روضةٌ باكرتها في فتيةٍ

روضةٌ باكرتها في فتيةٍ

خصّصوا للهوِ ما قد خصّصوا

خصّصوا للهوِ ما قد خصّصوا

A garden I visited early, in the company of young men

A garden blossomed in some youths

Who set aside for amusement what they had set aside.

Who had devoted themselves to play

طَرِبَتْ أعضائها حتى انثنتْ

طَرِبَتْ أعضائها حتى انثنتْ

عندما قامَ النسيمُ يرقصُ

عندما قامَ النسيمُ يرقصُ

Its limbs rejoiced until they bent

Its limbs quivered until bending

When the breeze rose to dance.

When a breeze began to dance

وذُكاءٌ كحمامٍ رفرفتْ

وذُكاءٌ كحمامٍ رفرفتْ

حينما أفرجَ عنها القفصُ

حينما أفرجَ عنها القفصُ

And Dhukāʾ, the sun, was like doves that fluttered

With intelligence like fluttering doves

When the cage set them free.

When the cage opened for them

والغواني كالظبا في حرصها

والغواني كالظبا في حرصها

غيرَ أنَّ القانصينَ أحرصُ

غيرَ أنَّ القانصينَ أحرصُ

And the beauties were like gazelles in their wariness,

And singers like gazelles in their yearning

But the hunters were warier still.

Yet hunters are more keen

فلهونا ثمَّ عدنا وكذا

فلهونا ثمَّ عدنا وكذا

كلُّ شيءٍ بالتمامِ ينقصُ

كلُّ شيءٍ بالتمامِ ينقصُ

So we made merry, then returned; and so

So we played and then we returned and so

Everything diminishes once it is complete.

Everything wanes to its end

وكأنَّ الصبحَ كانَ فرصةً

وكأنَّ الصبحَ كانَ فرصةً

وسريعاً ما تمرُّ الفرصُ

وسريعاً ما تمرُّ الفرصُ

And it was as though the morning had been an opportunity,

As if the dawn was an opportunity

And swiftly opportunities pass.

And quickly opportunities pass