رَعَى اللَّهُ وَقتاً كانَ لِلأنْسِ حائِزاً

رَعَى اللَّهُ وَقتاً كانَ لِلأنْسِ حائِزاً

بِهِ لِلهَنا عِيدٌ يَفوقُ على العيدِ

بِهِ لِلهَنا عِيدٌ يَفوقُ على العيدِ

May God preserve a time that held convivial joy;

God blessed a time that brought joy to mankind

in it, joy had a feast surpassing the feast-day.

With it our happiness exceeded that of Eid

فَفيهِ اِجتَمَعنا وَاِجتَنَينا صَفاءهُ

فَفيهِ اِجتَمَعنا وَاِجتَنَينا صَفاءهُ

بِبازِ المَعالي ديمةِ البَذْلِ والجودِ

بِبازِ المَعالي ديمةِ البَذْلِ والجودِ

For in it we gathered and reaped its serenity,

In it we gathered and drank of its purity

with the hawk of lofty virtues, the steady rain of bounty and generosity.

With the hawk of glories, always generous and giving

وَلَكنَّهُ قَد جادَ منهُ بِساعَةٍ

وَلَكنَّهُ قَد جادَ منهُ بِساعَةٍ

عَلَيها ثَنائي لَم يَكُن غَيرَ مَحدودِ

عَلَيها ثَنائي لَم يَكُن غَيرَ مَحدودِ

Yet he generously granted an hour of it;

Yet it departed after a brief hour

my praise for it was not boundless.

For which my boundless praise remains

وَلَم يَكُ عِندي ما أبخِّرها بِهِ

وَلَم يَكُ عِندي ما أبخِّرها بِهِ

وَوا أسَفي إِلّا يَسيراً من العُودِ

وَوا أسَفي إِلّا يَسيراً من العُودِ

And I had nothing with which to perfume it,

I had naught to perfume it with

except a little aloeswood—and alas, my sorrow!

Except some meager drops of oud