خَدُّ الربيع من الحَياءِ تَوَرَّدَا

خَدُّ الربيع من الحَياءِ تَوَرَّدَا

خَجَلاً لِمَا أهْدَى إليه من النَّدَى

خَجَلاً لِمَا أهْدَى إليه من النَّدَى

Spring's cheek blushed rose-red with modesty,

The cheek of spring blushed red

in shame at the dew bestowed upon it.

Ashamed of the dew it shed

وبَنَفْسَجُ الكُثْبانِ أطْرقَ رأسُه

وبَنَفْسَجُ الكُثْبانِ أطْرقَ رأسُه

لَّما رأَى صُدْغَ الحبيبِ تجعَّدَا

لَّما رأَى صُدْغَ الحبيبِ تجعَّدَا

And the violet of the dunes bowed its head

While the violets bowed their heads

when it saw the beloved's sidelock curl.

When they saw the cheeks of the beloved turn red

وأرى الخريفَ اشْتَمَّ أنْفاسَ الشِّتَأ

وأرى الخريفَ اشْتَمَّ أنْفاسَ الشِّتَأ

فاصْفَرَّ مِنه خِيفَةً لمَّا بَدا

فاصْفَرَّ مِنه خِيفَةً لمَّا بَدا

And I see autumn has inhaled winter's breath,

I saw autumn sniff the breath of winter

so it turned yellow in fear of it when it appeared.

And turn yellow out of fear when it appeared

ورأَى جيوشَ سُيُولِه قد أقْبلَتْ

ورأَى جيوشَ سُيُولِه قد أقْبلَتْ

وعليه حُلَّةَ سُنْدُسٍ فتَجَرَّدَا

وعليه حُلَّةَ سُنْدُسٍ فتَجَرَّدَا

And it saw the armies of winter's torrents advancing,

And saw its flooding armies advance

and, clad in a robe of fine silk, stripped itself bare.

As it cast off its robe of lilac

والسُّحْب تنْثُر لُؤْلُؤاً وغُصونُه

والسُّحْب تنْثُر لُؤْلُؤاً وغُصونُه

بأَكُفِّ أوراقٍ تُفَرِّقُ عَسْجَدَأ

بأَكُفِّ أوراقٍ تُفَرِّقُ عَسْجَدَأ

And the clouds scatter pearls, and its branches

The clouds scatter pearls and its branches

with palms of leaves distribute gold.

With the palms of leaves scatter chamomile

والنَّجْمُ كحَّلَه الظلامُ بإثْمِدٍ

والنَّجْمُ كحَّلَه الظلامُ بإثْمِدٍ

مُذْ خالَه في الجَوِّ طَرْفاً أرْمَدَا

مُذْ خالَه في الجَوِّ طَرْفاً أرْمَدَا

And darkness lined the star with antimony kohl,

The stars, the darkness lined with kohl

since it took it for an inflamed eye in the sky.

Since it left them blinking in the sky

رَوضٌ تبَسَّم للوُفودِ بمَبْسَمٍ

رَوضٌ تبَسَّم للوُفودِ بمَبْسَمٍ

للرَّوضِ عَذْبِ المُجْتَنَى والمُجْتَدَى

للرَّوضِ عَذْبِ المُجْتَنَى والمُجْتَدَى

A garden smiled upon the visitors with a smiling mouth

A meadow smiled at the pilgrims with a smile

of the garden, sweet in its harvest and bounty.

For the meadow of sweet and new and old

ما ذَاقَ فيه السُّهْدَ إلاَّ ناظِرٌ

ما ذَاقَ فيه السُّهْدَ إلاَّ ناظِرٌ

للنَّرْجِسِ الغَضِّ الشَّهِيِّ تَسَهَّدَا

للنَّرْجِسِ الغَضِّ الشَّهِيِّ تَسَهَّدَا

None there tasted sleeplessness except an eye

None tasted the siesta there but a watcher

of the tender, alluring narcissus, which stayed awake.

Of the tender, youthful narcissus who dozed