صاحِ ها شملُ السرورِ اِنتَظما

صاحِ ها شملُ السرورِ اِنتَظما

وَاِغتَنَمنا فرصةَ المختلسِ

وَاِغتَنَمنا فرصةَ المختلسِ

Friend, behold: joy's company has come together.

O companion, serenity has gathered

And we seized the furtive snatcher's chance.

And we seized the chance of seclusion

وَتَناوَلنا مَصابيحَ السّما

وَتَناوَلنا مَصابيحَ السّما

فَأَدرناها مكانَ الأكؤسِ

فَأَدرناها مكانَ الأكؤسِ

And we took up the lamps of heaven,

We took the lamps of the sky

So we passed them round in place of cups.

And turned them into cups

وَتَلاقَتنا تَباشير الرّبيع

وَتَلاقَتنا تَباشير الرّبيع

بِهداياها عَلى هامِ الرُّبى

بِهداياها عَلى هامِ الرُّبى

And spring's glad tidings met us

We were met by the tidings of spring

With their gifts upon the crowns of the hills.

With its gifts upon the cheeks of the meadows

وَأَتانا الدهرُ مِنها بشفيع

وَأَتانا الدهرُ مِنها بشفيع

فَغَفَرنا له ما قَد أَذنبا

فَغَفَرنا له ما قَد أَذنبا

And Time brought us an intercessor from among them,

And time brought us an intercessor

So we forgave it the wrongs it had committed.

So we forgave it for what it had sinned

وَحَلَلنا في حِمى حصنٍ منيع

وَحَلَلنا في حِمى حصنٍ منيع

وَأمانٍ مِن عيونِ الرُّقَبا

وَأمانٍ مِن عيونِ الرُّقَبا

And we settled in the shelter of an impregnable fortress,

And we dwelled in the sanctuary of an impenetrable fortress

And in safety from the watchers' eyes.

And safety from the eyes of monitors

يَنظرُ البحرُ لَنا مُحتَشِما

يَنظرُ البحرُ لَنا مُحتَشِما

فَيرى بحرَ الندى في المجلسِ

فَيرى بحرَ الندى في المجلسِ

The sea looks at us with deference,

The sea looks at us modestly

So it sees a sea of generosity in the gathering.

Seeing the sea of dew in the gathering

ثمّ يَهمي دمعُه من بعدما

ثمّ يَهمي دمعُه من بعدما

صَعّدته زَفراتُ الأنفسِ

صَعّدته زَفراتُ الأنفسِ

Then its tears pour down, after

Then after our sighs had lifted it up

The sighs of souls have raised them aloft.

Its tears flow down

وَكأنّ الزهرَ مشمولٌ صَحا

وَكأنّ الزهرَ مشمولٌ صَحا

وَبفيهِ ريحُ راحٍ ريّقِ

وَبفيهِ ريحُ راحٍ ريّقِ

And the blossoms seemed a wine-drinker now sobered,

As if the flowers are smiling

And in his mouth was the scent of pure wine.

With the breeze of gentle wind in their mouths

رامَ كِتماناً فلمّا اِفتضحا

رامَ كِتماناً فلمّا اِفتضحا

نَدِيَت وَجنتهُ بالعرقِ

نَدِيَت وَجنتهُ بالعرقِ

He sought concealment, but when he was exposed,

It tried to hide but when exposed

His cheek grew moist with sweat.

Its cheeks shone with sweat

فَإِذا ما طَلَعت شمسُ الضحى

فَإِذا ما طَلَعت شمسُ الضحى

رَشفَت مِن ثَغره ما قَد بَقي

رَشفَت مِن ثَغره ما قَد بَقي

Then, when the midmorning sun rose,

So when the sun of morning rises

It sipped from his lips what still remained.

It sips what was left from its mouth

وَكأنّ النهرَ أَبدى مِعصما

وَكأنّ النهرَ أَبدى مِعصما

في حليٍّ نُسِجَت مِن سندسِ

في حليٍّ نُسِجَت مِن سندسِ

And the river seemed to have bared a wrist,

As if the river displayed a bracelet

In ornaments woven of fine silk.

