هَبَّ نَسيمٌ بِالطَلِّ مَبلولُ

هَبَّ نَسيمٌ بِالطَلِّ مَبلولُ

مِنهُ نِظامُ الرِياضِ مَحلولُ

مِنهُ نِظامُ الرِياضِ مَحلولُ

A breeze blew, drenched with dew;

A breeze blew, bearing the dew,

by it, the gardens’ necklace was unstrung.

Making the garden's array dissolve.

مَرَّ بِرَيحانِها تَنَفُّسُهُ

مَرَّ بِرَيحانِها تَنَفُّسُهُ

بَينَ البَساتينِ وَهوَ مَطلولُ

بَينَ البَساتينِ وَهوَ مَطلولُ

Its breath passed over their sweet basil,

As it breathed through the basil,

among the orchards, itself bedewed.

Wandering between gardens, set free.

يَنتَشِرُ التِبرُ وَاللُجَينُ مَعاً

يَنتَشِرُ التِبرُ وَاللُجَينُ مَعاً

بِمرِّهِ وَالياقوتُ وَاللولو

بِمرِّهِ وَالياقوتُ وَاللولو

Gold dust and silver scatter together,

Amber and pearls and rubies

at its passing, with rubies and pearls.

In it, bitter, sweet and tart.

وَالدَّوحُ فيهِ الغُصونُ مائِلَةٌ

وَالدَّوحُ فيهِ الغُصونُ مائِلَةٌ

فَكُلُّهُ فاعِلٌ وَمَفعولُ

فَكُلُّهُ فاعِلٌ وَمَفعولُ

And in the great trees, the branches bend,

The branches in it leaning

so all of it acts and is acted upon.

So all are object and subject.

وَالنَرجِسُ الغَضُّ طَرفُهُ غَنِجٌ

وَالنَرجِسُ الغَضُّ طَرفُهُ غَنِجٌ

بِصُفرَةِ الزَّعفَرانِ مَكحولُ

بِصُفرَةِ الزَّعفَرانِ مَكحولُ

And the fresh narcissus has a coquettish gaze,

The narcissus, its tender eye languid

rimmed with saffron’s yellow.

With the yellow of saffron, drunk.

وَقَد تَبَدّى شَخصُ البَنَفسَجِ في

وَقَد تَبَدّى شَخصُ البَنَفسَجِ في

بُردٍ يَمانٍ وَالبُردُ مَعسولُ

بُردٍ يَمانٍ وَالبُردُ مَعسولُ

And the violet’s figure has appeared in

And the violet's form appeared

a Yemeni mantle, and the mantle is honey-sweet.

In cool Yemeni brocade and chilled syrup.

وَفي أَكُفِّ المَنثورِ مُنتَظِماً

وَفي أَكُفِّ المَنثورِ مُنتَظِماً

مِن كُلِّ لَونٍ يَروقُ مَعمولُ

مِن كُلِّ لَونٍ يَروقُ مَعمولُ

And in the stock flowers’ palms, neatly arranged,

And in the palm's loose clasp, arranged

lies handiwork of every pleasing hue.

Of every pleasing color, carefully wrought.

وَالطَيرُ فَوقَ الغُصونِ صادِحَةً

وَالطَيرُ فَوقَ الغُصونِ صادِحَةً

كَأَنَّها نِسمَةٌ مَثاكيلُ

كَأَنَّها نِسمَةٌ مَثاكيلُ

And the birds sing above the branches,

The birds above the branches crying out

as though they were souls bereaved of children.

As if they were sculpted flames.

وَالنَبتُ مِنهُ عَلى الثَّرى نُشِرَت

وَالنَبتُ مِنهُ عَلى الثَّرى نُشِرَت

مِن كُلِّ زَهرٍ زاهٍ مَناديلُ

مِن كُلِّ زَهرٍ زاهٍ مَناديلُ

And from the plants, upon the moist earth were spread

And the plants from it on the ground strewn

kerchiefs of every radiant bloom.

Of every blossoming flower, tablecloths.

