أدِرْها بينَ مِزْمارٍ وعُودِ

أدِرْها بينَ مِزْمارٍ وعُودِ

ودونَكَ فاغْتَنِمْ زَمَنَ السّعودِ

ودونَكَ فاغْتَنِمْ زَمَنَ السّعودِ

Pass it round between flute and oud.

Turn it between a flute and a lute,

And here it is for you—so seize the season of good fortune.

And seize the time of bliss as long as you are alive,

فبُرْدُ الرّوْضِ مَرْقومُ الحَواشي

فبُرْدُ الرّوْضِ مَرْقومُ الحَواشي

وَدرُّ الطّلِّ منْظومُ العُقودِ

وَدرُّ الطّلِّ منْظومُ العُقودِ

For the garden's mantle is embroidered at the borders,

For the chill of the garden is embroidered at the margins,

And the dew's pearls are strung in necklaces.

And the light of the crescent is strung as necklaces.

وجُنْحُ اللّيلِ مَطْويُّ النّواحي

وجُنْحُ اللّيلِ مَطْويُّ النّواحي

وضوْءُ الفَجْرِ منْشورُ البُنودِ

وضوْءُ الفَجْرِ منْشورُ البُنودِ

And night's darkness is folded at the edges,

The wing of night has folded horizons,

And dawn's light has its banners unfurled.

And the dawn has unfurled contracts.

وخُذْها والبلابِلُ في خِصام

وخُذْها والبلابِلُ في خِصام

ونجْمُ الصُّبْحِ مُلْتَهِبُ الوَقودِ

ونجْمُ الصُّبْحِ مُلْتَهِبُ الوَقودِ

And take it while the nightingales contend,

Take it while the warblers are in discord,

And the morning star's fuel is ablaze.

And the morning star is kindled with firewood.

عَرائِسُ في حُلى الكاساتِ تُجْلى

عَرائِسُ في حُلى الكاساتِ تُجْلى

مورّدَةَ التَّرائِبِ والخُدودِ

مورّدَةَ التَّرائِبِ والخُدودِ

Brides are unveiled in the goblets' finery,

Brides in the radiance of goblets adorned,

Rose-tinted at the bosoms and cheeks.

Clothed in veils and blushing cheeks.

خَطَبْناها وكانَ الأُنْسُ مَهْراً

خَطَبْناها وكانَ الأُنْسُ مَهْراً

وألْحانُ القِيانِ منَ الشُّهودِ

وألْحانُ القِيانِ منَ الشُّهودِ

We sought her hand, and conviviality was the bridal gift,

We have asked for her hand, and intimacy was the dowry,

And the singing slave-girls' melodies were among the witnesses.

And the melodies of the lute were the witnesses.

شُموساً كُلّما غَرَبَتْ ولاحَتْ

شُموساً كُلّما غَرَبَتْ ولاحَتْ

على الأفْواهِ تطلُعُ في الخُدودِ

على الأفْواهِ تطلُعُ في الخُدودِ

Suns that, whenever they set and gleam

Suns that whenever they set and rise

Upon the lips, rise in the cheeks.

On mouths they rise on blushing cheeks.

وفاتِنَةِ اللِّحاظِ إذا تثَنّتْ

وفاتِنَةِ اللِّحاظِ إذا تثَنّتْ

رأيْتَ الغُصْنَ يمْرَحُ في البُرودِ

رأيْتَ الغُصْنَ يمْرَحُ في البُرودِ

And one whose glances bewitch—when she sways,

The languid-eyed one when she turns,

You see a branch frolicking in striped robes.

You see the branch sporting in the meadow.

غَزالَةِ رَبْرَبٍ ومَهاةِ قَفْرٍ

غَزالَةِ رَبْرَبٍ ومَهاةِ قَفْرٍ

تَعوّدَ طَرْفُها صَيْدَ الأسودِ

تَعوّدَ طَرْفُها صَيْدَ الأسودِ

A gazelle of the herd and an oryx of the wilderness,

A doe-eyed gazelle accustomed to hunting lions,

Her gaze has learned to hunt lions.

She enchants him with sickly glances,

فتُمْرِضُها بألحاظٍ مِراضٍ

فتُمْرِضُها بألحاظٍ مِراضٍ

وتُسْهِرُها بأجفانٍ رُقودِ

وتُسْهِرُها بأجفانٍ رُقودِ

So she sickens them with languid glances,

And deprives him of sleep with sleepy eyelids.

And keeps them awake with sleeping eyelids.

When the melodies of the instruments speak,

إذا ما اسْتَنْطَقَتْ نَغَم المَثاني

إذا ما اسْتَنْطَقَتْ نَغَم المَثاني

ثَنَيْنا هَزّةً قُضْبَ القُدودِ

ثَنَيْنا هَزّةً قُضْبَ القُدودِ

Whenever she makes the lute-strings' notes speak,

We sway like pliant twigs.

We sway, bending the boughs of our bodies.

