وَرَوضَةٍ زُرتُها وَالحِميريُّ مَعي

وَرَوضَةٍ زُرتُها وَالحِميريُّ مَعي

وَصارِمٌ خَذِمُ الغَربَينِ وَالفَرَسُ

وَصارِمٌ خَذِمُ الغَربَينِ وَالفَرَسُ

And many a meadow I visited, with al-Himyari beside me,

I visited a garden, and Al-Himyari was with me,

And a sword sharp on both edges, and the horse.

Bearing a sharp sword with a curved blade and horsewhip.

وَفي المَباسِمِ مِن أَنوارِها شَنَبٌ

وَفي المَباسِمِ مِن أَنوارِها شَنَبٌ

وَفي شِفاهِ الرُّبا مِن زَهرِها لَعَسُ

وَفي شِفاهِ الرُّبا مِن زَهرِها لَعَسُ

And in the smiling mouths is a cool sweetness from its blossoms;

In her smiles were lights, like the moustache of a youth,

And on the hills' lips is a dusky tint from its flowers.

And in the folds of her lips were blossoms like chamomile.

وَالغَيمُ لَم يُذرِ دَمعاً كادَ يَسفَحُهُ

وَالغَيمُ لَم يُذرِ دَمعاً كادَ يَسفَحُهُ

بِها وَها هُوَ في جَفنَيهِ مُحتَبِسُ

بِها وَها هُوَ في جَفنَيهِ مُحتَبِسُ

And the cloud has not shed a tear it nearly spilled

The clouds did not shed the tears they were about to pour down,

Upon it; and behold, it is held within the cloud's two eyelids.

Though they were pent up in their eyelids.

فانعم هُذَيمُ بِعَيشٍ طابَ مَشرَعُهُ

فانعم هُذَيمُ بِعَيشٍ طابَ مَشرَعُهُ

وابلُغ بِهِ بَعضَ ما تَهوى وَتَلتَمِسُ

وابلُغ بِهِ بَعضَ ما تَهوى وَتَلتَمِسُ

So enjoy yourself, Hudhaym, in a life whose watering place is sweet,

So Hudhaym enjoyed a life whose sail was spread,

And attain through it some of what you desire and seek.

And attained some of what he loved and sought.

وَخالِسِ الدَّهرَ يَوماً صالِحاً غَفَلَتْ

وَخالِسِ الدَّهرَ يَوماً صالِحاً غَفَلَتْ

عَنهُ الخُطوبُ فأَوقاتُ الفَتى خُلَسُ

عَنهُ الخُطوبُ فأَوقاتُ الفَتى خُلَسُ

And steal from Time a good day, overlooked

And he passed a day free of sorrows, unnoticed by misfortunes,

By calamities—for a young man's hours are stolen moments.

So the days of the youth slipped away.