وَنَهارِ أُنسٍ لَو سَأَلنا دَهرَنا

وَنَهارِ أُنسٍ لَو سَأَلنا دَهرَنا

في أَن يَعودَ بِمِثلِهِ لَم يَقدِرِ

في أَن يَعودَ بِمِثلِهِ لَم يَقدِرِ

And what a day of fellowship! Had we asked our Time

If we asked time to bring back a day of bliss

To bring back its like, it could not have done so.

It would not have the power to repeat it

خَرَقَ الزَمانُ لَهُ بِهِ عَاداتِهِ

خَرَقَ الزَمانُ لَهُ بِهِ عَاداتِهِ

فَلَوِ اِقتَرَحنا النَجمَ لَم يَتَعَذَّرِ

فَلَوِ اِقتَرَحنا النَجمَ لَم يَتَعَذَّرِ

For its sake, Time broke its customs that day;

Time broke its habits for its sake

So had we requested a star, it would not have been beyond reach.

Even if we proposed a star, it would not hesitate

في فِتيَةٍ عَلِمَت ذُكاءُ بِحُسنِهِم

في فِتيَةٍ عَلِمَت ذُكاءُ بِحُسنِهِم

فَتَلَفَّعَت مِن غَيمِها في مِئزَرِ

فَتَلَفَّعَت مِن غَيمِها في مِئزَرِ

Among young men whose beauty Dhukāʾ, the sun, came to know,

For youths whose intelligence knew beauty through their charm

So she wrapped herself in a waist-wrap of her clouds.

So it flung aside its cloudy gown

وَالسَرحَةُ الغَنّاءُ قَد قَبَضَت بِها

وَالسَرحَةُ الغَنّاءُ قَد قَبَضَت بِها

كَفُّ النَسيمِ عَلى لِواءٍ أَخضَرِ

كَفُّ النَسيمِ عَلى لِواءٍ أَخضَرِ

And the leafy tree had been grasped

The warbling doe has now withdrawn

As a green banner in the breeze’s hand.

Like the palm of a breeze grasping a green banner

وَكَأَنَّ شَكلَ الغَيمِ مُنخُلُ فِضَّةٍ

وَكَأَنَّ شَكلَ الغَيمِ مُنخُلُ فِضَّةٍ

يُلقِي عَلى الآفاقِ رَطبَ الجَوهَرِ

يُلقِي عَلى الآفاقِ رَطبَ الجَوهَرِ

And the clouds’ shape was like a sieve of silver,

And it seems the shape of the cloud is a cluster of silver

Casting moist jewels across the horizons.

Casting ripe pearls over the horizons