ما رَوضة خيم قيصومها

ما رَوضة خيم قيصومها

وَامتَد في أَطرافِها آسها

وَامتَد في أَطرافِها آسها

No garden whose yarrow has pitched camp,

No garden is like a tent's pasture

and whose myrtle has spread along its borders,

With its pegs extended at its edges

تعطر القاطن أَنوارها

تعطر القاطن أَنوارها

وَتنعش المَصروع أَنفاسها

وَتنعش المَصروع أَنفاسها

whose blossoms perfume the dweller,

Its lights perfume the dweller

and whose breaths revive the stricken,

And its breaths revive the fallen

تبسم الفضي مِن وردِها

تبسم الفضي مِن وردِها

إِذ سَرقَ الذَهبي حراسها

إِذ سَرقَ الذَهبي حراسها

where the silvery one among its roses smiled

The silver smiles from its roses

when the golden one stole its guards,

As the gold steals its guardians

وَنقط الطل رَياحينها

وَنقط الطل رَياحينها

وَزالَ عَن أَوراقِها باسها

وَزالَ عَن أَوراقِها باسها

and dew dotted its fragrant herbs,

Dew dotted its fragrances

and its distress vanished from its leaves,

And its affliction left its leaves

وَقَد غَزاها الصُبح ريح الصبا

وَقَد غَزاها الصُبح ريح الصبا

فَاشتبهت في الحال أَجناسها

فَاشتبهت في الحال أَجناسها

and at dawn the east wind had raided it,

The morning breeze stormed it

so its kinds at once became indistinguishable,

Confusing at once its varieties

فَطولها يشبه عرضها

فَطولها يشبه عرضها

وَعَجزها يشبه رَأسها

وَعَجزها يشبه رَأسها

so its length resembles its breadth,

Its length resembles its width

and its rear resembles its head,

Its inability resembles its prime

وَاقتحمت للحرب فُرسانها

وَاقتحمت للحرب فُرسانها

وَصَوتَت للجَري أَفراسها

وَصَوتَت للجَري أَفراسها

and its horsemen plunged into battle,

Its steeds attacked for battle

and its steeds neighed to gallop,

And its horses neighed for race

كَأَنَّها بكر وَأَحلافها

كَأَنَّها بكر وَأَحلافها

لَما أَتى للثار جساسها

لَما أَتى للثار جساسها

as though it were Bakr and its allies,

As if it and its allies were virgins

when its Jassas came for vengeance—

When the avenger came for its chastity

عجبت مِن مَعركة قَد وَرى

عجبت مِن مَعركة قَد وَرى

على أَديم الأَرض مقياسها

على أَديم الأَرض مقياسها

I marveled at a battle: there had flared

I wondered at the battle I saw

upon the earth's skin its measure.

On the earth's skin its scale

لا تَخشَ مِن قضبانها إِنَّما

لا تَخشَ مِن قضبانها إِنَّما

مآتم الرَوضة أَعراسها

مآتم الرَوضة أَعراسها

Do not fear its branches; indeed,

Do not fear its rods

the garden's funerals are only its weddings—

The garden's griefs are its weddings

أَعجَب مِن حَضرة فَضل بِها

أَعجَب مِن حَضرة فَضل بِها

ترشف خمر الفَضل جلاسها

ترشف خمر الفَضل جلاسها

is more wondrous than a gathering of excellence, where

More wondrous than a presence in which is

its companions sip the wine of excellence.

The drinking of excellence by its sitters

سَمَت عَن الأَفلاك أَفلاكها

سَمَت عَن الأَفلاك أَفلاكها

وَطاوَل العيوق نبراسها

وَطاوَل العيوق نبراسها

Its spheres soared above the celestial spheres,

Its orbits transcended the planets' orbits

and its lamp rivaled Capella in height.

And its minarets rivaled the galaxies

راووقها يا صاح تَحريرها

راووقها يا صاح تَحريرها

وَكاسها في الحان قرطاسها

وَكاسها في الحان قرطاسها

Its wine-strainer, my friend, is its writing,

Quench its thirst, oh companion, by composing it

and its cup in the tavern is its paper.

And its cup is free in taverns its paper

يعلم عبد اللَه قَد أَشرَقَت

يعلم عبد اللَه قَد أَشرَقَت

وَطابَ للزوار إِيناسها

وَطابَ للزوار إِيناسها

Abd Allah knows that it has shone,

Abdullah knows it has shone

and its welcome was sweet to visitors.

And its sociability is good for visitors

إِنسان عين المَجد بَل عَينه

إِنسان عين المَجد بَل عَينه

غواص در الفَضل غطاسها

غواص در الفَضل غطاسها

The pupil of glory's eye—nay, its very eye,

A human, the eye of glory, nay its eye

a diver for the pearls of excellence, its deep diver.

A diver in the sea of excellence

ما حلت عَن أَعتابه رَغبة

ما حلت عَن أَعتابه رَغبة

عَن حَضرة أَسكرني كاسها

عَن حَضرة أَسكرني كاسها

I did not turn from his thresholds out of aversion

No desire parted from its thresholds

to a gathering whose cup intoxicated me.

From a presence that intoxicated me, its cup

وَإِنَّما قيدت في حرفة

وَإِنَّما قيدت في حرفة

قَد أَشغل الخاطر وسواسها

قَد أَشغل الخاطر وسواسها

But I was only fettered to a craft,

But I was engrossed in versifying

whose nagging worries had preoccupied my mind.

Which distracted the mind and its fancies

لا أَعرف الغمض وَطيب الكَرى

لا أَعرف الغمض وَطيب الكَرى

إِلا إِذا ما تم كراسها

إِلا إِذا ما تم كراسها

I know neither sleep nor the sweetness of slumber,

I know no drowsiness or good sleep

except when its notebook is finished.

Except when its notebook is complete

قَد عاقَني الدَهر بإشراكه

قَد عاقَني الدَهر بإشراكه

وَصد نَفسي عَنكَ افلاسها

وَصد نَفسي عَنكَ افلاسها

Time has hindered me with its snares,

Time has distracted me by involving me

and my soul's penury has kept it from you.

And discouraged my soul from you, its bankruptcy

فَاعذر أَبا السَعد وَفَخر الوَرى

فَاعذر أَبا السَعد وَفَخر الوَرى

وَمن لأَرباب العُلى راسها

وَمن لأَرباب العُلى راسها

So pardon me, Abu al-Sa'd, pride of mankind,

So excuse the father of prosperity and pride of the world

and you who are head of the lords of eminence.

And the one who is chief of the sublime, its head