I praise the hand of fate for

حمِدُْت يدَ الزّمانِ عليَّ لمّا

حمِدُْت يدَ الزّمانِ عليَّ لمّا

نعِمْتُ بها علَى رَغْمِ الحَسودِ

نعِمْتُ بها علَى رَغْمِ الحَسودِ

I praised Time's hand of favor toward me when

Allowing me to enjoy her despite the envious.

I delighted in her, despite the envious one.

I say to my friend while the breeze blows,

أقولُ لصاحِبي والرّاحُ تَجْري

أقولُ لصاحِبي والرّاحُ تَجْري

ووَرْدُ الأُنْسِ مَبْذولُ الوُرودِ

ووَرْدُ الأُنْسِ مَبْذولُ الوُرودِ

I say to my companion as the wine flows,

And the rose of intimacy is offered in bouquets.

And the rose of conviviality is freely accessible:

The branches of euphorbia intoxicated from

وقد ماسَتْ غُصونُ البانِ سُكْراً

وقد ماسَتْ غُصونُ البانِ سُكْراً

منَ الأوْراقِ في خُضْرِ البُرودِ

منَ الأوْراقِ في خُضْرِ البُرودِ

And the bān-tree boughs have swayed, drunk

The leaves in the green meadow.

On leaves, in green striped robes.

The hand of the breeze shakes the dangling clusters,

تَهُزُّ يَدُ النّسيمِ الطّلَّ فِيه

تَهُزُّ يَدُ النّسيمِ الطّلَّ فِيه

فتَحْسِبُها ولائِدَ في مُهودِ

فتَحْسِبُها ولائِدَ في مُهودِ

The breeze's hand shakes the dew within it,

Mistaking them for cradled infants.

So you would take them for baby girls in cradles.

And if the clouds propose to them,

وإنْ قامَ الغَمامُ بِها خَطيباً

وإنْ قامَ الغَمامُ بِها خَطيباً

تَرى الإبْريقَ يُسْرِعُ في السّجودِ

تَرى الإبْريقَ يُسْرِعُ في السّجودِ

And if the cloud rises among them as a preacher,

You see the pitcher hurry in prostration.

You see the ewer hasten into prostration.

Gardens among which houris walk,

جِنانٌ بَيْنَهُنّ الحورُ تَمْشي

جِنانٌ بَيْنَهُنّ الحورُ تَمْشي

أحَقّاً هَذِهِ دارُ الخُلودِ

أحَقّاً هَذِهِ دارُ الخُلودِ

Gardens among which the houris walk—

Is this the abode of eternity?

Is this truly the abode of eternity?

Enjoy, for time guarantees,

تمتّعْ فالزّمانُ لَنا كفِيلٌ

تمتّعْ فالزّمانُ لَنا كفِيلٌ

بإيجازِ المؤمَّلِ والوعودِ

بإيجازِ المؤمَّلِ والوعودِ

Enjoy yourself, for Time is our guarantor

The hoped for and the promised.

For shortening the wait for hopes and promises.

For time has returned today as a feast,

فقَد عادَ الزّمانُ اليومَ عِيداً

فقَد عادَ الزّمانُ اليومَ عِيداً

وهَزَّ البِشْرُ أعْطافَ الوجودِ

وهَزَّ البِشْرُ أعْطافَ الوجودِ

For Time today has become a festival,

And humanity has donned the garb of existence.

And joy has set the flanks of existence swaying,

With the hands of Joseph, Lord of hands,

بأوْبَةِ يوسُفٍ رَبِّ الأيادي

بأوْبَةِ يوسُفٍ رَبِّ الأيادي

ومُحْيي الدّينِ منْ بَعْدِ الخُمودِ

ومُحْيي الدّينِ منْ بَعْدِ الخُمودِ

With the return of Yusuf, lord of benefactions,

And reviver of religion after stagnation.

And reviver of the faith after it had died down,

The beauty of the kingdom, innovator of glories,

جَمالِ المُلْكِ مُبْتَدِعِ المَعالي

جَمالِ المُلْكِ مُبْتَدِعِ المَعالي

ثِمالِ الخَلْقِ مُنْتَجَعِ الوقودِ

ثِمالِ الخَلْقِ مُنْتَجَعِ الوقودِ

The beauty of kingship, originator of lofty deeds,

Apple of creation, kindler of the firewood.

The refuge of humankind, a sought-out source of fuel.

The family of Nasr raised him,

نَمَتْهُ منَ الخَلائِفِ آلِ نَصْرٍ

نَمَتْهُ منَ الخَلائِفِ آلِ نَصْرٍ

أولي الغاياتِ منْ بأسِ وَجُودِ

أولي الغاياتِ منْ بأسِ وَجُودِ

He sprang from the caliphs of the House of Nasr,

The first in glory, power, and excellence.

Possessors of the utmost in valor and generosity.

Time has bowed to him, so he remains

ودانَ لهُ الزّمانُ فَدامَ فِيهِ

ودانَ لهُ الزّمانُ فَدامَ فِيهِ

قَريرَ العيْنِ مَنْصورَ الجُنودِ

قَريرَ العيْنِ مَنْصورَ الجُنودِ

And Time submitted to him; may he endure within it,

Delighting the eye, victorious over armies.

With eyes at peace and armies victorious.