أَبِشرُكَ أَم ماءٌ يَسُحُّ وَبُستانُ

وَذِكرُكَ أَم راحٌ تُدارُ وَرَيحانُ

Do I give you good news, or is it water that washes and a garden in bloom?

Is it your memory, or is it a gentle breeze amid basil plants?

وَإِلّا فَما بالي وَفَودِيَ أَشمَطٌ

تَلَوَّيتُ في بُردي كَأَنِّيَ نَشوانُ

Otherwise why are my cheeks sunken, as if I were lovesick?

I've tossed and turned in my chill, as if I were troubled with anxiety.

وَهَل هِيَ إِلّا جُملَةٌ مِن مَحاسِنٍ

تَغايَرُ أَبصارٌ عَلَيها وَآذانُ

Is it not just a collection of beauties

That vary in their sights and sounds?

بِأَمثالِها مِن حِكمَةٍ في بَلاغَةٍ

تُحَلِّلُ أَضغانٌ وَتَرحَلُ أَظعانُ

With wisdom and eloquence like theirs

Problems get solved, sorrows get packed up.

وَتُنظَمُ في نَحرِ المعالي قِلادَةٌ

وَتُسحَبُ في نادي المَفاخِرِ أَردانُ

And a necklace gets strung with the highest virtues,

Awards get handed out in the club of the proudest.

كَلامٌ كَما اِستَشرَفتَ جيدَ جَدايَةٍ

وَفُصَّلَ ياقوتٌ هُناكَ وَمُرجانُ

Words, as you’ve predicted, extremely excellent,

Where rubies were detailed, and coral was inlaid.

تَدَفَّقَ ماءُ الطَبعِ فيهِ تَدَفُّقاً

فَجاءَ كَما يَصفو عَلى النارِ عِقيانُ

The water of natural talent flowed copiously in it,

Coming out refined, like silver purified by fire.

أَتاني يَرِفُّ النَورُ فيهِ نَضارَةً

وَيَكرَعُ مِنهُ في الغَمامَةِ ظَمآنُ

It came to me, radiating vitality,

As if, from the clouds, a thirsty one drank deep.

وَتَأخُذُ عَنهُ صَنعَةَ السِحرِ بابِلٌ

وَتَلوي إِلَيهِ أَخدَعَ الصَبِّ بَغدانُ

Babylon takes from it the craft of magic,

And the most cunning youth strives toward it.

وَجَدتُ بِهِ ريحَ الشَبابِ لُدونَةً

وَدونَ صِبا ريحِ الشَبيبَةِ أَزمانُ

In it, I found the scent of youth made gentle,

Without the tempest of adolescence, seasons go by.

وَشاقَ إِلى تُفّاحِ لُبنانَ نَفحَهُ

وَهَيهاتَ مِن أَرضِ الجَزيرَةِ لُبنانُ

Its breath rivals the apples of Lebanon,

While, alas, the land of the peninsula is far from Lebanon.

فَهَل تَرِدُ الأُستاذَ مِنّي تَحِيَّةٌ

تَسيرُ كَما عاطى الزُجاجَةَ نَدمانُ

Will the teacher then accept from me a greeting

That travels like one drunk handed a flask?

تَهَشَّ إِلَيها رَوضَةُ الحَزنِ سَحرَةً

وَيَثني إِلَيها مِن مَعاطِفِهِ البانُ

At dawn, the garden of sorrow hastens toward it,

And the hero in his cloak leans toward it.

تَحَمَّلَها حَملَ السَفيرِ بَنَفسَجٌ

تَحَمَّلهُ حَملَ السَريرَةِ سَوسانُ

Lilac has undertaken to carry it, like an envoy,

Lilies have undertaken to bear it, like a palanquin.