بَكَرَ النَّدَى وَتَرَفَّعَ السَّدَفُ

بَكَرَ النَّدَى وَتَرَفَّعَ السَّدَفُ

وَأَتَتْ وُفُودُ اللَّهْوِ تَخْتَلِفُ

وَأَتَتْ وُفُودُ اللَّهْوِ تَخْتَلِفُ

The dew came early, and the darkness lifted.

The dew glistened, the canopy rose high,

And bands of merriment came in succession.

Parties of revelry came, each one vying.

وَدَعَتْ إِلَى شُرْبِ الصَّبُوحِ وَقَدْ

وَدَعَتْ إِلَى شُرْبِ الصَّبُوحِ وَقَدْ

رَقَّ الظَّلامُ حَمَائِمٌ هُتُفُ

رَقَّ الظَّلامُ حَمَائِمٌ هُتُفُ

And we were called to drink the morning wine—when

They called for a morning drink, the darkness lifted,

The darkness had thinned—by loudly cooing doves.

With the ringdoves' cooing, pressing their claim.

فَانْهَضْ عَلَى قَدَمِ الرَّبِيعِ فَمَا

فَانْهَضْ عَلَى قَدَمِ الرَّبِيعِ فَمَا

فِي نَيْلِ أَيَّامِ الصِّبَا سَرَفُ

فِي نَيْلِ أَيَّامِ الصِّبَا سَرَفُ

So rise in step with spring, for there is no

So rise with spring's vigor, do not waste

Excess in enjoying the days of youth.

The days of youth extravagantly outpaced.

وَانْظُرْ فَثَمَّ غَمَامَةٌ أُنُفٌ

وَانْظُرْ فَثَمَّ غَمَامَةٌ أُنُفٌ

تُولِي الْجَمِيلَ وَرَوْضَةٌ أُنُفُ

تُولِي الْجَمِيلَ وَرَوْضَةٌ أُنُفُ

And look: there is a fresh cloud,

Look, there, a wispy cloud turns away

Bestowing bounty, and a fresh, ungrazed meadow.

From beauty and a meadow turning away.

زَهْرٌ يَرفُّ عَلَى كَمَائِمِهِ

زَهْرٌ يَرفُّ عَلَى كَمَائِمِهِ

وَنَدَىً يَشِفُّ وَمُزْنَةٌ تَكِفُ

وَنَدَىً يَشِفُّ وَمُزْنَةٌ تَكِفُ

Blossoms flutter upon their calyxes,

Blossoms flutter above their stems

And dew gleams, and a rain cloud drips.

And freshness heals and beauty that redeems.

فَالطَّلُّ مُنْتَشِرٌ وَمُنْتَظِمٌ

فَالطَّلُّ مُنْتَشِرٌ وَمُنْتَظِمٌ

وَالْغُصْنُ مُفْتَرِقٌ وَمُؤْتَلِفُ

وَالْغُصْنُ مُفْتَرِقٌ وَمُؤْتَلِفُ

So the dew is scattered and strung together,

The climbing vines spread out, arranged,

And the bough is parted and joined.

Branching, intertwined, the garden preened

وَالرَّوْضُ يَرْفُلُ فِي مُعَصْفَرَةٍ

وَالرَّوْضُ يَرْفُلُ فِي مُعَصْفَرَةٍ

بِالزَّهْرِ لِلأَبْصَارِ تَخْتَطِفُ

بِالزَّهْرِ لِلأَبْصَارِ تَخْتَطِفُ

And the meadow struts in a safflower-hued robe,

In its golden hue, with flowers that

Dyed with blossoms, captivating the eyes.

Catch the eyes and steal the gazes fat.

عُنِيَ الرَّبِيعُ بِنَسْجِ بُرْدَتِهَا

عُنِيَ الرَّبِيعُ بِنَسْجِ بُرْدَتِهَا

إِنَّ الرَّبِيعَ لَصَانِعٌ ثَقِفُ

إِنَّ الرَّبِيعَ لَصَانِعٌ ثَقِفُ

Spring took pains to weave its mantle;

Spring busied itself weaving its coat,

Indeed, spring is a deft craftsman.

For spring is a crafty and skillful goat.

لا شَيءَ أَحْسَنُ مِنْ بُلَهْنِيَةٍ

لا شَيءَ أَحْسَنُ مِنْ بُلَهْنِيَةٍ

فِي الْعَيْشِ قَلَّدَ جِيدَهَا الشَّغَفُ

فِي الْعَيْشِ قَلَّدَ جِيدَهَا الشَّغَفُ

Nothing is lovelier than ease

Nothing better than carefree joie de vivre

In life, whose neck passion has adorned with a necklace,

When passion adorns life like a necklace gives.

وَعِصَابَةٍ غَلَبَ الْكَمَالُ عَلَى

وَعِصَابَةٍ غَلَبَ الْكَمَالُ عَلَى

أَخْلاقِهِمْ وَغَذَاهُمُ التَّرَفُ

أَخْلاقِهِمْ وَغَذَاهُمُ التَّرَفُ

And a band, with perfection prevailing over

And a pack whose perfection conquers

Their character, and luxury having nurtured them.

Their nature, nourished by luxury's offers.

