وَيَوم تَضُوعُ الشَّمسُ حَلياً بِحُسنِهِ

تُفَضِّضُهُ طَوراً وَطَوراً تُذَهِّبُ

When the sun adorns itself with its beauty,

It sheds its ornaments one by one and then hides them away.

تُريه كَحَليِ مُشرِقِ الوَجه في الضُّحى

وتُضمِرُ شَجواً في الأصيل فَيَنحبُ

It shows itself like the kohl around brightened eyes in the morning,

Yet it harbors grief in the evening and then weeps.

تَبَسَّمَ عَن ثَغرِ العَشِيَّةِ مِثلَ ما

جَلا صُفرَةَ المِسواكِ ألعَسُ أَشنَبُ

It smiled from the horizon’s mouth as yellow as old miswak,

With the most radiant and brilliant of smiles.

تَجَلّي يهِ غُصنٌ تَطَلَّعَ بشرُهُ

فقُلنا أيَبدو الصُّبحُ والشَّمسُ تَغرُبُ

A branch was unveiled before it, its youthfulness appeared,

And we said: “Does the dawn break while the sun sets?”

وَقد قابَلَتنا مِن سَجاياه نفحَة

أنَمُّ مِنَ المِسكِ الفَتيقِ وأَطيَبُ

It exhaled at us a scent from its features,

More fragrant than pure musk and most sweet.

شَمائلُهُ تُزهَى الشَّمولُ بطيبهَأ

وَمَا خِلتُ أَنَّ الرَّاحَ بِالرَّاحِ تعجبُ

Its attributes adorn the sky’s expanse with its fragrance,

And I knew the wind marvels at the wind.

تُدارُ عَلينَا بالكُؤوسِ كَوَاكِبٌ

إِذَا غابَ مِنهَا كَوكَبٌ لاحَ كَوكَبُ

Goblets are passed around to us like orbiting planets,

If a planet hides, a planet lights up.

فَنَشربُها في وِردِهش وَهيَ عِندَنَا

ألذُّ مِنَ العَيشِ الهَنِيِّ وَأعذَبُ

We drink them during his visit, more delightful to us

Than the most delightful life and sweetest.

بِمَجلِسِ أُنسٍ وَدَّتِ الشَّمسُ لو تَرَى

كُؤُوساً بِهَا بَينَ النَّدَامى فتَشرَبُ

In a gathering of intimacy when the sun sets, if only you could see

Goblets passed amongst boon companions that they may drink.

يُذكِّرُنَا دار النَّعِيمِ بِحُسنِهِ

يُعيدُ شَبابَ المَرءِ وَالمَرءُ أَشيَبُ

It reminds us of the Abode of Bliss with its beauty,

Restoring a man’s youth though the man grows old.

مَحَبَّتُنا أضحَت إِلَيهِ وَسِيلةٌ

فَتُدني إِلى مَرضَاتِهِ وتُقرِّبُ

Our love for it has become a means

To draw nearer to its pleasure and gain closeness.