أَلا حَيِّ بِالْمِقْيَاسِ رَيَّا الْمَعَالِمِ
وَقَلَّ لَهَا مِنَّا تَحِيَّةُ قَادِمِ
O joyful place measured by destiny, greetings to you, O landmark,
Delightful gardens and refuge of doves,
مَلاعِبُ آرَامٍ وَمَأْوَى حَمَائِمٍ
وَمَسْقَطُ أَنْدَاءٍ وَمَسْرَى نَسَائِمِ
Abode of friends and breeze's pathway.
Rivers from all sides surround it to irrigate it,
أَحَاطَتْ بِهِ لِلنِّيلِ مِنْ كُلِّ جَانِبٍ
جَدَاوِلُ تُسْقِيهِ سُلافَ الْغَمَائِمِ
With clouds' downpour.
The rivers meander as if they were interwoven,
تَدُورُ مَدَارَ الْطَّوْقِ مِنْ حَيْثُ تَلْتَقِي
مَسِيراً وَتَنْسَلُّ انْسِلالَ الأَرَاقِمِ
Flowing gently like creeping snakes.
When the sun makes it laugh, it rustles softly
إِذَا ضَاحَكَتْهَا الشَّمْسُ رَفَّتْ مُتُونُهَا
رَفِيفَ الثَّنَايَا خَلْفَ حُمْرِ الْمَبَاسِمِ
Behind crimson blossoms.
And if the wind unleashes it, it reveals plaits
وَإِنْ سَلْسَلَتْهَا الرِّيحُ أَبْدَتْ سَبَائِكَاً
مُقَدَّرَةٌ كَالْوَشْمِ فَوْقَ الْمَعَاصِمِ
Predestined like tattoos above wrists.
It roams through the towering trees and ends
تَجُوسُ خِلالَ الْبَاسِقَاتِ وَتَنْتَهِي
إِلَى سَاعِدٍ فِي غَمْرَةِ النِّيلِ سَاجِمِ
At an arm submerged in the Nile's darkness.
You see trees leaning amorously over the water
تَرَى حَوْلَهَا الأَشْجَارَ وَلْهَى مُكِبَّةً
عَلَى الْمَاءِ فِعْلَ الصَّادِيَاتِ الْحَوَائِمِ
Acting like gazelles gazing at their images.
And sprigs rising in the air as if they were
وَمُنْبَعِثَاتٍ فِي الْهَوَاءِ كَأَنَّهَا
بَيَارِقُ لَهْوٍ رُكِّزَتْ فِي الْمَوَاسِمِ
Banners of bliss planted during seasons.
As if drinking from the soft hands of splendor,
مِنَ اللاءِ قَدْ آلَيْنَ يَشْرَبْنَ أَوْ تَلِي
مَنَابِتُهَا غَوْرَ الْبِحَارِ الْخَضَارِمِ
Or their stems absorb the depths of verdant seas.
When the wind toys with its hilltops, its knights
إِذَا لاعَبَتْ أَعْرَافَهَا الرِّيحُ خِلْتَهَا
فَوَارِسَ تَعْصُو بِالسُّيُوفِ الصَّوَارِمِ
Rebel with sharp swords.
Dawn appears with banners, as if hands
يَلُوحُ بِهَا طَلْعٌ نَضِيدٌ كَأَنَّهُ
فَرَائِدُ سَاوَى بَيْنَهَا كَفُّ نَاظِمِ
Have lined them up evenly between them.
When blossom time comes and it is adorned,
إِذَا مَا أَتَى مِيقَاتُهَا وَتَضَرَّجَتْ
حَسِبْتَ عَقِيقاً فِي صِحَافِ الْكَمَائِمِ
You’d think it was carnelian in braids’ containers.
Theaters of joy—if the people saw their beauty
مَسَارِحُ لَهْوٍ لَوْ رَأَى الشَّعْبُ حُسْنَهَا
لَعَضَّ عَلَى مَا فَاتَهُ بِالأَبَاهِمِ
They would bite their fingers in regret.
