الحب والحسن والأمان

الحب والحسن والأمان

أعز ما يمنح الزمان

أعز ما يمنح الزمان

Love, beauty, and safety

Love, beauty, and safety

are the most precious gifts time grants.

Are the most precious gifts of time

أحظيَ اليوم أن أراها

أحظيَ اليوم أن أراها

تعود أم فاتها الأوان

تعود أم فاتها الأوان

Is it my good fortune today to see her

Today I was fortunate to see her

return, or has her time passed?

Did she return or has her time passed?

مشاهد قد خلبن لبّي

مشاهد قد خلبن لبّي

كأنما بينها رهان

كأنما بينها رهان

Scenes have bewitched my mind,

Scenes that captured my heart

as though there were a contest among them.

As if there was a wager between them

قد أبدعتها بلا شبيه

قد أبدعتها بلا شبيه

العبقريات لا المران

العبقريات لا المران

They were fashioned without equal

She was uniquely created, not by practice

by gifts of genius, not by practice.

But by genius, not by training

فكل شيء بها طريف

فكل شيء بها طريف

وبعض آياتها الجنان

وبعض آياتها الجنان

So everything there is novel,

Everything about her is delightful

and some of her wonders are gardens.

Some of her signs are heavens

والناس آدابهم تسامت

والناس آدابهم تسامت

بها فزينوا بها وزانوا

بها فزينوا بها وزانوا

And the people's manners grew noble

People's manners were refined

through her; she adorned them, and they adorned her.

By her, so they adorned themselves and leaned towards her

وساد أصفى الهدوء حتى

وساد أصفى الهدوء حتى

كأنما عندها يصان

كأنما عندها يصان

And the purest calm prevailed, so much so

The purest tranquility prevailed so much

that it seemed to be safeguarded in her keeping.

It was as if it was protected by her

أتيتها خائفا حزينا

أتيتها خائفا حزينا

فهشّ لي الحب والأمان

فهشّ لي الحب والأمان

I came to her afraid and sorrowful,

I came to her, afraid and sad

so love and safety smiled in welcome to me.

But love and safety smiled at me

وسقسقت لي الغصون شعرا

وسقسقت لي الغصون شعرا

كأنما الدوح مهرجان

كأنما الدوح مهرجان

And the branches chirped poetry to me,

The branches rustled poetry to me

as though the spreading trees were a festival.

As if the orchards were celebrating

والجو في دفئه عطوف

والجو في دفئه عطوف

كأهلها دفؤه حنان

كأهلها دفؤه حنان

And the air, in its warmth, is tender;

The air was gently warm

like her people, its warmth is tenderness.

Like her people, its warmth was affectionate

يطل من نصبها جلال

يطل من نصبها جلال

وذكريات لها بيان

وذكريات لها بيان

Majesty looks out from her monuments,

From her monuments emanates glory

and memories that have their own eloquence.

And memories that are eloquent

وكم بها متحف أثير

وكم بها متحف أثير

يفوح من مجده الدهان

يفوح من مجده الدهان

And many a cherished museum is there;

And how many precious museums in her

the scent of paint wafts from its glory.

Exude the scent of glory

وكم بها نعمة ولكن

وكم بها نعمة ولكن

هل يجذب النعمة افتتان

هل يجذب النعمة افتتان

And how many blessings she holds—yet

And how many blessings in her

does infatuation attract blessing?

But does blessing attract infatuation?

أنى تلفّت لم أجدني

أنى تلفّت لم أجدني

إلا رؤى فاتها الحسان

إلا رؤى فاتها الحسان

Wherever I turned, I did not find myself

When I looked around I did not find myself

except as visions the beauties had passed by.

Except visions that lacked beauty

وكل ما في الحياة يلهو

وكل ما في الحياة يلهو

كأنما الكل دون جوان

كأنما الكل دون جوان

And all that is in life makes merry,

And everything in life is playing around

as though everyone were Don Juan.

As if everything is without essence

إن يحرق الناس نثر روض

إن يحرق الناس نثر روض

في حين أوراقه جمان

في حين أوراقه جمان

If people burn a garden's prose,

If people burn the pages of a garden

while its leaves are pearls,

While its leaves are beautiful

فقبله النار بددتني

فقبله النار بددتني

وما تبقى هو الدخان

وما تبقى هو الدخان

then fire had scattered me before it,

The fire then dispersed me

and what is left is smoke.

What remains is but smoke