1. تَنَشَّقَ مِن عَرفِ الصَبا ما تَنَشَّقا

    وَعاوَدَهُ ذِكرُ الصِبا فَتَشَوَّقا

    He inhaled what he inhaled of the east wind's fragrance;

    And remembrance of youth returned to him, so he yearned;

  2. وَما زالَ لَمعُ البَرقِ لَمّا تَأَلَّقا

    يُهيبُ بِدَمعِ العَينِ حَتّى تَدَفَّقا

    And the lightning's gleam, when it flashed, kept

    Summoning the eye's tears until they poured forth.

  3. وَهَل يَملِكُ الدَمعُ المَشوقُ المُصَبَّأُ

    خَليلَيَّ إِن أَجزَع فَقَد وَضَحَ العُذرُ

    And can the yearning, lovestruck man control his tears?

    My two friends, if I give way to grief, the excuse is plain;

  4. وَإِن أَستَطِع صَبراً فَمِن شيمَتي الصَبرُ

    وَإِن يَكُ رُزأً ما أَصابَ بِهِ الدَهرُ

    And if I can muster patience, patience is my nature;

    And if what fate has struck me with is a calamity,

  5. فَفي يَومِنا خَمرٌ وَفي غَدِهِ أَمرُ

    وَلا عَجَبٌ إِنَّ الكَريمَ مُرَزَّأُ

    Then we have wine today, and a task tomorrow;

    And no wonder: the noble man is stricken by loss.

  6. رَمَتني اللَيالي عَن قَسِيِّ النَوائِبِ

    فَما أَخطَأَتني مُرسَلاتُ المَصائِبِ

    The nights shot at me from the bows of misfortune;

    So calamity's shafts did not miss me;

  7. أَقضي نَهاري بِالأَماني الكَواذِبِ

    وَآوي إِلى لَيلٍ بَطيءِ الكَواكِبِ

    I spend my day with false hopes,

    And seek refuge in a night whose stars move slowly;

  8. وَأَبطَأُ سارٍ كَوكَبٌ باتَ يُكلَأُ

    أَقُرطُبَةُ الغَرّاءَ هَل فيكِ مَطمَعُ

    And the slowest traveler is a star watched all night.

    O radiant Cordoba, is there hope of reaching you?

  9. وَهَل كَبِدٌ حَرّى لِبَينَكِ تُنقَعُ

    وَهَل لِلَياليكِ الحَميدَةِ مَرجِعُ

    And can a liver scorched by parting from you be cooled?

    And can your cherished nights return,

  10. إِذِ الحُسنُ مَرأىً فيكِ وَاللَهوُ مَسمَعُ

    وَإِذ كَنَفُ الدُنيا لَدَيكِ مُوَطَّأُ

    When beauty was seen in you, and revelry heard,

    And when the world's shelter lay softly spread at your side?

  11. أَلَيسَ عَجيباً أَن تَشُطَّ النَوى بِكِ

    فَأَحيا كَأَن لَم أَنسَ نَفحَ جَنابِكِ

    Is it not strange that separation carries you far away,

    So I live as though I had never known the fragrance of your precincts,

  12. وَلَم يَلتَئِم شَعبي خِلالَ شِعابِكِ

    وَلَم يَكُ خَلقي بَدؤُهُ مِن تُرابِكِ

    Nor had my scattered being been gathered among your valleys,

    Nor had my creation begun in your soil,

  13. وَلَم يَكتَنِفني مِن نَواحيكِ مَنشَأُ

    نَهارُكِ وَضّاحٌ وَلَيلُكِ ضَحيانُ

    Nor had a place of upbringing in your environs enfolded me?

    Your day is radiant, and your night moon-bright;

  14. وَتُربُكِ مَصبوحٌ وَغُصنُكِ نَشوانُ

    وَأَرضُكِ تُكسى حينَ جَوُّكِ عُريانُ

    And your soil receives a morning draught, and your bough is tipsy;

    And your earth is clothed when your sky is bare;

  15. وَرَيّاكِ رَوحٌ لِلنُفوسِ وَرَيحانُ

    وَحَسبُ الأَماني ظِلُّكِ المُتَفَيَّأُ

    And your fragrance is refreshment and sweet basil for souls;

    And your sheltering shade suffices for every wish.

  16. أَأَنسى زَماناً بِالعِقابِ مُرَفَّلاً

    وَعَيشاً بِأَكنافِ الرُصافَةِ دَغفَلا

    Shall I forget a time richly robed at al-Iqab,

    And a luxuriant life in the precincts of al-Rusafa,

  17. وَمَغنىً إِزاءَ الجَعفَرِيَّةِ أَقبَلا

    لَنِعمَ مَرادُ النَفسِ رَوضاً وَجَدوَلا

    And an auspicious abode facing al-Ja'fariyya?