I recalled an era gone by and pleasure
ذَكَرْتُ بِهَا عَصْرَاً تَوَلَّى وَلَذَّةً
تَقَضَّتْ وَمَا عَهْدُ الزَّمَانِ بِدَائِمِ
That's over—for time's promise isn't lasting.
Days are not good except with their people,
وَمَا تَحْسُنُ الأَيَّامُ إِلا بِأَهْلِهَا
وَلا الدَّارُ إِلا بِالصَّدِيقِ الْمُلائِمِ
Nor home except with a congenial friend.
Oh, the bliss of youth in its prime
فَيَا نِعْمَ مَا وَلَّتْ بِهِ دَوْلَةُ الصِّبَا
وَلَمْ تَرْعَهُ مِنْ عَهْدِنَا الْمُتَقَادِمِ
That our old days did not savour!
For life is fleeting and we are comrades
إِذِ الْعَيْشُ أَفْنَانٌ وَنَحْنُ عِصَابَةٌ
أُولُو تَرَفٍ مَا بَيْنَ غَادٍ وَهَائِمِ
Leisurely between errant and wary.
We follow the creed of loyalty and none
نَسِيرُ عَلَى دِينِ الْوَفَاءِ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ
سِوَى الْحُبِّ مِنْ قَاضٍ عَلَيْنَا وَحَاكِمِ
But love has ruled or judged over us.
When one of us speaks, before him stands
إِذَا قَالَ مِنَّا قَائِلٌ قَامَ دُونَهُ
شَهِيدٌ عَلَيْهِ صَادِقٌ غَيْرُ آثِمِ
A witness, honest and no sinner.
Death hovers over him while he wards off
يَحُومُ عَلَيْهِ وَالْمَنَايَا مُسِفَّةٌ
وَيَدْرَأُ عَنْهُ فِي صُدُورِ اللَّهَادِمِ
Destruction in the minds of the ignorant.
When rage burns him and a fit inclines him
إِذَا أَلْهَبَتْهُ غَضْبَةٌ وَتَرَجَّحَتْ
بِهِ سَورَةٌ أَغْرَى الظُّبَا بِالْجَمَاجِمِ
To stir the hyenas with skulls.
That era passed but for memories
فَقَدْ مَرَّ ذَاكَ الْعَصْرُ إِلا لُبَانَةً
مُعَلَّقَةً بَيْنَ الْحَشَا وَالْحَيَازِمِ
Suspended between past and future.
When the soul recalls it one day
إِذَا ذَكَرَتْهَا النَّفْسُ يَوْمَاً تَرَاجَعَتْ
عَلَيْهَا عَقَابِيلُ الْهُمُومِ الْقَدَائِمِ
Caravans of old sorrows return to it.
An abode of companionship we frequented
وَمَنْزِلَةٍ لِلأُنْسِ كُنَّا نَحُلُّها
وَنَرْعَى بِهَا اللَّذَّاتِ رَعْيَ السَّوَائِمِ
And savored pleasure like grazing beasts.
It grew silent as if never lively yesterday,
عَفَتْ وَكَأَنْ لَمْ تَغْنَ بِالأَمْسِ وَالْتَقَتْ
عَلَيْهَا أَعَاصِيرُ الرِّيَاحِ الْهَوَاجِمِ
Stormed by winds' violent onslaughts.
No good in a world whose promise does not last,
وَمَا خَيْرُ دُنْيَا لا بَقَاءَ لِعَهْدِهَا
وَمَا طِيبُ عَيْشٍ رَبُّهُ غَيْرُ سَالِمِ
No life's joy with an insecure Lord.
Thus pass the nights and the discourse of demise
عَلَى هَذِهِ تَمْضِي اللَّيَالِي وَيَنْقَضِي
حَدِيثُ الْمُنَى فِيهَا كَأَحْلامِ نَائِمِ
Concludes in them like a sleeper's dreams.
