لما تأَمَّلْتُ الرِّياضَ وزَهْرُها

لما تأَمَّلْتُ الرِّياضَ وزَهْرُها

يَجْلوُ مَحاسِنَهُ عَلَى قُصَّادِها

يَجْلوُ مَحاسِنَهُ عَلَى قُصَّادِها

When I contemplated the gardens, while their bloom

When I gazed upon the gardens and their flowers

Revealed its beauty to those who visited them,

Their beauty outshining their bushes

شاهَدْتُ فيهِ بَدَائِعاً وغَرائباً

شاهَدْتُ فيهِ بَدَائِعاً وغَرائباً

فيها لأَوْصافي أَتَمُّ مُرادِها

فيها لأَوْصافي أَتَمُّ مُرادِها

I saw within it wonders and marvels,

I saw therein wonders and marvels

In which lay all that my descriptions could desire.

For my descriptions, their perfection is the aim

وبدا البنفسجُ لي فَقُلْتُ لِخاطِري

وبدا البنفسجُ لي فَقُلْتُ لِخاطِري

في وصفهِ كالنَّارِ في إِيقادِها

في وصفهِ كالنَّارِ في إِيقادِها

And the violet appeared to me, so I said to my imagination,

The violet appeared to me so I said to my mind

Which, in describing it, was like a fire being kindled:

In describing it, like fire in its kindling

حَكَتِ الثَّكُولَ بِخَدِّها أَوْراقُهُ

حَكَتِ الثَّكُولَ بِخَدِّها أَوْراقُهُ

وحَكى لَدى التَّشْبيهِ صِبْغَ حِدادِها

وحَكى لَدى التَّشْبيهِ صِبْغَ حِدادِها

Its petals resembled a bereaved mother's cheek,

The leaves told by their cheeks, tales

And, in this likeness, it matched the hue of her mourning garb.

And narrated alongside similes, the dye of mourning

وَبَدَتْ بِزُرْقَةِ بَعْضِهِ خمريةً

وَبَدَتْ بِزُرْقَةِ بَعْضِهِ خمريةً

فكأنَّها في اللَّونِ لونُ فُؤادِها

فكأنَّها في اللَّونِ لونُ فُؤادِها

And a wine-red hue appeared amid the blue of some of it,

And with the blueness of some, appeared winelike

As though its color were the color of her heart.

As if in its color, the hue of her heart