وَمُرْتَبَعٍ لُذْنَا بِهِ غِبَّ سُحْرَةٍ

وَمُرْتَبَعٍ لُذْنَا بِهِ غِبَّ سُحْرَةٍ

وَلِلصُّبْحِ أَنْفَاسٌ تَزيدُ وَتَنْقُصُ

وَلِلصُّبْحِ أَنْفَاسٌ تَزيدُ وَتَنْقُصُ

And a spring meadow where we sought refuge just after the predawn hour,

And a square where we delighted in the mysterious magic of night,

while morning's breaths grew stronger and weaker.

While dawn's breath ebbs and flows.

وَقَدْ مَالَ لِلْغَرَبِ الْهلالُ كَأَنَّهُ

وَقَدْ مَالَ لِلْغَرَبِ الْهلالُ كَأَنَّهُ

بِمِنْقَارِهِ عَنْ حَبَّةِ النَّجْمِ يَفْحَصُ

بِمِنْقَارِهِ عَنْ حَبَّةِ النَّجْمِ يَفْحَصُ

And the crescent had inclined toward the west, as though it

The crescent tilts westward like

were probing with its beak for the grain of a star.

A bird pecking with its beak at a starry seed.

رَقِيقِ حَوَاشِي النَّبْتِ أَمَّا غُصُونُهُ

رَقِيقِ حَوَاشِي النَّبْتِ أَمَّا غُصُونُهُ

فَرَيَّا وَأَمَّا زَهْرُهُ فَمُنَصَّصُ

فَرَيَّا وَأَمَّا زَهْرُهُ فَمُنَصَّصُ

Its greenery was tender at the edges; as for its branches,

Delicate are the sapling's leafy edges, yet its branches

they were lush with moisture; as for its blossoms, they were held aloft.

Are supple, and its blossoms clustered.

إِذَا لاعَبَبْ أَفْنَانَهُ الرِّيحُ خِلْتَهَا

إِذَا لاعَبَبْ أَفْنَانَهُ الرِّيحُ خِلْتَهَا

سَلاسِلَ تُلْوَى أَوْ غَدَائِرَ تُعْقَصُ

سَلاسِلَ تُلْوَى أَوْ غَدَائِرَ تُعْقَصُ

When the wind played with its boughs, you would think them

When the wind toys with its boughs

chains being twisted, or tresses being braided.

It twists them into chains or plaited braids.

كَأَنَّ صِحَافَ الزَّهْرِ وَالطَّلُّ ذائِبٌ

كَأَنَّ صِحَافَ الزَّهْرِ وَالطَّلُّ ذائِبٌ

عُيُونٌ يَسِيلُ الدَّمْعُ مِنْهَا وَتَشْخَصُ

عُيُونٌ يَسِيلُ الدَّمْعُ مِنْهَا وَتَشْخَصُ

It was as though the bowls of blossoms, with the dew melting,

The flower buds and buds about to open

were eyes from which tears flowed and which stared.

Are eyes from which tears spill and wink.

يَكَادُ نَسِيمُ الْفَجْرِ إِنْ مَرَّ سُحْرَةً

يَكَادُ نَسِيمُ الْفَجْرِ إِنْ مَرَّ سُحْرَةً

بِسَاحَتِهِ الشَّجْراءِ لا يَتَخَلَّصُ

بِسَاحَتِهِ الشَّجْراءِ لا يَتَخَلَّصُ

The dawn breeze, if it passed before daybreak, could scarcely

The dawn breeze almost cannot slip through the thick trees

escape from its tree-filled grounds.

In that garden without getting snagged.

كَأَنَّ شُعَاعَ الشَّمْسِ وَالرِّيحُ رَهْوَةٌ

كَأَنَّ شُعَاعَ الشَّمْسِ وَالرِّيحُ رَهْوَةٌ

إِذَا رُدَّ فِيهِ سارِقٌ يَتَرَبَّصُ

إِذَا رُدَّ فِيهِ سارِقٌ يَتَرَبَّصُ

It was as though a sunbeam, while the wind lay still,

Sunbeams and the gentle wind - when

when driven back there, were a thief lying in wait:

An intruder steals through, lying in wait -

يَمُدُّ يَداً دُونَ الثِّمَارِ كَأَنَّمَا

يَمُدُّ يَداً دُونَ الثِّمَارِ كَأَنَّمَا

يُحَاوِلُ مِنْهَا غَايَةً ثُمَّ يَنْكُصُ

يُحَاوِلُ مِنْهَا غَايَةً ثُمَّ يَنْكُصُ

he stretches out a hand just short of the fruit, as though

Are a surveillance team stretching out a hand,

seeking some prize from it, then draws back.

Trying to grasp him, then drawing back.

عَطَفْنَا إِلَيْهِ الْخَيْلَ فَلَّ مَسِيرَةٍ

عَطَفْنَا إِلَيْهِ الْخَيْلَ فَلَّ مَسِيرَةٍ

وَلِلْقَوْمِ طَرْفٌ مِنْ أَذَى السُّهْدِ أَخْوَصُ

وَلِلْقَوْمِ طَرْفٌ مِنْ أَذَى السُّهْدِ أَخْوَصُ

We turned our horses toward it, worn out by a journey,

We turned our horses down a stretch

and the men's eyes were narrowed by the strain of sleeplessness.

To shield the people from the glare of the plateau.

