يا مَن إذا نظر الزما

يا مَن إذا نظر الزما

ن إليه أَكثرَ عُجبَهُ

ن إليه أَكثرَ عُجبَهُ

O you at whom, whenever Time looks,

O you whom Time, whenever it looks

its wonder only grows.

upon you, admires all the more:

رحَلَ المصيفُ فلا تَزَل

رحَلَ المصيفُ فلا تَزَل

أبداً تُوَدِّعُ رَكبَهُ

أبداً تُوَدِّعُ رَكبَهُ

Summer has departed; yet never cease,

Summer has departed; may you go on

ever, to bid its caravan farewell.

forever bidding its caravan farewell.

وبدا الخَريفُ فحيِّ خا

وبدا الخَريفُ فحيِّ خا

لصةَ الزمانِ ولُبَّهُ

لصةَ الزمانِ ولُبَّهُ

Autumn has appeared—so greet the purest

And autumn has appeared: greet the choicest

essence of time, its very heart.

part of time, its very core.

زمنٌ كَخَلقك ناضِرٌ

زمنٌ كَخَلقك ناضِرٌ

إن كان خَلقُكَ يُشْبَهُ

إن كان خَلقُكَ يُشْبَهُ

A season fresh and radiant as your form—

A season radiant as your form—

if your form can indeed be likened to anything.

if your form can be matched.

رقَّ الهواءُ فما تَرَى

رقَّ الهواءُ فما تَرَى

نَفَساً يعالجُ كَربَهُ

نَفَساً يعالجُ كَربَهُ

The air grew gentle, so you see no

The air has grown mild; you see

breath struggling with its anguish.

no breath struggling with its distress.

وَصَفا وإن لاحَظتَ أب

وَصَفا وإن لاحَظتَ أب

عَدَهُ ظننتُكَ قُربَهُ

عَدَهُ ظننتُكَ قُربَهُ

And it grew clear: if you gazed upon its farthest

And it has grown clear: if you look to its farthest

reaches, I would think you close to it.

reach, I would think you near it.

فلو استحالَ مُدامَةً

فلو استحالَ مُدامَةً

ما كنتُ أحظُرُ شُربَهُ

ما كنتُ أحظُرُ شُربَهُ

Were it to turn into wine,

And were it to turn into wine,

I would not forbid drinking it.

I would not forbid drinking it.

فتهنَّهُ يا فَردَه

فتهنَّهُ يا فَردَه

وتملَّه يا قُطبَهُ

وتملَّه يا قُطبَهُ

So delight in it, O Time’s peerless one,

So enjoy it, O peerless one of the age,

and take your fill of it, O Time’s pole.

and savor it long, O its axis.