وباقِلاءٍ حَسَنِ المُجَرَّدِ

وباقِلاءٍ حَسَنِ المُجَرَّدِ

بباغٍ مسعودِ الأغَرِّ الأَسْعَدِ

بباغٍ مسعودِ الأغَرِّ الأَسْعَدِ

And fava beans, lovely when shelled,

And broad beans, lovely when shelled,

in the garden of Masʿūd, the illustrious, the most fortunate—

in the garden of Mas'ud, the illustrious, most fortunate,

مسكِ الثّرَى شُهْدِ الجَنَى غَضِّ نَدِي

مسكِ الثّرَى شُهْدِ الجَنَى غَضِّ نَدِي

ذِي ورَقٍ يكحُلُ عينَ الأرْمَدِ

ذِي ورَقٍ يكحُلُ عينَ الأرْمَدِ

their soil musk, their harvest honey, tender and dewy,

their soil musk, their harvest honey, tender and dewy,

with foliage that kohls the inflamed eye,

with leaves that line the ailing eye with kohl,

ورِقَّةٍ تشفي أُوَارِ المُكْمَدِ

ورِقَّةٍ تشفي أُوَارِ المُكْمَدِ

وموقِعٍ يُبْرِدُ من حرِّ الصَّدَى

وموقِعٍ يُبْرِدُ من حرِّ الصَّدَى

and leaves that heal the burning of the grief-stricken,

and tenderness that soothes the burning of the sorrowful,

and a spot that cools the heat of thirst,

and an effect that cools the heat of thirst,

رَيّانَ من نَوْءِ السماك الأَجْوَدِ

رَيّانَ من نَوْءِ السماك الأَجْوَدِ

كالعِقْدِ إلا أنّهُ لم يُعْقَدِ

كالعِقْدِ إلا أنّهُ لم يُعْقَدِ

lush with the rain of the most bountiful al-Simāk;

well-watered by the most generous rains of al-Simak,

like a necklace, save that it has not been strung,

like a necklace, except that it has not been strung,

أَوْ كالفُصُوصِ في أكُفِّ الخُرّدِ

أَوْ كالفُصُوصِ في أكُفِّ الخُرّدِ

أو كبَنَاتِ اللُّؤْلُؤِ المنَضَّدِ

أو كبَنَاتِ اللُّؤْلُؤِ المنَضَّدِ

or gems in the palms of bashful maidens,

or like gems in the palms of shy maidens,

or pearl’s little daughters, ranged in order,

or like pearl beads arranged in rows,

في طَيِّ أصدافٍ من الزَّبَرْجَدِ

في طَيِّ أصدافٍ من الزَّبَرْجَدِ

مَفْرُوِشَةٍ بالكُرْسُفِ المزَبَّدِ

مَفْرُوِشَةٍ بالكُرْسُفِ المزَبَّدِ

within folded shells of emerald,

within the folds of chrysolite shells,

laid upon frothing cotton:

lined with foamy cotton,

حَبّاتُ دُرٍّ قُمِّعَتْ بإثمِدِ

حَبّاتُ دُرٍّ قُمِّعَتْ بإثمِدِ

مُبَطَّنَاتٌ كالهِلال المُبْتَدي

مُبَطَّنَاتٌ كالهِلال المُبْتَدي

pearls capped with antimony,

pearl beads capped with antimony kohl,

plump-bellied like the newborn crescent,

lined, like a crescent newly appearing,

يَفْتَرُّ عَنْ فيروزَجْ رَطْبٍ نَدِي

يَفْتَرُّ عَنْ فيروزَجْ رَطْبٍ نَدِي

على قَوَامٍ كَقَوَامِ أَغْيَدِ

على قَوَامٍ كَقَوَامِ أَغْيَدِ

smiling open upon moist, dewy turquoise,

parting in a smile to reveal turquoise, moist and dewy,

all borne on a form like a supple beauty’s—

upon a stem like the figure of a graceful youth,

جَنيِّ يومٍ لَمْ يُؤَخَّرْ لغدِ

جَنيِّ يومٍ لَمْ يُؤَخَّرْ لغدِ

ولم يُنَقّلْ من يَدٍ إلى يَدِ

ولم يُنَقّلْ من يَدٍ إلى يَدِ

picked that very day, not kept for tomorrow,

picked that day, not kept until tomorrow,

nor passed from hand to hand;

nor passed from hand to hand,

أَحْلَى من الإغْفَاءِ وقت السُّهْدِ

أَحْلَى من الإغْفَاءِ وقت السُّهْدِ

أو مِنْ وفاء خَلَّةٍ بموعِدِ

أو مِنْ وفاء خَلَّةٍ بموعِدِ

sweeter than dozing in an hour of sleeplessness,

sweeter than a doze in a spell of sleeplessness,

or a dear friend’s keeping of a tryst,

or than a beloved keeping her promised tryst,

أو مِنْ أمانٍ في فُؤَادٍ مُرْعَدِ

أو مِنْ أمانٍ في فُؤَادٍ مُرْعَدِ

باكَرْتُهُ والطَيْرُ لم تُغَرِّدِ

باكَرْتُهُ والطَيْرُ لم تُغَرِّدِ

or safety entering a terror-stricken heart.

or than security in a trembling heart.

