زَمانُ الرِّياضِ زَمانٌ أَنِيقُ

وَعَيْشُ الخَلاعَةِ عَيْشٌ رَقِيقُ

The garden's time is elegant time,

and the life of retirement is a gentle life.

وَقَدْ جَمَعَ الوَقْتُ حَالَيْهِما

فَمَنْ ذا يُفِيقُ وَمَنْ يَسْتَفِيقُ

Time has joined the two states,

So who will awaken, and who will rouse?

أَيا مَنْ هُوَ الفَوْزُ لي والمُنى

ومَنْ هُوَ بِالحُبِّ مِنِّي حَقِيقُ

O you who are my bliss and longing,

And who truly loves me,

تَغَنَّمْ بِنا غَفْلَةَ الحَادِثا

تِ فَوَجْهُ الحَوادِثِ وَجْهٌ صَفِيقُ

Make use of the heedlessness of events for us -

for the face of events is weak.

أَدِرْ لَحْظَ عَيْنِكَ وَامْزِجْهُ في

مُرُوجِ الرِّياضِ تَجِدْها تَشُوقُ

Take a glance of your eye and blend it

in the meadows of the garden; you’ll find them yearning.

تَرى مزْوَجَ الحُسْنِ في مُفْرَدٍ

جَلِيلُ المَحاسِنِ فيهِ دَقيقُ

You see combined beauty in singles -

of great virtues in it are delicate.

إِذا قابَلَ الزَّهْرُ زَهْرَ الخُدودِ

فَأَيْنَ الخَلاصُ وَأَيْنَ الطَّريقُ

When the blossoms encounter the blossoms of cheeks

where is salvation and where is the path?

بَهارٌ بَهِيرٌ بِهِ غَيْرَةٌ

عَلَى نَرْجِسٍ وَشَقيقٌ شَفيقُ

A springtime, radiant, jealous over,

A narcissus and caring chamomile.

فَذا عاشِقٌ دَنِفٌ خائِفٌ

وَذا خَجِلٌ وَكَذاكَ العَشِيقُ

One a fervent anxious lover

and one is shy and so is the lover.

مَدَاهِنُ يَحْمِلْنَ طَلَّ النَّدى

فَهاتِيكَ تِبْرٌ وهَذا عَقِيقُ

Seductresses carrying dew drops so these are pure pearls and that is agate.

Its leaves string its pearls

يُنَظِّمُ أَوْراقَها دُرّهُ

وَيَنْثُرُ مِنْها الَّذي لا يُطِيقُ

and that which cannot carry it, it sheds,

The breeze tilts its branches –

يَمِيلُ النَّسيمُ بِأَغْصانِها

فَبَعضٌ نَشاوى وَبَعْضٌ مُفِيقُ

some are wild and some are awakening.

And a day its curtains are clouds

وَيَوم سِتارَتُهُ غَيْمَةٌ

وَقَدْ طَرَّزَتْ رَفْرَفَيْها البُرُوقُ

embroidered by its flashes of lightening.

The sun remains shaded by it

تَظَلُّ بِهِ الشَّمْسُ مَحْجُوبَةً

كأَنَّ اصطِباحَكَ فيها غبُوقُ

as if your sunshine there is total darkness

We made incense its smoke

جَعَلْنا البَخُورَ دُخاناً لَهُ

وَمِنْ شَرَرِ الرَّاحِ فيهِ حَرِيقُ

And from sparks in it, there are fires

We bowed to the crucifixes of its shedding

سَجَدْنا لِصُلْبان مَنْثُورِها

وَقَد نَصَرَتنا علَيهِ الرَحيقُ

As the basil vindicated us on it.

Near trees elevating their veils

لَدى شَجَرٍ رافِعاتِ الذُيولِ

لِجَرْيِ الجَداوِلِ فيها شَهِيقُ

For the running of streams – in it are gasps.

As if their wavy curls

كأَنَّ طَيالِسَ غُدْرانِها

عَلى هَيْكَلِ الْماءِ فيها خُروقُ

on the temple of water have rents in it.

And we said, by it and by the morning light,

وَقُلْنا بِها وَلِضَوءِ الصَّباحِ

عَلَى عَنْبَرِ الفَجْرِ مِنْهُ خَلوقُ

on the ambergris of dawn are prints.

Take around, o youth, cups of wine,

أَدِر يا غُلامُ كُؤوسَ المُدامِ

وَإِلا فَيَكْفيكَ لَحْظٌ وَرِيقُ

or else a glance and saliva will suffice for you!

Urge the dawn for the time of morning

وَحُثَّ الصَّبُوحَ لِوَقْتِ الصَّباحِ

فَمُتَّسِعُ الهَمِّ فيهِ يَضيقُ

For the one with ample worries in it feels straitened.