour forth to water

لَستُ أَنسى مِنهُ دَماثَةَ دَجنٍ

لَستُ أَنسى مِنهُ دَماثَةَ دَجنٍ

ثُمَّ مِن بَعدِهِ نَضارَةَ صَحوِ

ثُمَّ مِن بَعدِهِ نَضارَةَ صَحوِ

I do not forget the gentleness of its overcast skies,

I shall not forget its languor at nightfall

then, afterward, the freshness of clear skies;

Then after it the freshness of waking

وَجُنوباً يُبَشِّرُ الأَرضَ بِالقَطرِ

وَجُنوباً يُبَشِّرُ الأَرضَ بِالقَطرِ

كَما بَشَّرَ العَليلُ بِبُروِ

كَما بَشَّرَ العَليلُ بِبُروِ

nor a south wind bringing the earth glad tidings of rain,

And southerly winds heralding rain for the land

as an ailing man brought glad tidings of recovery;

As the convalescent heralds relief

وَغُيوماً مُطَرَّزاتِ الحَواشي

وَغُيوماً مُطَرَّزاتِ الحَواشي

بِوَميضٍ مِنَ البُروقِ وَخَفوِ

بِوَميضٍ مِنَ البُروقِ وَخَفوِ

nor clouds with embroidered borders,

And clouds fringed with flashes

with flashes and faint gleams of lightning.

Of lightning and muted rumbling

كُلَّما أَرَختِ السَماءُ عُراها

كُلَّما أَرَختِ السَماءُ عُراها

جَمَعَ القَطرُ بَينَ سَفلٍ وَعُلوِ

جَمَعَ القَطرُ بَينَ سَفلٍ وَعُلوِ

Whenever the sky lets down its ties,

Whenever the sky lets down her tresses

rain joins what is below to what is above.

The rain combines lowland and height

وَهيَ تُعطيكَ حينَ هَبَّت شَمالاً

وَهيَ تُعطيكَ حينَ هَبَّت شَمالاً

بَردَ ماءٍ فيها وَرِقَّةَ جَوِّ

بَردَ ماءٍ فيها وَرِقَّةَ جَوِّ

And when it blows from the north, it gives you

As she gives when blowing north

the coolness of water within it, and the gentleness of the air.

The coolness of water and wisp of wind

وَتَرى الأَرضَ في مِلاءَةِ ثَلجٍ

وَتَرى الأَرضَ في مِلاءَةِ ثَلجٍ

مِثلَ رَيطٍ لَبِسَتهُ فَوقَ فَروِ

مِثلَ رَيطٍ لَبِسَتهُ فَوقَ فَروِ

And you see the earth in a sheet of snow,

And you see the earth dressed in snow

like fine cloth she has donned over fur.

Like a carpet she wore over her gown

فَاِستَعارَ العَرارُ مِنها لِباساً

فَاِستَعارَ العَرارُ مِنها لِباساً

سَوفَ يُمنى مِنَ الرِياحِ بِنِضوِ

سَوفَ يُمنى مِنَ الرِياحِ بِنِضوِ

So the arar plant borrowed a garment from her,

So the bare ground borrowed from it a garment

that the winds will one day strip away.

It will be graced by the winds with softness

فَكَأَنَّ الكافورَ مَوضِعُ تُربِ

فَكَأَنَّ الكافورَ مَوضِعُ تُربِ

وَكَأَنَّ الجِمانَ مَوضِعَ قَروِ

وَكَأَنَّ الجِمانَ مَوضِعَ قَروِ

So it is as though camphor lay in place of soil,

As if camphor took the place of dust

and as though pearls lay in place of a water trough.

And musk the place of gravel

وَلَيالٍ أَطَلنَ مُدَّةَ دَرسي

وَلَيالٍ أَطَلنَ مُدَّةَ دَرسي

مِثلَما قَد مَدَدنَ في عُمرِ لَهوي

مِثلَما قَد مَدَدنَ في عُمرِ لَهوي

And nights that lengthened the span of my study,

And nights whose span of my study lengthened

just as they prolonged the life of my amusement.

As they once extended in my carefree life

مَرَّ لي بَعضُها بِفِقهٍ وَبَعضٌ

مَرَّ لي بَعضُها بِفِقهٍ وَبَعضٌ

بَينَ شِعرٍ أَخَذتُ فيهِ وَنَحوِ

بَينَ شِعرٍ أَخَذتُ فيهِ وَنَحوِ

Some I spent on jurisprudence, and others

Some passed with wisdom and some

between poetry I took up and grammar,

Midst poetry I engaged in and prose

وَحَديثٍ كَأَنَّهُ عِقدُ رَيّا

وَحَديثٍ كَأَنَّهُ عِقدُ رَيّا

بِتُّ أَرويهِ لِلرِجالِ وَتَروي

بِتُّ أَرويهِ لِلرِجالِ وَتَروي

and conversation like Rayya's necklace.

And converse like a string of pearls

I spent the night recounting it to men; and thirst is quenched

I recount to men who appreciate and enjoy

في حَديثِ الرِجالِ رَوضَةُ أُنسٍ

في حَديثِ الرِجالِ رَوضَةُ أُنسٍ

باتَ يَرعى بِأَهلِ نُبلٍ وَسَروِ

باتَ يَرعى بِأَهلِ نُبلٍ وَسَروِ

in men's talk by a garden of fellowship,

In the talk of men lies a meadow of conviviality

where delight grazes all night among noble, eminent folk.

Where it grazes amidst people of nobility and loftiness