Woven of silk

حاوَلتهُ القضبُ تَقبيلاً فما

حاوَلتهُ القضبُ تَقبيلاً فما

راعهُ إلّا عيونُ النرجسِ

راعهُ إلّا عيونُ النرجسِ

The branches sought to kiss it, and nothing

The rushes tried to kiss it but

Alarmed it but the eyes of the narcissus.

It was not disturbed except by the eyes of the narcissi

وَكأنّ البدرَ طفلٌ مستهام

وَكأنّ البدرَ طفلٌ مستهام

رامَ أَن يطرقَ بِالشوقِ الحبيب

رامَ أَن يطرقَ بِالشوقِ الحبيب

And the full moon seemed a love-stricken child

As if the moon is a fascinated child

Who sought, in longing, to visit the beloved by night.

Who wanted to knock on the door of the beloved

فَتَوارى في جلابيبِ الظّلام

فَتَوارى في جلابيبِ الظّلام

مِثلَما يفعلُ مَن يَخشى الرّقيب

مِثلَما يفعلُ مَن يَخشى الرّقيب

So he hid in the cloaks of darkness,

So it hid in the robes of darkness

As one does who fears the watcher.

Like one who fears the watcher

فَإِذا ما حسرَ الصبحُ اللّثام

فَإِذا ما حسرَ الصبحُ اللّثام

نَبّهتهُ ساجعاتُ العَندليب

نَبّهتهُ ساجعاتُ العَندليب

Then, when dawn lifted the veil,

So when dawn uncovered the wrappings

The nightingale's warbling calls awoke him.

The chirping of the swallows woke it

هل دَرى صوبُ الرّبيعِ إِذ هَمى

هل دَرى صوبُ الرّبيعِ إِذ هَمى

أَنّه أَحيا جميعَ الأنفسِ

أَنّه أَحيا جميعَ الأنفسِ

Did spring's downpour know, as it poured down,

Does the direction of spring know, when it intended

That it had revived every soul,

That it revived all souls?

وَهوَ في بردٍ وخفقٍٍ لا كما

وَهوَ في بردٍ وخفقٍٍ لا كما

لَعِبت ريحُ الصّبا بالقبسِ

لَعِبت ريحُ الصّبا بالقبسِ

While it was cool and quivering—not as when

While it is in the cold and flutter, not as

The east wind played with a flame?

The breeze of morning played with ember

سَيّدي شَأوُكَ أَعيا المُحتذي

سَيّدي شَأوُكَ أَعيا المُحتذي

وَلكلِّ المَكرُماتِ أنتَ أهل

وَلكلِّ المَكرُماتِ أنتَ أهل

My lord, your eminence has baffled the imitator,

My master, your standing has wearied the aspiring

And you are worthy of every noble deed.

And for all virtues, you are most deserving

ذا ربيعٌ فاحَ ريّاه الشّذي

ذا ربيعٌ فاحَ ريّاه الشّذي

فَاِغتَنِم لذّاتهِ مِن غيرِ مَهل

فَاِغتَنِم لذّاتهِ مِن غيرِ مَهل

This is spring, its sweet fragrance spreading.

So enjoy its pleasures without delay

So seize its pleasures without delay.

And take the easy, smooth enjoyment

وَخُذِ الممتعَ السهلَ الّذي

وَخُذِ الممتعَ السهلَ الّذي

عزّ أَن يدركهُ فكرُ اِبن سَهل

عزّ أَن يدركهُ فكرُ اِبن سَهل

And take what is delightful and effortless, which

That the mind of an easy child can hardly attain

Ibn Sahl's mind could scarcely attain.

Does the gazelle of sanctuary know that it has protected

هَل دَرى ظبيُ الحِمى أَن قَد حَمى

هَل دَرى ظبيُ الحِمى أَن قَد حَمى

قَلبَ صبٍّ حلّهُ عن مكنسِ

قَلبَ صبٍّ حلّهُ عن مكنسِ

Did the gazelle of the sanctuary know that he had inflamed

The heart of one in love taken from snares?

A lovesick lover's heart, where he dwelt instead of a lair,

While it is in heat and flutter like

وَهوَ في حرٍّ وخفقٍّ مِثلما

وَهوَ في حرٍّ وخفقٍّ مِثلما

لَعِبَت ريحُ الصبا بالقبسِ

لَعِبَت ريحُ الصبا بالقبسِ

While it was hot and quivering, just as when

The morning breeze played with ember

The east wind played with a flame?