شَقَّتْ على الأرضِ السَّماءُ جُيوبَها

شَقَّتْ على الأرضِ السَّماءُ جُيوبَها

فالمَحْ سَناها أو تَنَسَّمْ طيبَها

فالمَحْ سَناها أو تَنَسَّمْ طيبَها

The sky has rent its robes above the earth;

The sky has split open its folds upon the earth,

so behold its radiance or breathe in its fragrance.

So inhale its fragrance or enjoy its beauty.

أرضٌ مُدَبَّجَةٌ وظِلٌ وارِفٌ

أرضٌ مُدَبَّجَةٌ وظِلٌ وارِفٌ

وشَذىً بهِ مَلأَ النسيمُ رحيَبها

وشَذىً بهِ مَلأَ النسيمُ رحيَبها

A brocaded land and ample shade,

A land embroidered, with ample shade,

and fragrance with which the breeze filled its wide expanse.

And a breeze filling its expanse with fragrance.

قد مدَّ طاووسُ الجمالِ جناحَهُ

قد مدَّ طاووسُ الجمالِ جناحَهُ

فِيها فغطَّى غُصنَها وكَثيبَها

فِيها فغطَّى غُصنَها وكَثيبَها

The peacock of beauty has spread its wing

The peacock of beauty has spread its wings,

within it, covering its bough and its dune.

Covering its branches and hills.

ماشِئْتَ من وَشْيٍ بها تَوْريدَها

ماشِئْتَ من وَشْيٍ بها تَوْريدَها

تَوْريسَها تَفْضيضَها تَذْهيبَها

تَوْريسَها تَفْضيضَها تَذْهيبَها

Whatever embroidery you wish is there: its rose-red coloring,

You may adorn it however you wish,

its yellow dyeing, its silvering, its gilding.

Embroider it, refine it, and make it glow.

سَحبَ السَّحابُ بها فُضولَ ذُيوِله

سَحبَ السَّحابُ بها فُضولَ ذُيوِله

فَوشَى أباطِحَها ولَمَّ شعُوبَها

فَوشَى أباطِحَها ولَمَّ شعُوبَها

The clouds dragged their long trailing skirts across it,

The clouds have drawn away its excess tails,

embroidering its gravelly flats and uniting its scattered parts.

And have sprinkled its plateaus and brought together its valleys.

فأتَتْ كما نَضَت العَروسُ نِقابَها

فأتَتْ كما نَضَت العَروسُ نِقابَها

وجَلتْ عن الوَجْهِ الجميلِ شُروبها

وجَلتْ عن الوَجْهِ الجميلِ شُروبها

So it appeared like a bride who had cast off her veil,

It has emerged like a bride unveiling her veil,

and drawn her gauzy coverings from her beautiful face.

And revealing her beautiful face and drink.

وادٍ بهِ نَفضَ الربيعُ عِيابَهُ

وادٍ بهِ نَفضَ الربيعُ عِيابَهُ

وأرَى فُنونَ فُتونِه وضُروبَها

وأرَى فُنونَ فُتونِه وضُروبَها

A valley where spring shook out its garment bags,

A valley in which spring has scattered its clouds,

and displayed its arts of enchantment in all their forms.

Displaying the arts of its charm and forms.

أضفَى عليه النَّورُ من أثْوابِهِ

أضفَى عليه النَّورُ من أثْوابِهِ

خِلَعاً تُهذّب نَشرها تَهذيبَها

خِلَعاً تُهذّب نَشرها تَهذيبَها

The blossoms bestowed upon it, from their own garments,

The light has draped it in its robes,

robes of honor, their fragrance finely refined.

Refined garments that perfect its elegance.

في عاتِقَيْهِ من المياهِ صَوارمٌ

في عاتِقَيْهِ من المياهِ صَوارمٌ

يُبدي النَّسيمُ بمتْنِها تَشْطيبَها

يُبدي النَّسيمُ بمتْنِها تَشْطيبَها

Upon its two shoulders lie keen swords of water;

On its shoulders are swords of water,

the breeze reveals the grooves upon their blades.

With the breeze displaying their flexibility.

فالدَّوحُ بينَ مُدَمْلَجٍ ومُخَلخَلٍ

فالدَّوحُ بينَ مُدَمْلَجٍ ومُخَلخَلٍ

عنها غَدا جَرْسُ الحُليّ نَسيبَها

عنها غَدا جَرْسُ الحُليّ نَسيبَها

So the great trees wear either armlets or anklets,

Among its supple and stirring sands,

from which the ornaments' chime became their love song.

The sound of its jewelry has become melodious.

لا غَرْوَ إنْ ضَحِكَتْ مَباسِمُ زَهرهِ

لا غَرْوَ إنْ ضَحِكَتْ مَباسِمُ زَهرهِ

فالمُزنُ قد سَفَحت عَلَيْهِ غُروبَها

فالمُزنُ قد سَفَحت عَلَيْهِ غُروبَها

No wonder if its flowers' smiling mouths laugh,

Do not wonder if the smiles of its flowers laugh,

for the rain clouds have poured their great buckets upon it.

