يومٌ من الأيّامِ محمودُ الأثَرْ

يومٌ من الأيّامِ محمودُ الأثَرْ

لم أرَ يوماً مثلَهُ كان أَسَرّ

لم أرَ يوماً مثلَهُ كان أَسَرّ

A day among days, praiseworthy in its outcome.

A day of days, blessed in effect

Never have I seen its like—a day so delightful.

I've never seen a day like it, it was most strange

لما رأيت الجوَّ في مثل الحبر

لما رأيت الجوَّ في مثل الحبر

ذا منظرٍ يملأ عَيْنَيْ مَنْ نَظَر

ذا منظرٍ يملأ عَيْنَيْ مَنْ نَظَر

When I saw the sky arrayed like patterned cloth,

When I saw the weather like ink

a sight filling the eyes of whoever looked,

With a view that fills the eyes of whoever looked

أَلْحَمَهُ الثلجُ وسدَّاهُ المطرْ

أَلْحَمَهُ الثلجُ وسدَّاهُ المطرْ

كما رأيتَ القطنَ من حول الدُّرَر

كما رأيتَ القطنَ من حول الدُّرَر

the snow had supplied its weft, the rain its warp,

The ice clothed it and the rain blocked it

like cotton you have seen around pearls,

As I saw the cotton around the pearls

نقضاً كنقض الريح في اليوم الأغر

نقضاً كنقض الريح في اليوم الأغر

قضيتُ فيه من ندامايَ الوطر

قضيتُ فيه من ندامايَ الوطر

unraveled as the wind unravels it on a radiant day.

Breaking like the wind's breaking on an ugly day

That day I enjoyed my drinking companions to my heart's content,

I spent my regrets foolishly on it

مباكراً في بكرة من البكر

مباكراً في بكرة من البكر

وكيف لا يحوي جسيماتِ الخطر

وكيف لا يحوي جسيماتِ الخطر

making an early start, on a morning among mornings.

Starting early in the prime of the prime

And how could great distinction fail to belong to

How could it not contain the substances of danger?

جارُ أبي تمامٍ الملكِ الأغرّ

جارُ أبي تمامٍ الملكِ الأغرّ

أكرمِ خلقِ الله بدوٍ وَحَضَر

أكرمِ خلقِ الله بدوٍ وَحَضَر

the neighbor of Abu Tammam, the radiant king,

The neighbor of Abi Tamam, the most clement king

the noblest of God's creatures, nomads and townsfolk,

The most generous of God's creation, nomad or settled

وخيرهم في مربأ أو مختبر

وخيرهم في مربأ أو مختبر

لبُّ قصيٍّ بل لؤيٍّ بل مُضَر

لبُّ قصيٍّ بل لؤيٍّ بل مُضَر

and the best of them, whether observed or put to the test?

And the best of them in an open expanse or a home

The essence of Qusayy—nay, of Lu'ayy—nay, of Mudar,

The heart of Qusa, the brightness of Lu'ay, the Mudar tribe

وابنُ المقامِ والحطيمِ والحجر

وابنُ المقامِ والحطيمِ والحجر

مَنْ مَالُهُ من جودِهِ على خطر

مَنْ مَالُهُ من جودِهِ على خطر

and son of the Maqam, the Hatim, and the Stone,

And the son of dignity, ruin, and rock

whose wealth is endangered by his generosity.

He whose wealth is at risk from his generosity

ورأيُهُ ميزانُ آراءِ البشرْ

ورأيُهُ ميزانُ آراءِ البشرْ

وظنُّهُ عَيْنٌ له على القدر

وظنُّهُ عَيْنٌ له على القدر

His judgment is the balance for humankind's opinions,

And his view the balance of people's opinions

and his intuition is his watchful eye upon destiny.

And his assumption an eye for him into fate

يُمضي الأمورَ أمَرُهُ إذا أمَرْ

يُمضي الأمورَ أمَرُهُ إذا أمَرْ

إِمضاءَ سهمٍ دلَّ عن سهم وتر

إِمضاءَ سهمٍ دلَّ عن سهم وتر

His command carries affairs through whenever he commands,

He executes affairs, his command when he commands

like the onward flight of an arrow, guided away from another arrow by a bowstring [wording unclear].

Like the release of an arrow after the bowstring

شاد به اللهُ المعالي وَعَمَرْ

شاد به اللهُ المعالي وَعَمَرْ

وَسَرَّه في كلِّ ما يهوى وَسَر

وَسَرَّه في كلِّ ما يهوى وَسَر

Through him God raised and made flourish the heights of glory,

God elevated him in the heights and gave him long life

and gladdened him in all he desires and conceals.

And made success his in all he desires and makes happy