    How fine a goal for the soul: a garden and a stream!

  18. وَنِعمَ مَحَلُّ الصَبوَةِ المُتَبَوَّأُ

    وَيا رُبَّ مَلهىً بِالعَقيقِ وَمَجلِسِ

    And how fine the chosen abode of youthful passion!

    And oh, how many a pleasure-ground and meeting-place at al-Aqiq,

  19. لَدى تُرعَةٍ تَرنو بِأَحداقِ نَرجِسِ

    بِطاحُ هَواءٍ مُطمِعِ الحالِ مُؤيِسِ

    Beside a garden gazing with narcissus eyes,

    Broad plains, their weather both promising and dispiriting,

  20. مَغيمٍ وَلَكِن مِن سَنا الراحِ مُشمِسِ

    إِذا ما بَدَت في كَأسِها تَتَلَألَأُ

    Overcast, yet sunlit by the radiance of wine,

    Whenever it appeared, sparkling in its cup.

  21. وَقَد ضَمَّنا مِن عَينِ شُهدَةَ مَشهَدُ

    بَدَأنا وَعُدنا فيهِ وَالعودُ أَحمَدُ

    And a gathering at Shuhda's Spring brought us together;

    We began and returned there; the return was better;

  22. يَزُفُّ عَروسَ اللَهوِ أَحوَرُ أَغيَدُ

    لَهُ مَبسِمٌ عَذبٌ وَخَدٌّ مُوَرَّدُ

    A dark-eyed, supple man leads forth the bride of revelry;

    He has a sweet smiling mouth and a rose-tinted cheek,

  23. وَكَفٌّ بِحِنّاءِ المُدامِ تُقَنَّأُ

    وَكائِن عَدَونا مُصعِدينَ عَلى الجِسرِ

    And a hand dyed crimson with wine's henna.

    And how often we ran up across the bridge,

  24. إِلى الجَوسَقِ النَصرِيِّ بَينَ الرُبى العُفرِ

    وَرُحنا إِلى الوَعساءِ مِن شاطِئِ النَهرِ

    To the Nasri pavilion among the dust-colored hills,

    And at evening we went to the soft sands of the riverbank,

  25. بِحَيثُ هُبوبُ الريحِ عاطِرَةِ النَشرِ

    عَلا قُضُبَ النُوّارِ فَهيَ تَكَفَّأُ

    Where the wafting of the sweet-scented wind

    Rose over the flower-stems, and they swayed.

  26. وَأَحسِن بِأَيّامٍ خَلَونَ صَوالِحِ

    بِمَصنَعَةِ الدولابِ أَو قَصرِ ناصِحِ

    And how lovely the happy days that have passed,

    At al-Dulab's reservoir or Nasih's palace!

  27. تَهُزُّ الصَبا أَثناءَ تِلكَ الأَباطِحِ

    صَفيحَةَ سَلسالِ المَوارِدِ سائِحِ

    The east wind stirs, amid those broad riverbeds,

    The sheet of sweet water flowing from its sources;

  28. تَرى الشَمسَ تَجلو نَصلَها حينَ يَصدَأُ

    وَيا حَبَّذا الزَهراءَ بَهجَةَ مَنظَرِ

    You see the sun polish its blade whenever it rusts.

    And oh, how delightful al-Zahra, a joy to behold,

  29. وَرِقَّةَ أَنفاسٍ وَصِحَّةَ جَوهَرِ

    وَناهيكَ مِن مَبدا جَمالٍ وَمَحضِرِ

    And its delicate breaths and wholesome essence!

    And what a place for beauty to appear and dwell,

  30. وَجَنَّةِ عَدنٍ تَطَّبيكَ وَكَوثَرِ

    بِمَرأىً يَزيدُ العُمرَ طيباً وَيَنسَأُ

    And an Eden garden that lures you, and a Kawthar stream,

    With a view that sweetens life and prolongs it.

  31. مَعاهِدُ أَبكيها لِعَهدٍ تَصَرَّما

    أَغَضَّ مِنَ الوَردِ الجَنِيِّ وَأَنعَما

    Haunts I weep over for a time now ended,

    Fresher and softer than a newly picked rose.

  32. لَبِسنا الصِبا فيها حَبيراً مُنَمنَما

    وَقُدنا إِلى اللَذاتِ جَيشاً عَرَمرَما

    There we wore youth as finely patterned brocade,

    And led a vast army toward pleasures,

  33. لَهُ الأَمنُ رِدءٌ وَالعَداوَةُ مَربَأُ

    كَساها الرَبيعُ الطَلقُ وَشيَ الخَمائِلِ

    With safety as its support, and enmity as its watchpost.

