يا ليالي السفحِ من عهدِ الصِبا

يا سقى مغناكَ صَوبُ الدِّيَمِ

O nights of the valley's slopes, from the days of my youth,

O you who quenched the thirst of your singer towards the refuge,

كم تسرقت بها بين الرُبى

خُلَساً مرّتْ كطيفِ الحُلمِ

How many times I stole away during you, between the groves,

Secretly, passing like a dream’s phantom,

في زمانِ لذَّ عيشاً وصَفا

نَعِمَتْ آصالُه والبُكَرُ

In days of pleasurable living and clarity,

Whose mornings and evenings were blissful.

قد حللنا فيه روضاً أنُفا

يستبينا طيرُه المستحِرُ

We wandered in it through a meadow, cool,

Where its birds and their warbling could be seen.

بأهازيجَ من اللحنِ هفا

عندها النايُ وزاغَ الوَترُ

With melodies in a gentle tune,

The flute and strings vibrated in it.

يرقصُ الغصنُ ويصغي طرَباً

نحوها بالجيدِ كالمفتهمِ

The branch dances and listens enchanted,

Towards it, bowing its neck, utterly enthralled,

وإِذا ما هينمت ريح الصَبا

صفّقَ النهر لذاك النغمِ

And when the breeze of the morning blows,

The river applauds that melody.

لست أنساه مناخاً ضمّنا

وارفَ الظلِّ بَرود المنتدى

I cannot forget a climate that embraced us,

While the shade stretched with the council’s coolness,

حيث وجه الدهر طلق والمنى

أمَمٌ نسلكُ منها جَدَدَا

Where the days faced us openly and wishes

Were paths we tread anew,

كم جعلنا اللهو فيها ديدناً

وهصرنا منه غصناً أملدا

How much we made amusement in it our habit,

And we plucked from it a branch evergreen!

قادنا الشوقُ إِليها وصبَا

نحوها قلبُ الشجيِّ المغرَمِ

Yearning led us to it, and the morning breeze

To it, the heart of the passionate lover,

فحللنا نحوهَا منّا الحُبى

وحمدنا طيبَ ذاك المغنمِ

So we unlocked towards it the fetters of love,

And we praised the goodness of that gain.

يا سقى الوسميُّ مرجاً بَرَدتْ

فيه من حرِّ الهمومِ المهجُ

O you who quenched the valley’s pasture that cooled,

In it the heat of worries departed,

أحدق الروضُ به واطردتْ

حوله الغدرُ وفاحَ الأرَجُ

The meadow stared at it, and around it

Betrayal ceased, and purple scents wafted,

وقيانُ الطير لما اغتردت

فيه ناغاها ذنابٌ هَزِجُ

And the warbling of birds, when they sang

Within it, their melodies were joyous,

وانثنى العود به مصطخباً

بالغريضات بضربٍ محكم

And the lute bent over it, disturbed,

With bleating, in rhythmic, solid beats,

وشدا النايُ له فاصطحبا

بغناء فائق منسجمِ

While the flute accompanied it, and together

They sang, in harmony and tune sublime.

والأزاهيرُ لدينا نسقتْ

فوق ظهران وروق بهجِ

The flowers, for us, wove

Over meadows and slopes delightfully,

والنعامى بشذاها خفقت

وانجلت من وشيها في زبرج

And the ostriches waved their plumes,

Beaming from their temples in their braids,

والنواوير بمسك فتقتْ

بين خلجانِ وظلِّ سجسجِ

The wild cows opened with musk,

Amidst thickets and shade of flower stalks,

وغدا ذيلُ الصبا منسحبا

فوقَ هاتيك الحلى والأنجمِ

And the morning breeze’s train flowed,

Over those trinkets and stars,

وانثنى ينشرُ منها عذبا

ويضم الغصن كالملتزمِ

And it bent, scattering from it gently,

And clasped the branch, as if bound,

كم جرَتْ خيلُ التصابي مرحاً

بنفوسٍ خيمت حيثُ النعيمْ

How the steeds of youth bolted playfully,

With souls that camped where bliss resided!

