يا طيب ما يهدى قبيل الفجر

عن الأزاهير الصبا من نشر

How sweet is what is wafted just before dawn—

fragrance from the blossoms, borne by the east wind!

وما حكته الريح في اقداحها

من رقة الماء ولون الخمر

And what the wind has reproduced within its cups:

the delicacy of water and the color of wine.

كأنها ياقوتة محلولة

أو من عقيق ذاب أو من تبر

As though it were a ruby dissolved,

or molten carnelian, or unwrought gold.

تمشى بأعضاء الفتى ولبه

كما مشت عافية في ضر

It courses through a young man's limbs and mind,

as healing courses through affliction.

تشرب عقل المرء قبل شربها

يكاد يدرى أو أن يدري

It drinks a man's reason before he drinks it;

he almost knows—or comes to know [wording unclear].

في مجلس بدت سماء نده

على ندامي كالنجوم الزهر

In a gathering where a sky of incense appeared

above my drinking companions, like radiant stars.

كأنما ريحانه زمرد

أو زهره نثر عقود در

As though its sweet basil were emerald,

or its blossoms scattered strands of pearls.

كأنما نحورها غمامة

وفيه ماء الورد صوب القطر

As though their throats were a cloud,

and the rosewater there a downpour of rain.

في ليلة كأنما سعودها

مسروقة من غفلات الدهر

On a night whose good fortunes seemed

stolen from Time's unguarded moments.

قد نمنمت نجومها سماءها

وطرزتها بحسين البدر

Its stars had finely patterned its sky

and embroidered it with the full moon's loveliness.

كإنما نجومها لما بدت

در طفا في صفحات نحر

As though its stars, when they appeared,

were pearls afloat upon a bosom's expanse,

أو روضة مخضرة أرجاؤها

تضاحكت فيها ثغور الزهر

or a garden green in all its quarters,

where the mouths of blossoms smiled together.

حتى إذا لاحت تباشر الضيا

وافتر في المشرق ثغر الفجر

Until, when the first signs of light appeared,

and dawn's mouth smiled in the east,

وزر قرن الشمس أو كادت ترى

البسها الغيم صفات الخمر

and the sun's rim rose—or was almost visible—

the clouds clothed it in the likeness of wine.

أما ترى طيب نسيم يومنا

أسركنا وما بنا من سكر

Do you not see the sweetness of our day's breeze?

It has intoxicated us, though no drunkenness is in us.

كأن نور الدين أبدى وجهه

قائلة لما بدا ببشر

“As though Nur al-Din had revealed his face,”

she said, when he appeared with a smile.

الأبلج الطلق الجبين من له

خلائق تفضح نشر العطر

The radiant man, open of brow, whose

virtues put perfume's fragrance to shame.

لو مازج البحر الاجاج بعضها

لصار عذبا طعم ماء البحر

Were some of them to mingle with the briny sea,

the taste of the sea's water would turn sweet.

طلق العنان لا يجاري في السخا

قد ملك الشكر زمام الوفر

Free-reined, unmatched in generosity,

he has given gratitude the reins of his wealth.

مابابه بمريح عن مريح

وليس دون نهره من نهر

His door is never shut to a hopeful visitor [reading uncertain],

and no rebuff bars access to his river.

والعين والأذن به قد ملئا

من حسن المرآ وطيب الذكر

The eye and ear have both been filled through him

with beauty to behold and sweetness of renown.

أفدى الوزير ابن الوزير من له

فضائل تفوق عد القطر

I would ransom the vizier, the vizier's son, whose

virtues exceed the number of raindrops.

حلم مسن في شباب مقبل

وهيبة ممزوجة ببشر

An elder's forbearance in flourishing youth,

and dignity mingled with good cheer.

فقد حوى مازان من شبابه

أبهة الشيب وعظم القدر

For he has gathered what adorns his youth:

the majesty of gray hair and greatness of rank.

وعز رأى ليس يخطى أن رمى

شكاله النجح وقصد الأمر

And strength of judgment that never misses when it shoots;

its bridle is success and sound purpose.

يقيس ما يخفي بما أظهرته

بفطنة تشرق سر الصدر

He gauges what is hidden by what you have revealed,

with insight that illuminates the breast's secret.

كأنما عند الغيوب حجبت

في جوهر أوفي رقيق ستر

As though unseen things were veiled before him

within crystal, or behind a delicate veil.

كأنما ذكاؤه وحسنه

عين وأذن خلقا للسر

As though his intelligence and his beauty

were an eye and an ear created for secrets.

يرقى الحزون كالسهول عزمه

ويقطع البحر كقطع البر

His resolve scales rugged ground as though it were level,

and crosses the sea as it crosses dry land.

وكلما لاحت له مكرمة

باعت عليه نفسها فيشرى

And whenever a noble deed appears to him,

it offers itself to him for sale, and he buys.

ذو منطق الفاظه مذيبة

مطفئة للصخر بل للجمر

A man of eloquence, whose words can melt,

and quench rock—nay, even glowing coals.

فسجعها ونثرها ونفثها

كالماء أو كالدر أو كالسحر

Its rhymed speech, its prose, its breathings

are like water, or pearls, or magic.

أفديه لم أنظر إلى فضيلة

إلا ومنها فيه حار فكري

I would ransom him: I have seen no virtue

but its presence in him has left my mind amazed.

ولا سمعت عن كريم منة

إلا ومنه ضعفها في حجر

Nor have I heard of a generous man's favor

without twice its like from him lying in my lap.

كم زف نحوى جوده عروسه

ليس سوى الشكر لها من مهر

How often his generosity has led its bride toward me,

with no bridal gift for her but gratitude.

وقلدتني كفه صنيعة

صيرتها عقداً لنحر الدهر

And his hand has hung a kindness round my neck;

I have made it a necklace for the throat of Time.

وأقبلت نحوى سحاب جوده

ورفرفت حولي جناح البر

And the clouds of his generosity have approached me,

and kindness's wing has fluttered around me.

ومن يدى شكر ما من به

بأعظم ما أعطى وضعف الشكر

And who can render thanks for what he bestowed,

with the greatest of what he gave, and twice the thanks?