    Genial spring clothed them in the embroidery of groves,

  34. وَراحَت لَها مَرضى الرِياحِ البَلائِلِ

    وَغادى بَنوها العَيشَ حُلوَ الشَمائِلِ

    And languid, moist winds visited them at evening,

    And their sons greeted, at dawn, a life of sweet ways;

  35. وَلا زالَ مِنّا بِالضُحى وَالأَصائِلِ

    سَلامٌ عَلى تِلكَ المَيادينِ يُقرَأُ

    And may there always be, from us at forenoon and late afternoon,

    A greeting of peace recited over those grounds.

  36. إِخوانَنا لِلوارِدينَ مَصادِرُ

    وَلا أَوَّلٌ إِلّا سَيَتلوهُ آخِرُ

    Our brothers, all who arrive must depart;

    And every first will be followed by a last;

  37. وَإِنّي لِأَعتابِ الزَمانِ لَناظِرُ

    فَقَد يَستَقيلُ الجَدُّ وَالجَدُّ عاثِرُ

    And I am surely awaiting time's amends;

    For fortune may recover, though fortune has stumbled,

  38. وَتُحمَدُ عُقبى الأَمرِ مازالَ يُشنَأُ

    ظَعَنتُ فَكانَ الحُرُّ يُجفى فَيَظعَنُ

    And the outcome of a matter long detested may be praised.

    I departed, for a free man, when shunned, departs;

  39. وَأَصبَحتُ أَسلو بِالأَسى حينَ أَحزَنُ

    وَقَرَّ عَلى اليَأسِ الفُؤادُ المُوَطَّنُ

    And I have come to find solace in sorrow when I grieve;

    And my resigned heart settled into despair;

  40. وَإِنَّ بِلاداً هُنتُ فيها لَأَهوَنُ

    وَمَن رامَ مِثلي بِالدَنِيَّةِ أَدنَأُ

    And lands where I was held cheap are cheaper still;

    And whoever sought to demean one like me is baser.

  41. وَلا يُغبِطُ الأَعداءَ كَونِيَ في السِجنِ

    فَإِنّي رَأَيتُ الشَمسَ تُحصَنُ بِالدَجنِ

    And let my being in prison give my enemies no joy;

    For I have seen the sun sheltered by dark clouds;

  42. وَماكُنتُ إِلّا الصارِمَ العَضبَ في جَفنِ

    أَوِ اللَيثَ في غابٍ أَوِ الصَقرَ في وَكنِ

    And I was nothing but a keen, cutting sword in a sheath,

    Or a lion in a thicket, or a falcon in a nest,

  43. أَوِ العِلقَ يُخفى في الصِوارِ وَيُخبَأُ

    يَضيقُ بِأَنواعِ الصَبابَةِ مَذهَبي

    Or a treasure concealed in a musk-pouch and hidden away.

    My way grows narrow with longing of every kind,

  44. إِلى كُلِّ رَحبِ الصَدرِ مِنكُم مُهَذَّبِ

    مُفَضَّضِ لَألاءِ الأَساريرِ مُذهَبِ

    To each open-hearted, refined one among you,

    Silvered and gilded in the gleam of his features;

  45. يُنافِسُ مِنهُ البَدرُ غُرَّةَ كَوكَبِ

    دَرى أَنَّها أَبهى سَناءً وَأَضوَأُ

    The full moon vies with his star-bright brow;

    It knew that his brow was more splendid in radiance and brighter.

  46. أَسِفتُ فَما أَرتاحُ وَالراحُ تُثمِلُ

    وَلا أُسعِفُ الأَوتارَ وَهيَ تَرَسَّلُ

    I have grieved; I find no joy, though wine intoxicates;

    Nor do I respond to the strings as their notes flow gently;

  47. وَلا أَرعَوي عَن زَفرَةٍ حينَ أُعذَلُ

    وَلا لِيَ مُذ فارَقتُكُم مُتَعَلَّلُ

    Nor do I hold back a sigh when I am reproached;

    Nor have I, since parting from you, any solace,

  48. سِوى خَبَرٍ مِنكُم عَلى النَأيِ يَطرَأُ

    حَمِدتُم مِنَ الأَيّامِ لينَ خِلالِها

    Except news from you arriving despite the distance.

    May you praise the days for the gentleness of their ways,

  49. وَسَرَّتكُمُ الدُنيا بِحُسنِ دَلالِها

    مُؤَمَّنَةً مِن عَتبِها وَمَلالِها

    And may the world gladden you with its lovely coquetry,

    Safe from its reproach and weariness;

  50. وَلا زالَ مِنكُم لابِسٌ مِن ظِلالِها

    يُسَوِّغُ أَبكارَ المُنى وَيُهَنَّأُ

    And may there always be among you one clothed in its shade,

    Savoring the first fruits of wishes, and receiving congratulations.