وقرنفل غضّ المكاسر ناصعٌ

وقرنفل غضّ المكاسر ناصعٌ

غصّت بطيب عبيره الأسْحَارُ

غصّت بطيب عبيره الأسْحَارُ

And a carnation, tender at its joints, pure white—

The tender carnation with its petals gleams,

The predawn hours were choked with its sweet fragrance.

Its sweet fragrance has perfumed the dawn.

وافَى على سوق بَدَتْ أوراقها

وافَى على سوق بَدَتْ أوراقها

تَنْدى وقد عَلِقَتْ بها الأبصار

تَنْدى وقد عَلِقَتْ بها الأبصار

It came forth on stalks whose leaves appeared

It appeared in a market whose leaves were moist with dew,

Dew-moistened, with eyes already clinging to them.

Eyes were affixed to it in awe.

فكأنما للطير فيها ألسنٌ

فكأنما للطير فيها ألسنٌ

مذروبةٌ أطرافُهُنَّ صِغارُ

مذروبةٌ أطرافُهُنَّ صِغارُ

So it was as though birds had tongues within them—

It seemed as though the birds had tongues within it,

Sharp, with tiny tips.

Their tender tips like little chicks.

شَدَّتْ إِلى عِقُدِ الزُمردّ بينها

شَدَّتْ إِلى عِقُدِ الزُمردّ بينها

قُصَبٌ تُحار بوصْفها الأفكارُ

قُصَبٌ تُحار بوصْفها الأفكارُ

Among them, binding them to emerald knots, are

Towards its emerald necklace they reached,

Reedlike stalks whose description bewilders thought.

Perplexing thoughts in describing it.

فكأنّها للعندليبِ أكارعٌ

فكأنّها للعندليبِ أكارعٌ

بقرار أعمدها له منقار

بقرار أعمدها له منقار

As though they were a nightingale's legs,

As though it had meadows for the nightingale,

At the base of their pillars, it has a beak.

With pillars for it to build its nest.

قَدْ توّجتها للقموع مَكاحِلٌ

قَدْ توّجتها للقموع مَكاحِلٌ

خُضْرٌ مُشرّفةُ الذرى مِعْطارُ

خُضْرٌ مُشرّفةُ الذرى مِعْطارُ

Kohl-pots have crowned them as calyces—

Green kohl adorns it for wheat spikes,

Green, with crenellated summits, richly fragrant.

Perfuming the earth a sweet scent.

في كلّ واحدة تروقك زهرة

في كلّ واحدة تروقك زهرة

فَكأنّها من فضّة مسمَارُ

فَكأنّها من فضّة مسمَارُ

In each one, a flower delights you,

In each one a flower captivates you,

As though it were a nail of silver.

As though it were made of sculpted silver.