وَالصُّبحُ رومِيُّهُ أَغارَ عَلى

وَالصُّبحُ رومِيُّهُ أَغارَ عَلى

زِنجِيِّ لَيلٍ وَالسَّيفُ مَسلولُ

زِنجِيِّ لَيلٍ وَالسَّيفُ مَسلولُ

And dawn’s Roman charged against

And the Roman dawn attacked

night’s Zanj, his sword unsheathed.

A black night, the sword unsheathed,

عَلى ظُبى السَّيفِ حُمرَةٌ شَهِدَت

عَلى ظُبى السَّيفِ حُمرَةٌ شَهِدَت

يا صاحِ أَنَّ الزِنجِيَّ مَقتولُ

يا صاحِ أَنَّ الزِنجِيَّ مَقتولُ

Redness on the sword’s edges bore witness,

On the sword's blade, redness witnessed:

O friend, that the Zanj was slain.

"O friend, the black man is killed."

أَدرَكَهُ وَهوَ راكِبٌ سَحَراً

أَدرَكَهُ وَهوَ راكِبٌ سَحَراً

طِرفاً لَهُ غُرَّةٌ وَتَحجيلُ

طِرفاً لَهُ غُرَّةٌ وَتَحجيلُ

He overtook him, riding before dawn

It overtook him riding east at dawn,

a noble steed with a white blaze and white stockings.

A glance for him, mischief and impudence.

فَمَكَّنَ السَيفَ مِن مَفارِقِهِ

فَمَكَّنَ السَيفَ مِن مَفارِقِهِ

فَهوَ قَتيلٌ لَم يُبكَ مَطلولُ

فَهوَ قَتيلٌ لَم يُبكَ مَطلولُ

Then he gave the sword mastery over his crown;

So the sword enabled his separation

so he lies slain, unwept and unavenged.

He's a slain man, not mourned, set free.

فَهاتِ كَأسَ المُدامِ مُترَعَةً

فَهاتِ كَأسَ المُدامِ مُترَعَةً

كَأَنَّها في الظَلامِ قِنديلُ

كَأَنَّها في الظَلامِ قِنديلُ

So bring a brimming cup of wine,

So bring the brimming cup of wine,

as though it were a lamp in the darkness.

As if it, in the darkness, were a lantern,

حَبابُها لِلهُمومِ إِن طَرَقَت

حَبابُها لِلهُمومِ إِن طَرَقَت

من عَبَّ فيها طَيرٌ أَبابيلُ

من عَبَّ فيها طَيرٌ أَبابيلُ

Its bubbles, against cares—should they visit

Its bubbles, if worries come knocking,

one who quaffs it—are birds in flocks,

A bird flew around in it, nightingales.

رامِيَةً في هامِ الهُمومِ سُطاً

رامِيَةً في هامِ الهُمومِ سُطاً

حِجارَةً أَصلُهُنَّ سِجّيلُ

حِجارَةً أَصلُهُنَّ سِجّيلُ

fiercely pelting the heads of cares with

Shooting straight at the heart of worries,

stones whose substance is baked clay.

Stones, whose origin is infertile land.

فَهُنَّ صَرعى مِنَ المُدامِ وَقَد

فَهُنَّ صَرعى مِنَ المُدامِ وَقَد

شُبِّهنَ بِالعَصفِ وَهوَ مَأكولُ

شُبِّهنَ بِالعَصفِ وَهوَ مَأكولُ

So they lie slain by wine, and have

So they fell dead from the wine, and

been likened to chaff that has been eaten.

Were likened to chaff, and it is food.

راحٌ تَوَلّى السُرورُ شارِبَها

راحٌ تَوَلّى السُرورُ شارِبَها

فَاِنصَرَفَ الهَمُّ وَهوَ مَعزولُ

فَاِنصَرَفَ الهَمُّ وَهوَ مَعزولُ

Wine—joy has taken charge of its drinker,

The happiness that drank it departed,

so sorrow has departed, dismissed from office.

So sorrow turned and withdrew, isolated.