حَيٍّ الرَّبِيْعَ تَحِيَّةَ المُسْتَقْبِلِ
أَهْدَى السُّرُورَ لَنَا بِغَيْثٍ مُسْبَلِ
O springtime, greeting the future
Brought us joy with pouring rain
مُتَكَاثِفِ الأَنْوَاءِ مُنْغَدِقِ الحَيَا
هَطِلِ النَّدَى هَزِمِ الرُّعُودِ مُجَلْجِلِ
Of condensed clouds, life overflowing
Rain pouring, thunder roaring, rumbling
جَاءَتْ بِعَزْلِ الجَدْبِ فِيْهِ فَبَشَّرَتْ
بِالْخِضْبِ أَنْوَاءُ السِّمَاكِ الأَعْزَلِ
It came, dispelling drought
The clouds announced fertility to the barren land
فِي لِيْلَةٍ حَجَبَ السَّماءُ نُجُومَهَا
فَكَأَنَّهَا أَفَلَتْ وَإِنْ لَمْ تَأْفُلِ
In a night when the sky hid its stars
It was as though it had set though it did not set
وَالبَدْرُ مِنْ خَلَلِ الغَمَامِ كَأَنَّهُ
قَبَسٌ يُضِئُ وَرَاءَ سِتْرٍ أَكْحَلِ
The moon through the clouds was like
A lamp shining behind a blue veil
وَكَأَنَّ لَمْعَ البَرْقِ مِنْ جَنَبَاتِهِ
كَفُّ الشُّجَاعِ تَهُزُّ مَتْنَ المُنْصُلِ
And lightning flashes from its sides
Like the palm of a brave warrior brandishing a sword
يَدْنُو فِيُحْسَبُ لِلرَّيَاضِ مُعَانِقَاً
طَوْرَاً وَيَعْطِفُهُ هُبُوبُ الشَّمَأَلِ
It comes near, and is thought to be embracing
The meadows, turning towards them with the blowing wind
كَالصَّبِّ هَمَّ بِقُبْلَةٍ حَتَّى إِذَا
لَحَظَتْهُ عَيْنُ رَقِيْبِهِ لَمْ يَفْعَلِ
Like a lover, it intended a kiss until
The watchman's eye saw it, and it did not
فَامْنَحْ أَخَاكَ الغَيْثَ وَجْهَ طَلاَقَةٍ
وَالْقَ الرَّبِيْعَ بِأُنْسَةٍ وَتَهَلُّلِ
So grant your brother the rain with a cheerful face
And meet the spring with comfort and delight
وَاعْرِفْ لَهُ حَقَّ القُدُومِ بِقَهْوَةٍ
عَذْرَاءَ تُمْزَجُ بِالزُّلاَلِ السَّلْسَلِ
Acknowledge his right to arrive with coffee
Pure, mixed with flowing cool chains
صَهْبَاءُ تُجْلَى فِي الزُّجَاجِ وَيُتَّقَى
مِنْهَا أَلِيْمُ القَتْلِ إِنْ لَمْ تَقْتُلِ
Pale, clarified in glass, and avoided
Lest it kill with painful death if it does not kill
كَالْخَدِّ لاقَتْهُ العُيُونُ فَعَصْفَرَتْ
مُبْيَضَّ وَجْنَتِهِ بِلَحْظٍ مُخْجِلِ
Like a cheek the eyes met and yellowed
Whitening its apple with a shy glance
مِنْ كَفِّ مَيَّاسِ القَوَامِ كَأَنَّهُ
رَيْحَانَةٌ رَيَّانَةٌ لَمْ تَذْبُلِ
From the palm of the erect statured cupbearer as though
It were a fresh fragrant basil not yet wilted
يَشْدُو بِفَتَّانِ الجَنِيْنِ كَأَنَّهُ
طِفْلٌ تَمَهَّدَ حِجْرَ ظِئْرٍ مُطْفِلِ
It captivates with the melody of the instrument as though
It were a child resting in the lap of a foster mother
تَلْوِي أَنَامِلَهَا عَلَى آذَانِهِ
فَتَبِيْنُ أَنَّهُ ذِي سَقَامٍ مُنْحَلِ
Her fingers coil around its ears
Revealing it to be diseased and weak
كَلَمَتْ تَرَائِيَهُ فَبَانَ كَلاَمُهُ
لِلسَّمْعِ مِنْ جَسَدٍ خَفِيْفِ المَحْمَلِ
She spoke to it and its speech became apparent
To the ear from a body light of burden
خَلْخَالُهُ فِي نَحْرِهِ وَلِسَانُهُ
فِي أُذُنِهِ وَجَبِيْنُهُ مِنْ أَسْفَلِ
Its anklet is around its neck, its tongue
In its ear, and its forehead from below
هَزِجٌ يَخِفُّ عَلَى الأَكُفِّ وَلَفْظُهُ
يَعْلُو بِتَأْلِيْفِ الثَّقِيْلِ الأَوَّلِ
Jesting, it lightly treads the palms, and its pronunciation
Is loud with the composition of the first heavy [rhyme]
فَكَأَنَّمَا شَخْصُ الغَرِيْضَ مُمَثَّلٌ
فِي العُودِ أَوْ سَكَنَتْهُ رُوحُ المَوْصِلِي
It is as though the persona of the throaty singer is
Personified in the lute or the soul of Al-Mawsili inhabited it
لاَ سِيَّمَا إِنْ حَثَّ مِنْ أَصْوَاتِهِ
صَوْتَاً يُصَابُ بِهِ مَكَانُ المَقْتَلِ
Especially if it elicits from its sounds
A note that strikes the place of death
يَا أُخْتَ نَاجِيَةَ السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكُمُ
قَبْلَ الرَّحِيْلِ وَقَبْلَ لَوْمِ العُذَّلِ
O sister conversing, peace be upon you
Before parting and before the blame of the critic
فَاشْرَبْ عَلَى نَغَمَاتِهِ مِنْ كَفِّهِ
وَاجْلُ الصَّبَابَةَ بِالمُدَامَةِ تَنْجَلِ
So drink from his palm to its melodies
And meet the youth with the cup, relax