فَمَا أَبْصَرَتْهُ الْخَيْلُ حَتَّى تَمَطَّرَتْ

فَمَا أَبْصَرَتْهُ الْخَيْلُ حَتَّى تَمَطَّرَتْ

بِفُرْسَانِهَا واسْتَتْلَعَتْ كَيْفَ تَخْلُصُ

بِفُرْسَانِهَا واسْتَتْلَعَتْ كَيْفَ تَخْلُصُ

No sooner had the horses seen it than they galloped

No sooner did the horses sight it than they were spattered

with their riders, craning their necks to see how they could reach it.

With their riders, eager to get free.

مَدَى لَحْظَة حَتَّى أَتَتْهُ وَمَاؤُهُ

مَدَى لَحْظَة حَتَّى أَتَتْهُ وَمَاؤُهُ

عَلَى زَهْرِهِ وَالظِّلُّ لا يَتَقَلَّصُ

عَلَى زَهْرِهِ وَالظِّلُّ لا يَتَقَلَّصُ

In the span of a glance they reached it, with its water

For an instant they raced, while its waters

still on its blossoms and the shade not yet shrinking.

Still glistened on the flowers and the shade shrank.

فَمَدَّتْ بِهِ الأَعْنَاقَ تَعْطُو وَتَخْتَلِي

فَمَدَّتْ بِهِ الأَعْنَاقَ تَعْطُو وَتَخْتَلِي

نِهاباً وَتُغْلي فِي النَّباتِ وَتُرْخِصُ

نِهاباً وَتُغْلي فِي النَّباتِ وَتُرْخِصُ

There they stretched their necks, reaching to browse and cropping

They craned their necks, frisky and prancing,

their plunder, making the herbage dear and cheap.

Chomping the vegetation and churning it up.

أَقَمْنَا بِهِ شَمْسَ النَّهَارِ وَكُلُّنَا

أَقَمْنَا بِهِ شَمْسَ النَّهَارِ وَكُلُّنَا

عَلَى مَا بِهِ مِنْ شِدَّةِ الْعُجْبِ يَحْرِصُ

عَلَى مَا بِهِ مِنْ شِدَّةِ الْعُجْبِ يَحْرِصُ

We stayed there through the sunlit day, and each of us

We stayed there till sunup, marveling at it,

was eager for all it held, out of intense admiration.

Each man avid to possess such a wonder.

فَلَمَّا اسْتَرَدَّ الشَّمْسَ جُنْحٌ مِنَ الدُّجَى

فَلَمَّا اسْتَرَدَّ الشَّمْسَ جُنْحٌ مِنَ الدُّجَى

وَأَعْرَضَ تَيْهُورٌ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ أَعْوَصُ

وَأَعْرَضَ تَيْهُورٌ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ أَعْوَصُ

Then, when a wing of darkness reclaimed the sun,

But when a wing of darkness reclaimed the sun,

and a forbidding dune of night spread wide,

And twilight, bent and cross-eyed, crept in,

دَعَوْنَا بِأَسْمَاءِ الْجِيَادِ فَأَقْبَلَتْ

دَعَوْنَا بِأَسْمَاءِ الْجِيَادِ فَأَقْبَلَتْ

لَوَاعِبَ فِي أَرْسَانِهَا تَتَرَقَّصُ

لَوَاعِبَ فِي أَرْسَانِهَا تَتَرَقَّصُ

we called the steeds by name, and they came,

We summoned the stallions by name, and they came,

playful, prancing in their halters.

Frisking, fluttering in their paddocks.

وَقُمْنَا وَكُلٌّ بَعْدَ مَا كَانَ لاهِياً

وَقُمْنَا وَكُلٌّ بَعْدَ مَا كَانَ لاهِياً

بِأَظْلالِهِ كُرْهَ الرَّحِيلِ مُنَغَّصُ

بِأَظْلالِهِ كُرْهَ الرَّحِيلِ مُنَغَّصُ

And we rose, each—after having made merry

And we left, but now, after being heedless,

in its shades—distressed and loath to depart.

Each loathing to bid farewell to his own shadow.

يَوَدُّ الْفَتَى أَلَّا يَزَالَ بِنِعْمَةٍ

يَوَدُّ الْفَتَى أَلَّا يَزَالَ بِنِعْمَةٍ

وَلَيْسَ لَهُ مِنْ صَوْلَةِ الدَّهْرِ مَخْلَصُ

وَلَيْسَ لَهُ مِنْ صَوْلَةِ الدَّهْرِ مَخْلَصُ

A young man wishes to remain forever in bliss,

A lad dislikes leaving comforts;

yet he has no escape from time's assault.

He has no means to escape Fate's treachery.

فَلِلَّهِ عَيْنَا مَنْ رَأَى مِثْلَ حُسْنِهِ

فَلِلَّهِ عَيْنَا مَنْ رَأَى مِثْلَ حُسْنِهِ

وَمَا أَنا في ما قُلْتُهُ أَتَخَرَّصُ

وَمَا أَنا في ما قُلْتُهُ أَتَخَرَّصُ

So, God bless the eyes of whoever has seen beauty like its own!

To God belong the eyes that have seen the like of its beauty.

And in what I have said, I speak no falsehood.

I do not exaggerate what I have said.

ظَفِرْتُ بِهِ في حِقْبَةٍ فَقَنَصْتُهُ

ظَفِرْتُ بِهِ في حِقْبَةٍ فَقَنَصْتُهُ

عَلَى غِرَّةِ الأَيَّامِ وَاللَّهْوُ يُقْنَصُ

عَلَى غِرَّةِ الأَيَّامِ وَاللَّهْوُ يُقْنَصُ

I came upon it in a certain season and captured it,

I came upon it in an era, and snatched it

while the days were off their guard—for pleasure is hunted down.

Away in a blithe, carefree time.