يَومٌa day خَلعتُI cast off بهon it عِذاريmy bridle
يَومٌ خَلعتُ به عِذاري
فعَرِيتُso I became bare منof حُلَلِrobes الوَقارِdignity
فعَرِيتُ من حُلَلِ الوَقارِ
A day on which I cast off my bridle,
The day I cast off my modesty
so I stood bare of the robes of dignity;
And stripped myself of dignified attire
وَصَبَوْتُand I yearned فيهon it إلىfor الصَّباyouth
وَصَبَوْتُ فيه إلى الصَّبا
والشَّيبُand gray hair يَضحكُlaughs فيin عِذاريmy sideburns
والشَّيبُ يَضحكُ في عِذاري
and on it I yearned for youth,
I poured myself into revelry
while gray hair laughed in my sideburns.
While grey hairs laughed at my modesty
مُتَلَوِّنٌever-changing يُبْديreveals لناto us
مُتَلَوِّنٌ يُبْدي لنا
طُرَفاًmarvels بأطرافِat the edges of النَّهارِthe day
طُرَفاً بأطرافِ النَّهارِ
Ever-changing, it reveals to us
Colored and varied, revealing to us
marvels at the edges of the day.
A mischief at the edges of daylight
فَهواؤُهso its air سَكْبُdelicate الرِّداthe cloak (continued)
فَهواؤُه سَكْبُ الرِّدا
ءِcompletion of 'cloak' وغيمُهand its cloud صافيspotless الإزارِthe waist-wrap
ءِ وغيمُه صافي الإزارِ
So its air wears a delicate cloak,
Its air the pouring of gentle rain
and its cloud a spotless waist-wrap.
Its clouds pure white garments
وسماؤُهand its sky تحبُوendows الرُّبىthe hills
وسماؤُه تحبُو الرُّبى
بشبيهِwith the likeness of مكنونِthe hidden treasure of البِحارِthe seas
بشبيهِ مكنونِ البِحارِ
And its sky endows the hills
Its sky resembling hidden seas
with the likeness of the seas' hidden treasure.
Weeping, its waters frozen
تَبكيit weeps فيجمُدُso freezes ماؤُهاits water
تَبكي فيجمُدُ ماؤُها
والبرقُand lightning يَكحَلُهاlines its eyes with kohl بنارِwith fire
والبرقُ يَكحَلُها بنارِ
It weeps, and its water freezes,
Lightning kohl-lining it with fire
and lightning lines its eyes with fire.
Partial English translation: 11 of 12 Arabic lines translated.