مِنَ الحَزمِ أن تَلقَى الهَوى وهو مُقبِلُ

مِنَ الحَزمِ أن تَلقَى الهَوى وهو مُقبِلُ

وكيفَ تَرى عدلَ الزمانِ فَتعدِلُ

وكيفَ تَرى عدلَ الزمانِ فَتعدِلُ

It is prudent to meet desire while it is approaching.

It takes courage to meet desire face on

And how can you see Time's fairness, yet turn away?

And how can you expect time to be just, so you adapt?

وعندي فتيان القريض فروضة

وعندي فتيان القريض فروضة

تدبج أحيانا وعقد يفصل

تدبج أحيانا وعقد يفصل

And with me are the young men of verse, so a garden

My well-versed poets have a required ode

is embroidered at times, and a necklace is strung.

That is sometimes ornate and often cuts to the heart

وقد نشأت بين الكؤوس غمامة

وقد نشأت بين الكؤوس غمامة

من الند إلا أنها ليس تهطل

من الند إلا أنها ليس تهطل

And a cloud has arisen among the cups,

And a cloud has risen between cups

of incense—except that it pours down no rain.

Of quarrel, though it will not likely rain

وعُلَّ بماءِ الوَردِ خَيشٌ كأنَّه

وعُلَّ بماءِ الوَردِ خَيشٌ كأنَّه

على جُدْرهِ ثَوبُ العَروسِ المُصَندلُ

على جُدْرهِ ثَوبُ العَروسِ المُصَندلُ

And coarse linen was drenched with rosewater, as though it were

The tent is perfumed with rose-water

upon its walls the bride's sandalwood-scented robe.

Like a bridal gown embroidered and pleated

ويَومي به يومٌ أغرُّ فإن تَزُر

ويَومي به يومٌ أغرُّ فإن تَزُر

نَعِمتَ به وهو الأغرُّ المُحَجَّلُ

نَعِمتَ به وهو الأغرُّ المُحَجَّلُ

And my day there is a radiant day; so if you visit,

And the day I spend with it is a wonderfully strange day

you will delight in it: it is the white-blazed, white-stockinged one.

If you visit me, you'll be blessed by this strangest of strange days