1. نَواسِمُ البُسْتَانْ

    تَنثُرُ سِلْكَ الزَّهَرِ

    The garden's breezes

    scatter the strand of blossoms;

  2. والطّلُّ في الأَغْصَانْ

    يَنْظمُهُ بِالجَوْهَرِ

    and dew upon the boughs

    strings it with jewels.

  3. وَرَايةُ الإِصْباحْ

    أَضَاءَ مِنْها المَشْرِقُ

    And the banner of daybreak—

    from it the east has brightened—

  4. تنشُرُها الأَرْوَاحْ

    فلا تَزَالُ تخفِقُ

    the breezes unfurl it,

    so it never ceases to flutter.

  5. والزُّهْرُ زَهْرٌ فَاحْ

    لها عُيونٌ ترمُقُ

    And the bright stars are blossoms that waft fragrance;

    they have eyes that gaze.

  6. فَأَيْقِظِ النُّدْمَانْ

    يُبْصِرْنَ مَا لَمْ يُبْصَرِ

    So awaken the drinking companions,

    that they may see what has not been seen:

  7. جَوَاهِرُ الشُّهبانُ

    قد عرضَتْ للمشتري

    the jewels of the blazing stars

    have been offered to the buyer, Jupiter.

  8. قَدَحْتَ لي زَنْدَا

    يا أَيُّهَذا البَارِقُ

    You struck a fire-stick for me,

    O you flash of lightning!

  9. أَذكرتني عَهْدا

    إِذ الشبابُ رَائقُ

    You reminded me of a time

    when youth was serene.

  10. فالشوق لا يهدا

    وَلاَ الفُؤَادُ الخافِقُ

    So longing does not subside,

    nor does the fluttering heart.

  11. وَكَيْفُ بالسُّلْوَانْ

    والقَلْبُ رَهْنُ الفِكَرِ

    And how could there be solace,

    while the heart is hostage to thoughts,

  12. وسُحُبُ الهِجْرَانْ

    تحجب وَجْهَ القَمَرِ

    and the clouds of estrangement

    veil the moon's face?

  13. لَوْلاَ شُموسُ الكَاسْ

    نُديرها بين البُدُورْ

    Were it not for the suns of the wine-cup,

    which we pass among the full moons,

  14. وعَرَّجَ الإِيناسْ

    مِنّا عَلَى ربعِ الصُدُورْ

    and fellowship turned aside

    from us toward the abode of bosoms—

  15. لكنْ لَهَا وَسْوَاسْ

    يُغري برباتِ الخُدُورْ

    yet it has a whisper

    that lures one toward the ladies of secluded chambers.

  16. كَمْ والد هَيْمانْ

    بِصُبْحِ وَجْهِ مُسْفِرِ

    How many a father is lovesick

    for the dawn of a radiant face!

  17. ضياؤه قد بان

    من تحت ليل مقمر

    Its radiance has appeared

    from beneath a moonlit night.

  18. يا مطلعَ الأَنْوارْ

    كَمْ فيكَ مِنْ مَرأَى جَميلْ

    O rising-place of lights,

    how many a lovely sight is in you!

  19. ونُزْهةَ الأَبْصَارْ

    ما ضَرَّ لو تَشْفي الغَليلْ

    And delight of the eyes,

    what harm if you quenched the burning thirst?

  20. يا روضَةَ الأَزْهارْ

    وعَرْفُها يُبْرِي العليلْ

    O garden of blossoms,

    and its fragrance heals the ailing.

  21. قَضِيبُكَ الفَيْنَانْ

    يُسْقَى بِدَمْعٍ هَمِرِ

    Your luxuriant bough

    is watered with pouring tears;

  22. فَلاعج الأشجانْ

    فيضَ الدموع يمتري

    for the burning pang of sorrows

    draws forth the flood of tears.

  23. هَلْ في الهَوَى نَاصِرْ

    أَوْ هَلْ يُجَارُ الهائِمُ

    Is there a helper in love,

    or is the lovesick wanderer granted refuge?

