ما العَيشُ إِن يَبدو وابَرامَةَ بارِقٍ

وَيَزورُ طَيفٌ مِن تَهامَةَ طارِقُ

What is life, if the morning shines

And a specter from Tihama passes by

كَلّا وَلا اللَذّاتُ رَبعٌ دارِسٌ

وَلّى بِساكِنِهِ وَجَدَّ السائِقُ

Nay, not even pleasures are lasting

The inhabitant turned away and the driver left

العَيشُ صافِيَةٌ كَأَنَّ شُعاعَها

قَبَسٌ تَوَقَّدَ فَاِستَنارَ الغاسِقُ

Life is pure, as if its radiance

Is an ember that ignited and illuminated the dark

صَلّى عَلَيها في الدُيورِ شَهامِسٌ

وَهَوى إِلَيها بِالسُجودِ جَثالِقُ

Eminent men throughout the ages prayed over it

And the humble prostrated towards it

ما لي وَآرام العَقيق وَرامَةٍ

ريمُ العَقيقِ وَريمُ رامَة طالِقُ

Why do I care for carnelian and musk

The shedding of carnelian and shedding of musk are free

عَذراءُ ما عَقَرَت بِراحَةِ شارِبٍ

مُذ حَيثُ كانَت فَهيَ بكرٌ عاتِقُ

An unmarried girl who has not marred the rest of a reveler

Since she has always been a virgin with large dark eyes

مَن كانَ ذاوَلَهٍ بِنَجدٍ عاشِقاً

كَلِفاً فَإِنّي لِلمدامَةِ عاشِقُ

Whoever loves sober Najd passionately

I am a lover of wine

سَفَهاً لِرَأيِ فَتىً يَبيتُ وَما لَهُ

في حَلبَةِ الصَهباءِ طَرقٌ سابِقُ

Foolish is the opinion of a youth who spends the night without

A precedent in the arena of predawn darkness

سيما وَجَيشُ الصَبرِ قَد ضُرِبَت لَهُ

فَوقَ الرِياضِ المونِقاتِ سُرادِقُ

Especially since an army of patience has been assigned

Pavilions above the soft meadows

وَعَلى الزَمانِ مِنَ الرَبيعِ مَحاسِنٌ

قَلبُ السُرورِ بِها كَثيبٌ وامِقُ

And the spring has beauties over time

With it the heart of joy is a swollen torrent

يا شارِبَ الصَهباءِ دونَكَ فَاِنتَهِز

أَرضٌ مُزَخرَفَةٌ وَماء دافِقُ

O you who drink sobriety, avail yourself

Of an ornamented land and a gushing water

وَعَساكِر الزَهرِ النَضير كَتائِبٌ

رُفِعَت عَلَيهِ مِنَ الغُصونِ صَناجِقُ

And regiments of delicate flowers are battalions

Raised on its branches are trellised pavilions

وَالطَيرُ تَصدَحُ في الغُصونِ كَأَنَّها

تَرجيعُ أَلحانٍ وَصَبٍ شائِقُ

And birds trill in the branches as if

They are returning melodies and passionate love songs