ما أملح مه فصل الربيع

ذا بدت أمّ الحسن

How lovely is the season of spring,

when the mother of beauty appears!

فخذ قطيعك فالقطيع

فالروض والوجه الحسن

So take your cup, for the cup is

in the garden, with the lovely face.

الدنى فإول الشباب

والروض يزهر بالزهر

The world is in its first youth,

and the garden blooms with blossoms,

وقد لبس خضر الثياب

وفرط حسن قد بهر

and has donned green clothes,

and its surpassing beauty has dazzled.

والنهر درّع بالحباب

وسل سيفو وشهر

And the river has armored itself in bubbles,

and drawn its sword and brandished it.

فلش يلام عليه خليع

إذا خلع فيه الرسن

So why should a libertine be blamed for it,

if he throws off the rein there?

وقد سقّاه لحظا رقيع

وقد نفى عنّوا الوسن

And a wanton glance has given him drink,

and has banished drowsiness from him.

إلش يردّه من قبل

إلى الخمر أو للمليح

What draws him back, as before,

to wine or to the fair one,

حين يدم خدّ بالقبل

ويشف فيه قلب القريح

when he makes a cheek bleed with kisses

and there heals the wounded one's heart,

أو للرياض إل احتفل

وللبلابل فيه تصيح

or to the gardens when they don their finery,

and to the bulbuls singing within?

تقل إليه للقطيع

أشرب على وجه الزمن

They say to him: To the cup!

Drink to the face of Time;

فنظر في وجها بديع

الدني هي بلا ثمن

so look upon its wondrous face:

the world costs nothing.

شرب بجنّ العريف

على وجوه تسب القمر

Drink in Jannat al-Arif,

before faces that mock the moon.

عروس هو قصر الشريف

ما يجلها غير الخمر

The noble lord's palace is a bride;

none unveils her but wine.

ومن رقا جبل المنيف

الدني ياخذ بالنظر

And whoever climbs the lofty mountain

takes in the world with a glance.

تاج السبيك هو الرفيع

لش يرض إل من ومن

The crown of al-Sabik is lofty;

why should only this one and that be content?

اللّه يبقّي للجميع

رب الأيادي والمنن

May God preserve for everyone

the lord of favors and bounties,

المستعين نعم الإمام

اللّه يبقي دولت

al-Musta'in—what an excellent imam!

May God preserve his rule.

أكرم هوت من الغمام

عم الملوك بنعمت

He is more generous than the clouds;

he has encompassed kings with his bounty.

وما غرب بدر التمام

إلا خجل من طلعت

And the moon at its fullest never set

except in shame before his countenance.

الشمس هوو جه البديع

والبدر لو من الجنن

The sun is his wondrous face,

and the full moon is one of his shields.

والدهر لو سامع مطيع

يحي الفرائض والسنن

And Time listens to him, obedient;

he revives the prescribed duties and traditions.

من ريه يقل عن ملك

من الجميل إلى عطيه

Whoever sees him speaks of an angel,

from his kindness to his gifts.

وكل موضع ان سلك

السعد قد وجّه إليه

And every place he passes through—

good fortune has turned toward it.

وكل سلطان قد ملك

يتمن هو تقبيل اديه

And every sultan who has ruled

wishes to kiss his hands.

عطيّة الرب السميع

رحم بها هذا الوطن

A gift from the All-Hearing Lord,

through which He showed mercy to this land:

بعزّ عاد حصناً منيع

يدروا بذا أهل الفطن

through might it has become an impregnable fortress.

The discerning know this.