لبواكير من العيشِ نَحا

نحوها القلبُ لدى أنسٍ مقيمْ

For the first fruits of life we aspired,

Our hearts, near intimacy, dwelt,

قد حبانا الدهرُ منها مِنَحا

وتلقّتنا بها خودُ النسيمْ

Time granted us from it gifts,

And the breeze met us with its affection,

نفحتنا لشذاها جوبا

وارتشفناها بقلبٍ وفمِ

It blew us its fragrances sweetly,

And we sipped it with heart and mouth,

وجرتْ فينا الأماني خَبَبا

لمناخٍ للهَنا مغتنَمِ

Wishes coursed through us, confused,

For a climate where we gained delight,

في حواكير من السفح لنا

جانب الدير بها مستشرفُ

On the hill’s ridges we had

Near the monastery, with its open view,

ولحنّان النواعير غنا

عاشق في الأذن منه شَنَفُ

The nightingales' song sang

Enchanting the ear that turned towards it,

وبها من ياسمين يجتنى

من عروشٍ دانيات غُرَفُ

In it were violets gathered

From arching branches, plucked,

وسرت أنفاس هاتيك الربى

بشذا حواذانها والحزمِ

The breaths of those groves blew

With the fragrance of its bushes and bundles,

وبدا الورد مليكاً مغضباً

ضُرِّجَتْ وجناتُه بالعَنْدَمِ

The roses appeared angry kings,

Their cheeks flushed with red dye.

لستُ أنسى عيشنا المقتبلا

في ذراها بين تلك الغُدُرِ

I cannot forget our life ahead

In its homes, amidst those valleys,

وسقى الربوة كم يوم خلا

في مَغانيها بشط النَهَرِ

And the watering of the hills, how many a day went by

In its songs, on the bank of the stream,

حين أضحى الغصنُ فيها ثَمِلا

يتهادى في حبيرِ الزَهَرِ

When the branch in it became fruitful,

Swaying in the sea of flowers,

وغدا النوّار موشيّ القبا

سافراً عن ثغره المبتسمِ

And the breeze turned perfumer of robe,

Baring its smiling mouth,

كم قضينا في ذراها أرَبَا

وحمدنا فيه نقل القَدَمِ

How many mornings we spent in its homes,

And praised in it the changing of steps!

كيف لا أذكر تلك الخُلَسا

من رغيد العيش وهي العُمُرُ

How can I not recall those gentle moments,

Of blissful living - and it is life!

لست أقتاد سواها أنسا

يا سقاها عارضٌ منهمِرُ

I cannot lead another memory,

O its watering! A downhill rain!

كم أقام اللهو فيها عُرُسَا

وتجلّى في رباها قَمَرُ

How amusement established in it a wedding,

And the moon appeared in its pasture!

راح منا بالهوى مقتربا

ليّنِ العطف رخيم الكَلِمِ

Passion went from us approaching,

To gentle affection, soft in speech,

حيث أضحى بالسّنا منتقبا

مخطف الكشح نقي المبسَمِ

Where it appeared with splendor adorned,

Snatching glances, pure of smile,

وسعى من طرفهِ لما انتشى

بمحيّا لحظهِ المختلسِ

And it raced when it was lively

With a wink of its mischievous eye,

يتلع الجيد كما يعطو الرشا

ويداني الخطو وسْطَ المجلسِ

Plucking the neck as the gazelle plucks fodder,

And approaching on foot amidst the gathering,

يا له من أهيفٍ طاوي الحشا

عَندميّ الخدّ حلوِ اللَعَسِ

O what an enchanting, slender-waisted one,

Rosy cheeked, sweet lipped!

كم رعينا منه ثغراً أشنبا

ورعى منا حقوقَ الذِّمَمِ

How many times we shepherded from it a mouth, carmine,

And it shepherded our pact sincerely!

وقطعنا فيه عيشاً أطيبا

للصبى لكنه لم يَدُم

We spent in it the sweetest life,

But for the youth - it did not last!