For the dew has spilled over onto it.

أو إن بَدا خَجلٌ بخدَّيْ وَرْدِهِ

أو إن بَدا خَجلٌ بخدَّيْ وَرْدِهِ

فالدَّوحُ قد شقَّتْ عَليْهِ جُيوبَها

فالدَّوحُ قد شقَّتْ عَليْهِ جُيوبَها

Or if a blush appears upon its roses' twin cheeks,

Or if shyness appears on the cheeks of its rose,

for the great trees have rent their robes above it.

For it has split open its folds over it.

أو أنْ يُغنّي بُلبلٌ في ظِلِّها

أو أنْ يُغنّي بُلبلٌ في ظِلِّها

طَرباً وقَد حاكَ البَديعُ نَسيبَها

طَرباً وقَد حاكَ البَديعُ نَسيبَها

Or if a nightingale sings within their shade

Or if a nightingale sings in its shade,

in rapture, the Wondrous Maker having woven their love song.

Enchantingly, as the ingenious one composes its melody.

ما مِثْلُ أيَّامِ الرَّبيعِ ونَهْبِها

ما مِثْلُ أيَّامِ الرَّبيعِ ونَهْبِها

عَيشٌ يَطيبُ فلا تُضِعْ مَنْهوبَها

عَيشٌ يَطيبُ فلا تُضِعْ مَنْهوبَها

There is nothing like spring's days and plundering them

There is no life like the days of spring and its plunder,

for a life of delight—so do not squander their spoils.

A pleasant living, so do not lose its spoils.

واعطِفْ عَلى وجْهِ الزَّمانِ فَحَيِّهِ

واعطِفْ عَلى وجْهِ الزَّمانِ فَحَيِّهِ

بِتَحيَّةٍ تُنْسي ذُكاءَ غروبَها

بِتَحيَّةٍ تُنْسي ذُكاءَ غروبَها

And turn toward the face of Time and greet it

And turn to the face of time in its prime,

with a greeting that makes Dhukāʾ, the sun, forget her setting.

With a greeting that reminds of the radiance of its setting.

واعدِل لِظلٍّ ألعسٍ فارشُفْ بهِ

واعدِل لِظلٍّ ألعسٍ فارشُفْ بهِ

كأسَ المُنى حتَّى تَطَعَّمَ طِيبَها

كأسَ المُنى حتَّى تَطَعَّمَ طِيبَها

And turn aside into dusky shade, and there sip

Incline to ample shade and relax in it,

the cup of wishes, until you savor its sweetness.

Until the cup of desires tastes its sweetness.

والمَحْ صحائفَ ذا الوجودِ بعيْنِ مَنْ

والمَحْ صحائفَ ذا الوجودِ بعيْنِ مَنْ

جَمعَ التفرُّقَ تَستَبِنْ مَكتوبَها

جَمعَ التفرُّقَ تَستَبِنْ مَكتوبَها

And behold this existence's pages with the eye of one who

And glance with the eye of one who has gathered

has united what is scattered; you will discern their writing.

The dispersed pages to discern their writings.

فَوراءَ هذا الحُسنِ حُسنٌ قَدْ غَدا

فَوراءَ هذا الحُسنِ حُسنٌ قَدْ غَدا

مَطلوبَ نفسِكَ لو دَرتْ مَطلوبَها

مَطلوبَ نفسِكَ لو دَرتْ مَطلوبَها

For beyond this beauty is a beauty that has become

Beyond this beauty is another beauty that has appeared,

the object of your soul's longing, if only it knew what it seeks.

Desired by your soul, if only it knew its desire.

لولا اتِّقائي أن يُقالَ أخو صِبا

لولا اتِّقائي أن يُقالَ أخو صِبا

لَرَشَفْتُ من ثَغْرِ الأَقاحِ شَنيبَها

لَرَشَفْتُ من ثَغْرِ الأَقاحِ شَنيبَها

Were it not for my fear of being called a man of youthful folly,

Were it not for my piety that I would be called a reckless youth,

I would sip their cool sweetness from the daisies' mouths.

I would have sipped from the lips of the virgin her drink.

أو أنْ يباهِتَ في المَلامةِ عاذِلٌ

أو أنْ يباهِتَ في المَلامةِ عاذِلٌ

بسفاهِ حِلْمٍ لاعتنَقتُ قضيبَها

بسفاهِ حِلْمٍ لاعتنَقتُ قضيبَها

Or, were I not afraid a reprover would brazenly reproach me

Or that a blamer may gloat in accusing me,

for foolish judgment, I would embrace its slender bough,

Of foolishly embracing her staff.

ورَفعتُ نَفْسي عن زِراية غادَةٍ

ورَفعتُ نَفْسي عن زِراية غادَةٍ

وجَعَلْتُ ذاكَ من الحِسانِ نَصيبَها

وجَعَلْتُ ذاكَ من الحِسانِ نَصيبَها

and raise myself above slighting a maiden,

And I would have raised myself above the status of a seductress,

and make that her share among the beauties.

And made that my share of virtue.