نَمَتْ على نَفْسِ الشمالِ شمُولُ

نَمَتْ على نَفْسِ الشمالِ شمُولُ

وأرَن في عَقْدِ الأرَاكِ هَديلُ

وأرَن في عَقْدِ الأرَاكِ هَديلُ

Wine betrayed its presence on the north wind’s breath.

The North wind blew gently

And a dove’s cooing rang in the arak’s tangled boughs.

And I heard the bushes murmuring

فكأنما عَاطتْهُ كأْسًا فانْثنَى

فكأنما عَاطتْهُ كأْسًا فانْثنَى

فِيها يُرجعُ شَدْوَهُ ويُطِيلُ

فِيها يُرجعُ شَدْوَهُ ويُطِيلُ

As though she had passed him a cup, he swayed,

As if it had drunk from a cup and then bent over

There, repeating his song and drawing it out.

Prolonging its fervor within

يُعْدِي الغُصونَ صَبابةً فَيُميلُها

يُعْدِي الغُصونَ صَبابةً فَيُميلُها

ولذاكَ ما تَهْفو بهِ وتَميلُ

ولذاكَ ما تَهْفو بهِ وتَميلُ

He infects the branches with longing, making them bend;

It sways the branches playfully and inclines them

And that is why they flutter with him and sway.

That is why they sway with it and bend

ويا صَاحِبي دعْ عنكَ تلكَ فإنما

ويا صَاحِبي دعْ عنكَ تلكَ فإنما

سبَبُ البُكاءِ ركائبٌ وحمولُ

سبَبُ البُكاءِ ركائبٌ وحمولُ

And, O my friend, put that aside, for the only

Oh my friend, leave off such things

Cause for tears is riding camels and laden caravans.

For the causes of tears are burdens and loads

وانشطْ لها صفراءَ مثلَ الورْسِ أو

وانشطْ لها صفراءَ مثلَ الورْسِ أو

كالشمْسِ نازَعَها الغُروبَ أصِيلُ

كالشمْسِ نازَعَها الغُروبَ أصِيلُ

And turn eagerly to it, yellow as wars dye, or

And rouse yourself for it, yellow like balsam

Like the sun, as late afternoon contends with it over its setting;

Or like the sun pursued by the twilight glow

أو كالمُحِب جَفاهُ بَعْدُ حبيبُهُ

أو كالمُحِب جَفاهُ بَعْدُ حبيبُهُ

فبَدتْ عليهِ صُفْرةٌ ونحُولُ

فبَدتْ عليهِ صُفْرةٌ ونحُولُ

Or like a lover whom his beloved has since shunned,

Or like a lover spurned after by his beloved

So pallor and wasting appeared upon him.

And so paleness and grief appeared on him

راقَتْ ورقتْ في العيانِ فلمْ يَنلْ

راقَتْ ورقتْ في العيانِ فلمْ يَنلْ

إدْراكَهَا وصْفٌ ولا تَمْثيلُ

إدْراكَهَا وصْفٌ ولا تَمْثيلُ

It shone clear and delicate to the eye, beyond

She shone brightly in the eyes but no

The grasp of description or comparison.

Description or likeness could attain her

فالروْضُ مِسْكي النسيمِ مُدَبجٌ

فالروْضُ مِسْكي النسيمِ مُدَبجٌ

والماءُ فضيُ الأدِيمِ صَقيلُ

والماءُ فضيُ الأدِيمِ صَقيلُ

So the garden is brocaded, its breeze musk-scented;

The garden breathes sweetly in the breeze

And the water is polished, its surface silver.

And the water flows smoothly like silver

والبرْقُ يبْسِمُ والسحابً عَوابِسٌ

والبرْقُ يبْسِمُ والسحابً عَوابِسٌ

والريحُ يَجْري دَمْعُها فَيسيلُ

والريحُ يَجْري دَمْعُها فَيسيلُ

And lightning smiles while the clouds frown;

Lightning smiles and the clouds frown

And the wind’s tears run and flow.

As the wind sheds tears that flow

سَكْرى تَهادَى كَالبَهِيرِ تحَامُلا

سَكْرى تَهادَى كَالبَهِيرِ تحَامُلا

فسَحتْ لها وجْهَ الصعيدِ ذُبولُ

فسَحتْ لها وجْهَ الصعيدِ ذُبولُ

Drunken, she sways like one breathless, straining onward;

A drunkenness wanders like a wild animal

Drooping boughs made room for her on the earth’s face.

And so the ground’s face welcomed it wearily

تَسْتَن منْ مُقلِ الغوادِي دمعَها

تَسْتَن منْ مُقلِ الغوادِي دمعَها

في صحْنِ خَد الترْبِ فَهْوَ بَلِيلُ

في صحْنِ خَد الترْبِ فَهْوَ بَلِيلُ

She pours her tears from the eyes of morning rainclouds

It seeks from the eye of the valleys their tears

Across the broad cheek of the earth, so it is wet.

In the cheek of the soil where they are miserable

لاتَرْكنَن اليوْمَ تَسْوِيفًا إلى

لاتَرْكنَن اليوْمَ تَسْوِيفًا إلى

غَدِِهِ فَوَعْدُ زمَاِنَنا مَمْطولُ

غَدِِهِ فَوَعْدُ زمَاِنَنا مَمْطولُ

Do not, today, procrastinate by relying on

Do not put off today until tomorrow

Its tomorrow, for our age’s promise is deferred.

For the promise of our days are forfeited