أَطرَبَني صَوتُ حَمامٍ شَدا

أَطرَبَني صَوتُ حَمامٍ شَدا

كَأَنَّ في أَيكَتِهِ مَعبَدا

كَأَنَّ في أَيكَتِهِ مَعبَدا

The voice of a singing dove delighted me,

The cooing of a dove enchanted me,

as though Maʿbad were in its thicket.

As if a shrine were in its cooing.

شَدا عَلى أَفنانِها مُسمِعاً

شَدا عَلى أَفنانِها مُسمِعاً

فُنونَ أَلحانٍ بِها غَرَّدا

فُنونَ أَلحانٍ بِها غَرَّدا

It sang upon its branches, letting one hear

It sang loudly to its chicks,

varied melodies with which it trilled.

Trilling delightful melodies.

طَوَّقتِني يا رَبَّةَ الطَّوقِ إِذ

طَوَّقتِني يا رَبَّةَ الطَّوقِ إِذ

هَتَفت في البانِ سُحَيراً يَدا

هَتَفت في البانِ سُحَيراً يَدا

You encircled me, O lady of the neck-ring, when

You have encircled me, mistress of the necklace,

you called in the moringa at early dawn, bestowing a favor.

When you cried out magically in the thicket.

أَذكَرتني طيبَ زَمانِ الصِّبا

أَذكَرتني طيبَ زَمانِ الصِّبا

إِذ غُصني الغَضُّ يَمُجّ النَدا

إِذ غُصني الغَضُّ يَمُجّ النَدا

You reminded me of the sweetness of youth,

You reminded me of the prime of my youth,

when my tender branch poured forth dew.

When my tender branch would bend to the dew.

لَم يَخلُ قَلبي قَبلُ من فِتنَةٍ

لَم يَخلُ قَلبي قَبلُ من فِتنَةٍ

عُلِّقَها أَو شادِنٍ أَمرَدا

عُلِّقَها أَو شادِنٍ أَمرَدا

My heart had never before been free of a temptation

My heart was never free of passion

to which it was bound, or a beardless young gazelle—

Tied to it or a black-eyed gazelle.

حُلوُ التَجَنّي وَالتَّثَنّي مَعاً

حُلوُ التَجَنّي وَالتَّثَنّي مَعاً

سكرانُ لَحظٍ طالَما عَربَدا

سكرانُ لَحظٍ طالَما عَربَدا

sweet alike in his groundless reproaches and his swaying,

Sweet equivocation and ambiguity together,

drunken of gaze, he so often ran riot.

Intoxicated by a glance that has long flirted.

فَاِسوَدَّ ما أُلبِستُهُ أَبيَضاً

فَاِسوَدَّ ما أُلبِستُهُ أَبيَضاً

وَاِبيَضَّ ما أُلبِستُهُ أَسوَدا

وَاِبيَضَّ ما أُلبِستُهُ أَسوَدا

So what I was clothed in, once white, turned black,

What I wore white has turned black,

and what I was clothed in, once black, turned white.

And what I wore black has turned white.

سيّان وافى صغَرٌ أَمرَداً

سيّان وافى صغَرٌ أَمرَداً

مُبيض مسوده أَم رَدا

مُبيض مسوده أَم رَدا

It is all the same: youth came beardless [wording unclear],

Two opposites made equal a tender youth,

whitening its blackened part—or [text unclear].

Whitening what is blackened.

يا بِأَبي غيدٌ حِسانٌ مَتى

يا بِأَبي غيدٌ حِسانٌ مَتى

رَنَونَ صِدنَ الصائِدَ الأَصيَدا

رَنَونَ صِدنَ الصائِدَ الأَصيَدا

Ah, my father be ransom for lovely, supple maidens! Whenever

O Abi Gheid, O Hissan, when

they gazed, they ensnared the haughty hunter.

Will the warbler sing to the hunter his prey?

هَزَزنَ في الكُثبانِ بِالمَشيِ قُض

هَزَزنَ في الكُثبانِ بِالمَشيِ قُض

بَ البانِ من رُمّانِهِ نُهَّدا

بَ البانِ من رُمّانِهِ نُهَّدا

As they walked among the dunes, they swayed boughs

It swayed in the dunes as it walked, shedding

of moringa, full-breasted with its pomegranates.

dew drops from its plumage.

إِذا نَزَعنَ الوَشي وَالحَلي كن

إِذا نَزَعنَ الوَشي وَالحَلي كن

نَ الدُّرَّ مِن أَصدافِهِ جُرِّدا

نَ الدُّرَّ مِن أَصدافِهِ جُرِّدا

When they shed their brocade and jewelry, they were

When it removes its finery and jewelry, it reveals

pearls stripped bare of their shells.

Pearls from their shells are stripped bare.

