بكِّرْ فإن الشتاءَ قد بكَّرْ

بكِّرْ فإن الشتاءَ قد بكَّرْ

ما قَصَّرَتْ سُحْبُهُ ولا قَصَّرْ

ما قَصَّرَتْ سُحْبُهُ ولا قَصَّرْ

Rise early, for winter has come early.

Hasten, for winter has hastened,

Its clouds have not fallen short, nor has it.

Its clouds have not been short of rain or deficient,

حَثَّتْ سُقاهُ الغَمامِ أكؤُسَها

حَثَّتْ سُقاهُ الغَمامِ أكؤُسَها

فالأَرضُ سَكرَى وكيفَ لا تَسكَر

فالأَرضُ سَكرَى وكيفَ لا تَسكَر

The clouds’ cupbearers hastened their cups.

The clouds urged their cups of rainwater,

The earth is drunk—how could it not be?

So the land is intoxicated - how could it not be intoxicated?

طَوَتْ رُباها غبارَها فَصَفَا ال

طَوَتْ رُباها غبارَها فَصَفَا ال

جوُّ وقد كان وجهُهُ أَغْبَر

جوُّ وقد كان وجهُهُ أَغْبَر

Its hills folded away their dust, and clear grew the

It rolled up its dust, so the air cleared up,

air, though its face had been dusty.

Though its face had been dusty,

غِيثَتْ فَسُرَّتْ وسُرَّ ساكنُها

غِيثَتْ فَسُرَّتْ وسُرَّ ساكنُها

واستبشرتْ بالغيوثِ واستبشَر

واستبشرتْ بالغيوثِ واستبشَر

It received rain and was gladdened, and its dweller was gladdened;

It rained, so it rejoiced, and its inhabitants rejoiced,

and it rejoiced at the rains, and he rejoiced.

And were glad at the rain and became glad,

ذا خضرُ الصَّعْتَرِيِّ مُنْصَرِفٌ

ذا خضرُ الصَّعْتَرِيِّ مُنْصَرِفٌ

عنه وهذا الحَماحِمُ الأحمر

عنه وهذا الحَماحِمُ الأحمر

This green growth of ṣaʿtarī is departing

The green Sa'tari is turning away,

from it, as is this red ḥamāḥim.

As is the red Hamaheem,

مُسْتَخْلَفٌ منه في مجالسنا ال

مُسْتَخْلَفٌ منه في مجالسنا ال

نّمامُ والمرزَجُوشُ مُسْتُورْزَر

نّمامُ والمرزَجُوشُ مُسْتُورْزَر

Appointed its successor at our gatherings is the

Taking their place in our gatherings

nammām, and marjoram is made vizier.

Is the fault-finder and the one dressed in fine clothes.

وناعمٌ من بنفسجٍ نَعِمَتْ

وناعمٌ من بنفسجٍ نَعِمَتْ

نفسي به في المشمِّ والمنظر

نفسي به في المشمِّ والمنظر

And delicate violets have delighted

And the delicate violet gives pleasure

my soul, in scent and sight.

To my soul with its scent and sight,

ونرجس مُضْعَف تضاعَف في

ونرجس مُضْعَف تضاعَف في

ه الحسنُ في أبيضٍ وفي أصفر

ه الحسنُ في أبيضٍ وفي أصفر

And double-flowered narcissus—doubled within

And the doubled narcissus in which beauty is doubled

it is beauty, in white and in yellow.

In white and yellow.

كأَنَّ من جوهرٍ تُنُوسِخَ أو

كأَنَّ من جوهرٍ تُنُوسِخَ أو

كأَنَّ منه تُنُوسِخَ الجوهر

كأَنَّ منه تُنُوسِخَ الجوهر

As though it were copied from jewels, or

As if it were made of polished pearl

as though jewels were copied from it.

Or as if from it pearl were carved.

الدرُّ والتبرُ فيه قد خُلطا

الدرُّ والتبرُ فيه قد خُلطا

للعينِ والمسكُ فيه والعنبر

للعينِ والمسكُ فيه والعنبر

Pearls and gold have been blended in it

Pearls and ambergris in it were mixed

for the eye, and musk and ambergris are within it.

For the eye, and musk and amber within it.

وهاتِ أُتْرَجّنا الكبارَ فَمَنْ

وهاتِ أُتْرَجّنا الكبارَ فَمَنْ

عايَنَهُ من معاينٍ كَبَّر

عايَنَهُ من معاينٍ كَبَّر

And bring our large citrons; whoever

Bring us our big citrons - whoever

beholds them cries, ‘God is great!’

Sees it, from all who have seen, extols it.

وهاتِ تُفّاحنا الذي هُوَ مِنْ

وهاتِ تُفّاحنا الذي هُوَ مِنْ

عطرِ ذوي العطرِ كلِّهم أعطر

عطرِ ذوي العطرِ كلِّهم أعطر

And bring our apples, which are

And bring us our apples, which are

more fragrant than the scent of all fragrant things.

Of all the fragrances, the most fragrant.

مُلَمَّعٌ فهو أبيضٌ أحْمَرْ

مُلَمَّعٌ فهو أبيضٌ أحْمَرْ

كما تراهُ وأصْفَرٌ أَخْضَر

كما تراهُ وأصْفَرٌ أَخْضَر

Dappled: they are white and red,

Red, white, as you see it,

as you see them, and yellow and green.

And yellow and green.

فالحمدُ للّهِ حَمْدَ مبتهِجٍ

فالحمدُ للّهِ حَمْدَ مبتهِجٍ

بما قضاهُ عليه أو قَدَّر

بما قضاهُ عليه أو قَدَّر

So praise be to God, the praise of one rejoicing

So praise be to God, praise of one feeling delight

in what He has decreed for him or ordained.

At what He decreed or predetermined,

لئن مضى الصيفُ وهو يُشْكَرُ فالش

لئن مضى الصيفُ وهو يُشْكَرُ فالش

تاءُ أيضاً في فِعْلِهِ يُشْكَر

تاءُ أيضاً في فِعْلِهِ يُشْكَر

If summer has passed, and is thanked, then winter

If summer has gone, and it is thanked,

too is thanked for what it does.

Then winter, too, in its actions is thanked.