رُبَّ يَومٍ قَد ظَلَّ فيه نديمي

رُبَّ يَومٍ قَد ظَلَّ فيه نديمي

يَتَغَنّى بِرَوضَةٍ غَنّاءَ

يَتَغَنّى بِرَوضَةٍ غَنّاءَ

Many a day my boon companion spent

Many a day my friend did spend

singing in a luxuriant garden.

Singing in a melodious garden

وَكأَنَّ الرياضَ حُسناً حَبيبٌ

وَكأَنَّ الرياضَ حُسناً حَبيبٌ

عاطرٌ سامهُ المحبُّ لقاءَ

عاطرٌ سامهُ المحبُّ لقاءَ

And the gardens, in their beauty, were like a beloved,

As if the meadows were the beauty of a lover

fragrant, whom the lover asked to meet.

Fragrant, exhaling the scent of love's meeting

ضربت سُحبهُ رواقاً علينا

ضربت سُحبهُ رواقاً علينا

واِرتَدَينا مِن الغمام رداءَ

واِرتَدَينا مِن الغمام رداءَ

Its clouds spread a canopy over us,

The clouds spread above us like a porch

and we donned a mantle of cloud.

And we were clothed in a gown of mist

قَد تَحلّى بِزَهرِهِ وَتَبدىّ

قَد تَحلّى بِزَهرِهِ وَتَبدىّ

ماثِلاً في غلالةٍ خَضراءَ

ماثِلاً في غلالةٍ خَضراءَ

It had adorned itself with its blossoms and appeared,

Adorned with its flowers, appearing

standing in a gauzy green robe.

Amidst a verdant shade

فأَرتنا الرياضُ منها نُجوماً

فأَرتنا الرياضُ منها نُجوماً

وَأَرانا سنا العُقار ذَكاءَ

وَأَرانا سنا العُقار ذَكاءَ

So the gardens showed us stars from their midst,

The meadows showed us stars

and the wine’s radiance showed us Dhukāʾ, the sun.

And showed the brilliance of the full moon

فَكأَنَّا بِها شربنا سَناها

فَكأَنَّا بِها شربنا سَناها

وَحللنا بِما حللنا السَماءَ

وَحللنا بِما حللنا السَماءَ

So it was as though there we drank its radiance

As if we drank its radiance there

and, by dwelling where we dwelt, dwelt in the sky.

And donned what adorns the sky