1. رَدِّدي في السُكونِ ذِكرى الهَديلِ

    وَتَغَنّي يا شَهرَزادَ النَخيلِ

    Repeat in the stillness the memory of cooing,

    and sing, O Scheherazade of the palms.

  2. أَيُّ ذِكرى تُشجيكِ أَيُّ خَيالٍ

    راحَ يُضنيكِ مِن فِراقِ خَليلِ

    What memory saddens you, what vision

    has begun to torment you with a beloved's parting?

  3. كَثُرَت حَولَكِ الإِشاعاتُ حَتّى

    أَصبَحَ الرَوضُ بَينَ قالٍ وَقيلِ

    Rumors have multiplied around you, until

    the garden is caught between 'he said' and 'it was said.'

  4. لَستُ أَدعوكِ غَيرَ روحٍ مَروعٍ

    لاذَ بِالنَخلِ خيفَةً مِن رَحيلِ

    I call you nothing but a terrified spirit

    that sought refuge among the palms, fearing departure.

  5. خَيَّمَ الصَمتُ في الظَهيرَةِ إِلّا

    مِن غَطيطٍ يَغشى ذُرا الأَزهارِ

    Silence settled over noon, save

    for snoring that envelops the flower-tops.

  6. إِنَّهُ النَحلُ ناعِساً مِن عَناءٍ

    وَهوَ يَجبي الزَكاةَ لِلنّوبَهارِ

    It is the bees, drowsy from toil,

    as they collect the alms-tax for Nawbahar.

  7. وَغَفا الهُدهُدُ المُصَلّي وَآوى

    جُندُبُ الرَوضِ في ذُرا الأَحجارِ

    And the praying hoopoe dozed, and refuge was sought

    by the garden's grasshopper among the rock-tops.

  8. غَيرَ تَرديدُكَ الهَديِ يُدَوّي

    مِثلَ حُزنٍ عَلى الظَهيرَةِ سارِ

    Only your gentle refrain resounds,

    like sorrow stealing over the noonday.

  9. ضَمَخَ الصَمتُ مِن شَذا الحَلفاءِ

    وَالأَريجُ الشَمسِيُ مِلءَ الجَواءِ

    Silence grew fragrant with the scent of halfa grass,

    and the sun's fragrance filled the air.

  10. وَزُهورُ اليَقطينِ تَسكُبُ فَيضا

    مِن لَهيبٍ وَمِن غَطيطِ غِناءِ

    And the gourd blossoms pour out a flood

    of flame and of snoring song,

  11. كَمَقاصيرِ جَنَّةٍ نَزَلَتها

    فَئِةٌ تَستَريحُ غَبَّ عَناءِ

    like chambers of a paradise, where has alighted

    a company resting after toil,

  12. عَبَرَت مَوطِنَ الهَديلِ وَجاءَت

    بِالذَكِيِّ الشاجي مِنَ الأَنباءِ

    that crossed the homeland of cooing and came

    with fragrant, sorrow-stirring tidings.