للّه درُّ عَشِيَّةٍ نَادَمْتُهَا

للّه درُّ عَشِيَّةٍ نَادَمْتُهَا

والعَيْشُ من مُقَلِ الشبيبة ينظرُ

والعَيْشُ من مُقَلِ الشبيبة ينظرُ

God bless an evening I took as my drinking companion,

The eve brought me regret

while life gazed out through the eyes of youth.

And life from youth's abode looks on

غرَّاءُ ضُعِّفَ نورُها فكأنَّما

غرَّاءُ ضُعِّفَ نورُها فكأنَّما

أَمسى يُشَعْشِعُها صباحٌ أَنْوَر

أَمسى يُشَعْشِعُها صباحٌ أَنْوَر

Radiant, its light was doubled, as though

The bright light has dimmed, as though

a brighter morning were making it sparkle at dusk.

A brighter dawn has illuminated it

خطَّ البهارُ بها بمقلة وَسْمِه

خطَّ البهارُ بها بمقلة وَسْمِه

خدَّ الغمام فبات وهْو مُعَصْفَرُ

خدَّ الغمام فبات وهْو مُعَصْفَرُ

There the ox-eye flower, with its eye-shaped mark, streaked

Spring adorned it with the mark of his eyeliner

the clouds' cheek, which spent the night safflower-dyed.

The clouds slept while yellowish

ما كان أحسنها بصُفَّةِ برْكَةٍ

ما كان أحسنها بصُفَّةِ برْكَةٍ

باتت بخَفْقِ الريح وهْيَ سَنَوَّرُ

باتت بخَفْقِ الريح وهْيَ سَنَوَّرُ

How lovely it was on a terrace beside a pool

How beautiful it was with the blessing of rain

that spent the night, in the wind's flutter, as a coat of mail:

It slept to the fluttering of wind and blossomed

بيضاءُ جال بها الربيعُ كأنه

بيضاءُ جال بها الربيعُ كأنه

ذَوْبُ اللُّجَيْنِ جرى عليه الجوهر

ذَوْبُ اللُّجَيْنِ جرى عليه الجوهر

white, with spring roaming across it, as though it were

White from the running of spring, as though

molten silver over which jewels flowed.

The molten silver flowed with gems over it

طاف الربيعُ بمائها فكأنه

طاف الربيعُ بمائها فكأنه

خدٌّ أَطافَ به عِذارٌ أخضر

خدٌّ أَطافَ به عِذارٌ أخضر

Spring circled its water, as though it were

Spring revolved around its water, as though

a cheek encircled by green side-whiskers.

A cheek circled by a green necklace