اشرب على الشعب واحلل روضه انفا

اشرب على الشعب واحلل روضه انفا

قد زاد في حسنه فازدد به شغفا

قد زاد في حسنه فازدد به شغفا

Drink beside the ravine, and alight in its virgin meadow;

Drink at the ravine, and settle in its fresh meadow.

Its beauty has increased—so let your passion for it increase.

It has grown in beauty; so grow more enamored of it.

إذ ألبس الهيف من اغصانه حللا

إذ ألبس الهيف من اغصانه حللا

ولقن للعجم من اطياره نتفا

ولقن للعجم من اطياره نتفا

For it clothed the slender ones in robes made from its branches,

As it clothed its slender-waisted boughs in robes,

And taught foreign tongues snatches of its birdsong.

And taught its speechless birds snatches of song.

ونمرت حسنه الأغصان مثمرة

ونمرت حسنه الأغصان مثمرة

من نازع قرطا اولابس شنفا

من نازع قرطا اولابس شنفا

Its fruit-laden branches leopard-spotted its beauty:

And fruit-laden branches dappled its beauty,

Some rivaling earrings, others wearing pendants.

Some taking off an earring, others wearing an ear-pendant.

والماء يثني على اعطافه أزراً

والماء يثني على اعطافه أزراً

والريح تعقد في أطرافها شرفا

والريح تعقد في أطرافها شرفا

The water folds girdles around its contours,

And water folds waistcloths around its flanks,

And the wind knots fringes along their edges.

And the wind knots crests along their hems.

والشمس تخرق من أشجارها طرفا

والشمس تخرق من أشجارها طرفا

بنورها فترينا تحتها طرفا

بنورها فترينا تحتها طرفا

The sun pierces one side of its trees

And the sun breaks through a stretch of its trees

With its light, revealing wonders beneath them—

With its light, showing us marvels beneath them:

من قائل نسجت درعاً مفضضة

من قائل نسجت درعاً مفضضة

وقائل ذهبت أو فضضت صحفا

وقائل ذهبت أو فضضت صحفا

One says, “It has woven silver-plated mail,”

One says, 'It has woven a silvered coat of mail,'

Another, “It has gilded—or silvered—sheets.”

And another, 'It has gilded or silvered sheets.'

ظلت تزف له الدنيا محاسنها

ظلت تزف له الدنيا محاسنها

وتستعيد له الالطاف والتحفا

وتستعيد له الالطاف والتحفا

The world keeps parading its beauties before it like brides,

The world kept ushering its beauties to it like brides,

And ever renews for it its graces and rare gifts:

And summoning favors and precious gifts for it anew:

من عارض وكفا أو طائر هتفا

من عارض وكفا أو طائر هتفا

أو بارق خطفا او سائر وقفا

أو بارق خطفا او سائر وقفا

A passing cloud pouring rain, or a bird calling,

From a cloud that poured rain, or a bird that called out,

Or lightning flashing, or a traveler halting.

Or lightning that flashed, or a traveler who stopped.

ولست أحصى حصى الياقوت فيه ولا

ولست أحصى حصى الياقوت فيه ولا

دراً اصادفه في مائه صدفاً

دراً اصادفه في مائه صدفاً

I cannot count the ruby pebbles within it, nor

And I cannot count the ruby pebbles within it, nor

The pearls I chance upon in its water.

The pearls I chance upon in its water.

يظن من وقفت فيه الشجون به

يظن من وقفت فيه الشجون به

أن الصبابة شابت والهوى خرفا

أن الصبابة شابت والهوى خرفا

Whoever is halted there by his sorrows imagines

Whoever is held there by sorrows thinks

That yearning has turned gray and passion grown senile.

That yearning has turned gray and love grown senile.

تعسف الشوق فيه كل ذي شجن

تعسف الشوق فيه كل ذي شجن

والشوق ألطفه ما كان معتسفا

والشوق ألطفه ما كان معتسفا

There longing tyrannizes every sorrowing heart—

Longing dealt harshly there with every sorrowful soul;

And how delightful longing is when it turns tyrant!

Yet longing is at its gentlest when it is harsh.

فاحلل عرى الهم واشربها مشعشعه

فاحلل عرى الهم واشربها مشعشعه

رق النسيم مباراة لها وصفا

رق النسيم مباراة لها وصفا

So loosen the knots of care and drink the radiant wine;

So loosen the bonds of care, and drink it mingled with water;

The breeze grew delicate, vying with it in fineness.

The breeze grew delicate and pure, vying with it.

ماذا يقول لك المداح قد نفدت

ماذا يقول لك المداح قد نفدت

فيك المعاني وبحر اللفظ قد نزفا

فيك المعاني وبحر اللفظ قد نزفا

What can the poet of praise say to you? All meanings

What can the panegyrist say to you? Already exhausted

Concerning you are exhausted, and the sea of words is drained.

Are all themes in your praise, and the sea of words has run dry.

لم تبق لي حيلة إلا الدعاء فإن

لم تبق لي حيلة إلا الدعاء فإن

يسمع ظللت عليه الدهر معتكفا

يسمع ظللت عليه الدهر معتكفا

No recourse remains to me but prayer; and if

No recourse remains to me but prayer; and if

It is heard, I shall remain devoted to it forever.

It is heard, I shall remain devoted to it forever.