  24. لو كانَ لي زائِرْ

    طيفُ الخيالِ الحائِمُ

    If I had a visitor—

    the hovering phantom of imagination—

  25. ما بتُّ بالساهِرْ

    ودمع عيني ساجمُ

    I would not have spent the night awake,

    with my eye's tears streaming.

  26. والحُبُّ ذو عُدوانْ

    يَجْهَدُ في ظُلْم البَرِي

    And love is full of aggression,

    striving to wrong the innocent;

  27. وصَارمُ الأَجْفَانْ

    مُؤيَّدٌ بالحَوَرِ

    and the sword of the eyelids

    is strengthened by dark pupils and brilliant whites.

  28. رُحماكَ في صَبِّ

    أَذْكَرْتَهُ عَهْدَ الصِّبَا

    Grant your mercy to a lovesick man

    whom you reminded of the days of youth.

  29. بَواعِثُ الحُبِّ

    قادت إِلَيْهِ الوَصَبَا

    The promptings of love

    have brought affliction to him.

  30. لم تَهْفُ بالقَلْبِ

    ريحُ الصَّبا إِلاّ صَبَا

    The heart was never brushed

    by the east wind without growing lovesick.

  31. بَليلةُ الأردانْ

    قد ضُمِّخَتْ بالعَنْبَرِ

    Her sleeves are damp;

    she has been anointed with ambergris.

  32. يُشيرُ غُصْنُ البانْ

    منها بفَضْلِ المِئْزَرِ

    The ban-tree bough gestures

    from her with the trailing hem of her wrap.

  33. طَيَّبَها حَمْدُ

    فَخْرِ الملوكِ المجتبَى

    She has been perfumed by praise

    of the chosen pride of kings,

  34. مَنْ يَرْجَحُ الطَّودُ

    من حِلْمِهِ إذا احتبى

    who outweighs the mountain

    in his forbearance when seated with knees drawn up.

  35. قد جَرَّدَ السَّعْدُ

    منْهُ حُساماً مُذْهَبَا

    Good fortune has unsheathed

    from him a gilded sword.

  36. فَالبأْسُ والإِحسانْ

    والغَوْثُ للمُسْتَنْصِرِ

    Thus valor and beneficence,

    and aid for the seeker of support—

  37. تَحْمِلُهُ الرُّكبانْ

    تحيةً لِلمنْبَرِ

    the riders bear it

    as a greeting to the pulpit.

  38. عِصَابةُ الكُتَّابْ

    حَقٌ لها الفَوْزُ العظيمْ

    The band of scribes—

    great triumph is its rightful due—

  39. تختالُ في أثْوابْ

    أَلْبَسَها الطَّوْلَ الجسيمْ

    struts in robes

    in which lavish bounty has clothed it.

  40. فَحَسْبُها الإِطْنَابْ

    في الحمدِ والشكرِ العَمِيمْ

    So let lavish speech suffice it

    in praise and all-embracing thanks.

  41. خَليفَةَ الرَّحْمَنْ

    لاَ زِلْتَ سَامي المظْهَرِ

    O Caliph of the All-Merciful,

    may you remain lofty in bearing!

  42. يا مَوْرِدَ الظمآنْ

    ورأسَ مالِ المعْسِرِ

    O watering-place of the thirsty,

    and capital for the insolvent,

  43. خُذْهَا على دَعْوَى

    تَزْري على الرَّوْضِ الوسيمْ

    take it, with the claim

    that it puts the lovely garden to shame.

  44. جاءت كما تَهْوَى

    أرقَّ من لَوْنِ النسيمْ

    It has come just as you wish,

    more delicate than the breeze's hue.

  45. قد طارحَتْ شكوَى

    مَنْ قالَ في الليلِ البهيمْ

    It has shared the lament

    of one who said in the pitch-black night:

  46. ليلُ الهَوَى يَقْظَانْ

    وَالحُبُّ تِرْبُ السَّهَرِ

    “Love's night is wakeful,

    and love is the peer of sleeplessness;

  47. والصَّبْرُ لي خَوَّانْ

    والنومُ من عَيْني بَرِي

    patience betrays me,

    and sleep is estranged from my eye.”