I sought it early, before the birds had sung,

I visited it at dawn, while the birds had not yet sung,

والشمسُ مثلُ النَّصْلِ لم يُجَرَّدِ

والشمسُ مثلُ النَّصْلِ لم يُجَرَّدِ

في عُصْبَةٍ مِنْ وَلَدِ المؤيّدِ

في عُصْبَةٍ مِنْ وَلَدِ المؤيّدِ

while the sun, like a blade, had not yet been drawn,

and the sun was like a blade not yet unsheathed,

amid a company of al-Muʾayyad’s sons,

in a company of al-Mu'ayyad's sons,

من كُلّ غِطْرِيْفٍ خِضَمٍّ أصُيَدِ

من كُلّ غِطْرِيْفٍ خِضَمٍّ أصُيَدِ

مرشَّحٍ للمُلْكِ غَيْرَ قُعْدُدِ

مرشَّحٍ للمُلْكِ غَيْرَ قُعْدُدِ

each a highborn, open-handed, majestic lord,

each a noble lord, a sea of generosity, proud of bearing,

groomed for kingship, hindered by no incapacity,

groomed for kingship, no stay-at-home coward,

مؤزَّرٍ بكُلِّ مجدٍ مُرْتَدَى

مؤزَّرٍ بكُلِّ مجدٍ مُرْتَدَى

حتى وَرَدْْنَاهُ أنيقَ الموْرِدِ

حتى وَرَدْْنَاهُ أنيقَ الموْرِدِ

girded and robed in every glory,

girded with every glory worn as a mantle,

until we reached it—a delightful destination,

until we reached it, a delightful watering place,

بِطيْبِ ريّاهُ إليهِ تَهْتَدي

بِطيْبِ ريّاهُ إليهِ تَهْتَدي

لشَدَّ ما أغْنَى عن التَّزَوُّدِ

لشَدَّ ما أغْنَى عن التَّزَوُّدِ

guided to it by the sweetness of its fragrance.

by its sweet fragrance, you find your way to it.

How richly it spared us the need to carry provisions

How completely it did away with the need for provisions

ممّا طَهَتْهُ لك أيدي الأعُبدِ

ممّا طَهَتْهُ لك أيدي الأعُبدِ

ثُمَّ دَعَوْنَا بغزالْ أغْيَدِ

ثُمَّ دَعَوْنَا بغزالْ أغْيَدِ

of what slaves’ hands had cooked for you!

of what the slaves' hands had cooked for you.

Then we called for a graceful gazelle,

Then we called for a supple gazelle,

فجاءَ من صهباءَ لم تصرَّدِ

فجاءَ من صهباءَ لم تصرَّدِ

بقهوةٍ كخَدِّهِ المُوَرَّدِ

بقهوةٍ كخَدِّهِ المُوَرَّدِ

and he came, born of a tawny doe never driven away,

so he brought, from tawny wine that was not stinted,

bearing wine like his rose-flushed cheeks,

a wine like his rose-red cheek,

يَحُثُّهَا حُسْنُ غِنَاءِ مَعْبَدِ

يَحُثُّهَا حُسْنُ غِنَاءِ مَعْبَدِ

أمْتِعْ بها من غَدْوَةٍ لمُغْتَدي

أمْتِعْ بها من غَدْوَةٍ لمُغْتَدي

urged round by the beauty of Maʿbad’s song.

urged along by the beauty of Ma'bad's singing.

What a delightful morning for one venturing forth!

What a delightful morning for an early riser!

أَحْمَدْتُ عُقْبَى العَيْشَ فيها والبَدَى

أَحْمَدْتُ عُقْبَى العَيْشَ فيها والبَدَى

في ظِلِّ عيشٍ رَغَدٍ مؤبّدِ

في ظِلِّ عيشٍ رَغَدٍ مؤبّدِ

There I found the outcome wholesome for life and limb,

I found life's outcome and beginning there worthy of praise,

in the shade of an everlasting life of ease,

in the shade of an everlasting life of ease,

بِرَغْمِ آنَافِ العِدَا والحُسَّدِ

بِرَغْمِ آنَافِ العِدَا والحُسَّدِ

to spite the noses of enemies and the envious.

in defiance of foes and enviers, their noses rubbed in dust.