مَنْ قَلَّدَ الزَّهْرَ جُمَانَ النَّدَى

وَأَلْهَمَ الْقُمْرِيَّ حَتَّى شَدَا

He who adorned the flowers with the necklaces of dew

And inspired the moon until it gleamed

وَزَيَّنَ الأَرْضَ بِأَلْوانِهَا

وَصَوَّرَ الأَبْيَضَ والأَسْوَدَا

And decorated the earth with its colors

And shaped the white and the black

سُبْحَانَ مَنْ أَبْدَعَ فِي مُلْكِهِ

حَتَّى بَدَا مِنْ صُنْعِهِ مَا بَدَا

Glory to Him who originated in His kingdom

Until His craftsmanship appeared as it appeared

تَنَزَّهَتْ عَنْ صِفَةٍ ذَاتُهُ

وَقَامَ فِي لاهُوتِهِ أَوْحَدَا

His essence transcended all attributes

And He stood uniquely divine

فَاسْجُدْ لَهُ وَاقْصِدْ حِمَاهُ تَجِدْ

رَبَّاً كَرِيماً وَمَلِيكاً هَدَى

So prostrate to Him, and seek His protection, you will find

A Lord Most Generous, and a Guiding Sovereign

فَقُمْ بِنَا يا صَاحِ نَرْعَ النَّدَى

وَنَسْأَلِ اللهِ عَمِيمَ النَّدَى

Rise with us, O cupbearer of the delights of dew

As we ask God, the All-Encompassing, the Most High

أَمَا تَرَى كَيْفَ اسْتَحَارَ الدُّجَى

وَكَيْفَ ضَلَّ النَّجْمُ حَتَّى اهْتَدَى

Do you not see how the darkness paled

And how the star wandered until it was guided

وَلاحَ خَيْطُ الْفَجْرِ فِي سُحْرَةٍ

كَصَارِمٍ فِي قَسْطَلٍ جُرِّدَا

And the dawn's thread gleamed suddenly

Like a bare sword in its sheath

فَالْجَوُّ قَدْ باحَ بِمَكْنُونِهِ

وَالأَرْضُ قَدْ أَنْجَزَتِ الْمَوْعِدَا

So the atmosphere has brought forth its treasures

And the earth has fulfilled its promise

غَمَامَةٌ أَلْقَتْ بِأَفْلاذِهَا

وَجَدْوَلٌ مَدَّ إِلَيْنَا يَدَا

A cloud casting forth its young

And a stream extending its hands to us

فَانْهَضْ وَسِرْ وَانْظُرْ ومِلْ وَابْتَهِجْ

وَامْرَحْ وَطِبْ وَاشْرَبْ لِتُرْوِي الصَّدَى

So get up, walk, look, enjoy, rejoice

And have fun, prosper, and drink to quench the echo

وَلا تَسَلْ عَنْ خَبَرٍ لَمْ يَحِنْ

مِيقَاتُهُ وَانْظُرْ إِلَى الْمُبْتَدَا

And do not ask about news whose time

Has not yet come, and look to the beginning

وَلا تَلُمْ خِلاً عَلَى هَفْوَةٍ

فَقَلَّمَا تَلْقَى فَتىً أَمْجَدَا

And do not blame a friend for a slip

For rarely will you meet a more splendid youth

لَوْ عَلِمَ الإِنْسَانُ ما أَضْمَرَتْ

أَحْبَابُهُ هَانَتْ عَلَيْهِ الْعِدَا

If man knew what his loved ones concealed

Their enmity would become easy for him

فَدَعْ بَنِي الدُّنْيَا لأَهْوَائِهِمْ

وَلا تُطِعْ مَنْ لاَمَ أَوْ فَنَّدَا

So leave the people of this world to their whims

And do not obey whoever blames or rebels

مَا لِي وَلِلنَّاسِ وَأَعْمَالِهِمْ

كُلُّ امْرِئٍ رَهْنُ حِسَابٍ غَدَا

What business do I have with people and their deeds

For each person is hostage to the next day's reckoning

هِلْ هِيَ إِلَّا مُدَّةٌ تَنْقَضِي

وَكُلُّ نَفْسٍ خُلِقَتْ لِلرَّدَى

Is it not but a finite period

And every soul was created for annihilation

فَاسْتَعْمِلِ الرِّفْقَ تَعِشْ رَاشِداً

وَاعْطِفْ عَلَى الأَدْنَى تَكُنْ سَيِّدَا

So use gentleness, you will live rightly

And be kind to the lowly, you will be master

وَاسْعَ لِمَا أَنْتَ لَهُ فَالْفَتَى

