وَيَوْمٍand a day طَوَيْناwe spent أَبْرَدَيْهِits cool morning and evening بِرَوْضَةٍin a meadow
وَيَوْمٍ طَوَيْنا أَبْرَدَيْهِ بِرَوْضَةٍ
يُنَشِّرُunfurls فيهاin it الأَتْحَمِيُّthe Atḥamī cloth المُعَضَّدُband-patterned
يُنَشِّرُ فيها الأَتْحَمِيُّ المُعَضَّدُ
And we spent a day's cool morning and evening in a meadow,
where band-patterned Atḥamī cloth unfurled,
وَنَحْنُwhile we علىon أَطْرافِthe banks of نَهْرٍa river تُظِلُّهُthey shade it
وَنَحْنُ على أَطْرافِ نَهْرٍ تُظِلُّهُ
أَزاهيرُهاits blossoms وَالشَّمسُand the sun فيهاin it تَوَقَّدُblazes
أَزاهيرُها وَالشَّمسُ فيها تَوَقَّدُ
while we were on the banks of a river shaded
by the meadow's blossoms, with the sun ablaze there.
وَتُظْهِرُهُand they reveal it طَوْراًat times وطَوْراًand at times تُجِنُّهُthey conceal it
وَتُظْهِرُهُ طَوْراً وطَوْراً تُجِنُّهُ
فَتَحْسِبُهso you think it سَيْفاًa sword يُسَلُّis drawn وَيُغْمدُand is sheathed
فَتَحْسِبُه سَيْفاً يُسَلُّ وَيُغْمدُ
They revealed it at times, and at times concealed it,
so you would think it a sword being drawn and sheathed.
وَتَبْسِمُand they smile فيin رَأْدِthe height of الضُّحىthe forenoon وَتَؤودُهاand weigh them down
وَتَبْسِمُ في رَأْدِ الضُّحى وَتَؤودُها
أَبابِيلُflocks مِنْof طَيْرٍbirds عَلَيْهاupon them تُغَرِّدُsing
أَبابِيلُ مِنْ طَيْرٍ عَلَيْها تُغَرِّدُ
And they smiled at forenoon's height, weighed down
by flocks of birds singing upon them.
شَرْبِناwe drank بِهاin it ماءًwater تُغازِلُهُflirts with it الصَّباthe east wind
شَرْبِنا بِها ماءً تُغازِلُهُ الصَّبا
فَيَصْفُوso it clears وَيَقْتاتُand feeds on النَّسيمَthe breeze فَيَبْرُدُso it cools
فَيَصْفُو وَيَقْتاتُ النَّسيمَ فَيَبْرُدُ
There we drank water with which the east wind flirted,
so it grew clear, fed on the breeze, and grew cool.
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle ذَكَرْناwe recalled طِيبَهُits sweetness بَعْدَafter بُرْهَةٍa span
إِذا ما ذَكَرْنا طِيبَهُ بَعْدَ بُرْهَةٍ
مِنَof الدَّهْرِtime عاوَدْناهُwe returned to it وَالعَوْدُand returning أَحْمَدُmore praiseworthy
مِنَ الدَّهْرِ عاوَدْناهُ وَالعَوْدُ أَحْمَدُ
Whenever we recalled its sweetness after a span
of time, we returned to it—and returning was better still.