فَركن كُلَّ الناسِ تيهاً وَلَم

فَركن كُلَّ الناسِ تيهاً وَلَم

يَهوَينَ إِلّا الملك الأَمجَدا

يَهوَينَ إِلّا الملك الأَمجَدا

They spurned all people haughtily, and did not

Everyone became lost while

love any but the most glorious king:

Only the glorious king was guided.

أَحسَنُ خَلقِ اللَهِ خَلقاً وَأَخ

أَحسَنُ خَلقِ اللَهِ خَلقاً وَأَخ

لاقاً حَوى المَحتِدَ وَالسُؤدَدا

لاقاً حَوى المَحتِدَ وَالسُؤدَدا

the finest of God's creatures in form and

The best of God's creations in character

character, possessing noble lineage and preeminence.

And morals, containing the argumentative and the gentle,

مِن أُسرَةٍ أَمسَوا مُلوكَ الوَرى

مِن أُسرَةٍ أَمسَوا مُلوكَ الوَرى

نُبلاً وَأَضحى لَهُمُ سَيِّدا

نُبلاً وَأَضحى لَهُمُ سَيِّدا

From a family whose members became kings of humankind

From a family who were kings of the world

in nobility, he became their lord.

In nobility, and he became their master.

مَولايَ هَذا الوَردُ قَد أَقبلَت

مَولايَ هَذا الوَردُ قَد أَقبلَت

وُفودُهُ تَطلُبُ مِنكَ الجَدا

وُفودُهُ تَطلُبُ مِنكَ الجَدا

My lord, these roses—now have arrived

My lord, these roses have come

their delegations, seeking bounty from you.

In delegations seeking your generosity.

وَما جَداهُ غَيرُ إِحضارِهِ

وَما جَداهُ غَيرُ إِحضارِهِ

لَدَيكَ وَالقَهوَةُ تروي الصَدا

لَدَيكَ وَالقَهوَةُ تروي الصَدا

And their bounty is nothing but being brought

And nothing is more generous than bringing them

before you, while the wine quenches thirst.

Before you, while coffee quenches thirst,

وَالكَأسُ بِالصَهباءِ قَد أَبرَقَت

وَالكَأسُ بِالصَهباءِ قَد أَبرَقَت

وَالعودُ بِالأَوتارِ قَد أَرعَدا

وَالعودُ بِالأَوتارِ قَد أَرعَدا

And the cup has flashed with tawny wine,

And the cup gleams with wine,

and the lute has thundered with its strings.

And the oud thrums its strings thunderously,

وَالنايُ يُبدي صَوتُهُ ضَجرة ال

وَالنايُ يُبدي صَوتُهُ ضَجرة ال

حَبيبِ إِذ يَستَنجِزُ المَوعِدا

حَبيبِ إِذ يَستَنجِزُ المَوعِدا

And the flute's voice reveals the impatience of the

And the flute makes heard the lover's voice

beloved as he presses for the promised meeting.

When keeping the tryst anxiously.

وَاِشرَب عَلى العَلاقِ راحاً صَفَت

وَاِشرَب عَلى العَلاقِ راحاً صَفَت

أَطيب بِها ثُمَّ بِهِ مَورِدا

أَطيب بِها ثُمَّ بِهِ مَورِدا

And drink clear wine beside al-ʿAlāq;

Drink to love which has settled most purely,

how delightful to drink from one, and then the other!

Then drink it as a fresh, sweet stream.

يا حَبَّذا مَرّ نَسيمِ الصَّبا

يا حَبَّذا مَرّ نَسيمِ الصَّبا

يَنقُشُ مِن صَفحَتِهِ مِبرَدا

يَنقُشُ مِن صَفحَتِهِ مِبرَدا

Ah, how lovely the passing of the east breeze,

How excellent is the passing of the morning breeze

carving a rasp out of its surface.

Etching patterns on its pages!

لذَّ بِها في اليَومِ وَانعَم فَإِن

لذَّ بِها في اليَومِ وَانعَم فَإِن

نَ اللَهَ ذو فَضلٍ سَيَعفو غَدا

نَ اللَهَ ذو فَضلٍ سَيَعفو غَدا

Delight in it today, and enjoy yourself, for

Take pleasure in it today and have comfort,

God is gracious; He will pardon tomorrow.

For God is Most Generous and will forgive tomorrow.

فَأَنتَ في دَهرِكَ يا ذا العُلى

فَأَنتَ في دَهرِكَ يا ذا العُلى

أَفضَلُ مَن صامَ وَمَن عَيَّدا

أَفضَلُ مَن صامَ وَمَن عَيَّدا

For you, in your age, O possessor of lofty rank,

In your time, O Most High,

are the best of those who fasted and those who celebrated the feast.

You are the best of those who fasted or feasted!