إِنْ هَجَرَ الرَّاحَةَ حَازَ الْمَدَى

And strive for what you are meant for, so the youth

If he forsakes comfort, will achieve his goal

مَا خَلَقَ اللهُ الْوَرَى بَاطِلاً

لِيَرْتَعُوا بَيْنَ الْبَوَادِي سُدَى

God did not create the creation in vain

To wander between the deserts confused

فَاقْبَلْ وَصَاتِي وَاسْتَمِعْ حِكْمَتِي

فَلَيْسَ مَنْ أَغْوَى كَمَنْ أَرْشَدَا

So accept my advice and listen to my wisdom

For one who misguides is not like one who gives guidance

إِنِّي وإِنْ كُنْتُ أَخَا صَبْوَةٍ

وَمِسْمَعٍ يُطْرِبُنِي مَنْ شَدَا

And even though I am a brother of playfulness

And a listener made joyous by one who sings

فَقَدْ أَزُورُ اللَّيْثَ في غَابِهِ

وَأَهْبِطُ الأَرْضَ عَلَيْهَا النَّدَى

I visit the lion in his den

And descend onto the earth with the dew

وَأَصْدَعُ الْخَصْمَ وَمَا خِلْتُنِي

أَصْدَعُ إِلَّا الْبَطَلَ الأَصْيَدَا

And defeat the opponent, and my soul did not lack

Defeating except the brave hunter

بِلَهْذَمٍ لَيْسَتْ لَهُ صَعْدَةٌ

لَكِنَّهُ يَمْضِي إِذَا سُدِّدَا

With a sharp sword that has no sheath

But it strikes true when aimed

أَوْ صَارِمٍ يَفْرِي نِيَاطَ الْكُلَى

وَلَمْ يَزَلْ فِي جَفْنِهِ مُغْمَدَا

Or a saber that tears through the kidneys

Having never left its sheath

مَاضِي الْغِرَارَيْنِ وَلَكِنَّهُ

لا يَعْرِفُ الصَّيْقَلَ وَالْمِبْرَدَا

Inherited without knowing polish or Indian steel

Or a dagger that if its blade inclines

أَوْ مِشْقَصٍ إِنْ فَوَّقَتْ نَصْلَهُ

إِلَى امْرِئٍ غَيْرُ يَدٍ أَقْصَدا

Toward a man, no other hand intended

Or a bird crouching watchfully in its nest

أَوْ طَائِرٍ فِي وَكْرِهِ جاثِمٍ

يَشُوقُ إِنْ هَيْنَمَ أَوْ غَرَّدَا

Delighting whether it chirps or twitters

It has never ceased residing therein

لَمْ يَعْدُ كِنَّاً لَمْ يَزَلْ سَاكِناً

فِيهِ وَبَاباً دُونَهُ مُؤْصَدَا

With its door closed tight

Submissive except that if tested

قَدْ لانَ إِلَّا أَنَّهُ إِنْ قَسَا

يَوْمَ نِضَالٍ صَدَعَ الْجَلْمَدَا

On a day of fighting, it smashed the solid

Confined yet free

مُعْتَقَلٌ لَكِنَّهُ مُطْلَقٌ

يَجُولُ في مَسْكَنِهِ سَرْمَدَا

Wandering eternal in its dwelling

Judging by taste what it sees

يَحْكُمُ بِالذَّوْقِ عَلَى ما يَرَى

وَيَعْرِفُ الأَصْلَحَ والأَفْسَدَا

And knowing better from worse

It has companions who have surrounded it

لَهُ صِحَابٌ قَدْ أَحَاطَتْ بِهِ

تَنْقُلُ عَنْهُ نَبَرَاتِ الصَّدَى

Carrying to it the echoes’ ring

Through them it convenes, its group

فَهْوَ بِهَا مُجْتَمِعٌ شَمْلُهُ

إِنْ أَصْدَرَ الْقَوْلَ بِهَا أَوْرَدَا

Whether it issues words or rebuts

The nuances of poetry are of a sublime quality

مُشْتَبِهَاتُ الرَّصْفِ فِي جَوْدَةٍ

تَبَارَكَ اللهُ الَّذِي جَوَّدَا

Blessed is God who granted them

It sleeps among them with a feel

يَبِيتُ مِنْهَا وَهْو ذُو مِرَّةٍ

فِي رَصَفٍ مِنْ لُؤْلُؤٍ نُضِّدَا

In a pavement made of studded pearls

That is my tongue, and it suffices me whenever

ذَاكَ لِسَانِي وَهْوَ حَسْبِي إِذَا

ما أَبْرَقَ الْحَاسِدُ أَوْ أَرْعَدَا

An envier flashes lightning or thunders