نَازَعْتُهُمْ طَرَفَ الْحَدِيثِ وَقَدْ

نَازَعْتُهُمْ طَرَفَ الْحَدِيثِ وَقَدْ

جَرَتِ الْكُؤُوسُ بِنَا فَمَا اخْتَلَفُوا

جَرَتِ الْكُؤُوسُ بِنَا فَمَا اخْتَلَفُوا

I traded snatches of conversation with them, while

I drew them into conversation and though

The cups went round among us, and they did not disagree.

Glasses flowed between us, they did not withdraw.

قَلْبِي بِهِمْ كَلِفٌ وَنَاظِرَتِي

قَلْبِي بِهِمْ كَلِفٌ وَنَاظِرَتِي

عَنْ حُسْنِهِمْ تَاللَّهِ تَنْحَرِفُ

عَنْ حُسْنِهِمْ تَاللَّهِ تَنْحَرِفُ

My heart is enamored of them, and my eye

My heart is bound to them, my gaze does not

By God, does not turn away from their beauty.

Turn from their beauty, by God, it does not rove!

فَمَحَبَّتِي لَهُمُ كَمَا عَرَفُوا

فَمَحَبَّتِي لَهُمُ كَمَا عَرَفُوا

صِدْقٌ وَوَجْدِي فَوْقَ مَا أَصِفُ

صِدْقٌ وَوَجْدِي فَوْقَ مَا أَصِفُ

So my love for them, as they know,

My love for them is known, and my passion exceeds

Is sincere, and my passion exceeds what I can describe.

Whatever I may describe, this is what their bond needs.

لِلَّهِ أَيَّامٌ بِهِمْ سَلَفَتْ

لِلَّهِ أَيَّامٌ بِهِمْ سَلَفَتْ

لَوْ أَنَّهَا بِالْوَصْلِ تُؤْتَنَفُ

لَوْ أَنَّهَا بِالْوَصْلِ تُؤْتَنَفُ

God, what days have passed in their company!

Days with them slipped by,

If only they could be renewed through reunion!

If only they could be retrieved, revived!

إِذْ لِمَّتِي فَيْنَانَةٌ وَيَدِي

إِذْ لِمَّتِي فَيْنَانَةٌ وَيَدِي

فَوْقَ الأَكُفِّ وَقَامَتِي أَلِفُ

فَوْقَ الأَكُفِّ وَقَامَتِي أَلِفُ

When my locks were luxuriant, and my hand

My power was endless, my hand

Was above all hands, and my stature straight as an alif.

Lofty, my stature familiar and grand.

أَجْرِي عَلَى إِثْرِ الشَّبَابِ وَلا

أَجْرِي عَلَى إِثْرِ الشَّبَابِ وَلا

يَمْشِي إِلَى سَاحَاتِيَ الْجَنَفُ

يَمْشِي إِلَى سَاحَاتِيَ الْجَنَفُ

I ran in youth's footsteps, and no

I raced after my youth but no

Injustice walked into my courtyards.

Infirmity walked into my dominion.

ضَافي الْغَدِيرَةِ عَارِمٌ شَرِسٌ

ضَافي الْغَدِيرَةِ عَارِمٌ شَرِسٌ

صَعْبُ الْمَرِيرَةِ سَادِرٌ أَنِفُ

صَعْبُ الْمَرِيرَةِ سَادِرٌ أَنِفُ

With a luxuriant braid, I was unruly and fierce,

I crossed the meadows, fierce, intrepid,

Unyielding in resolve, heedless and proud.

Bold, dashing, proud, and dauntless.

إِنْ سِرْتُ سَارَ النَّاسُ لِي تَبَعاً

إِنْ سِرْتُ سَارَ النَّاسُ لِي تَبَعاً

وَإِذَا وَقَفْتُ لِحَاجَةٍ وَقَفُوا

وَإِذَا وَقَفْتُ لِحَاجَةٍ وَقَفُوا

If I walked, the people walked, following me;

If I walked, people followed me,

And when I stopped for some need, they stopped.

If I paused, they paused immediately.

فَالآنَ أُصْبِحُ طَائِرِي وَقِعٌ

فَالآنَ أُصْبِحُ طَائِرِي وَقِعٌ

بَعْدَ السُّمُوِّ وَصَبْوَتِي أَسَفُ

بَعْدَ السُّمُوِّ وَصَبْوَتِي أَسَفُ

So now I wake with my bird crippled,

Now my flight is grounded, after

After soaring high, and my youthful ardor is grief.

My loftiness and my prime, I despair.

وَغَدَوْتُ بَعْدَ الْكِبْرِياءِ عَلَى

وَغَدَوْتُ بَعْدَ الْكِبْرِياءِ عَلَى

كُلِّ الْوَرَى بِالْعَجْزِ أَعْتَرِفُ

كُلِّ الْوَرَى بِالْعَجْزِ أَعْتَرِفُ

And I have come, after my pride over

After supremacy, I openly

All mankind, to confess my helplessness.

Confess, to all creation, frailty.

وَكَذَلِكَ الأَيَّامُ آخِرُهَا

وَكَذَلِكَ الأَيَّامُ آخِرُهَا

بَعْدَ الشَّبَابِ الضَّعْفُ وَالْخَرَفُ

بَعْدَ الشَّبَابِ الضَّعْفُ وَالْخَرَفُ

And such are the days: their end,

Thus days end - after youth, decline

After youth, is weakness and senility.

And senility. However long his term

وَالْمَرْءُ مَهْمَا طَالَ طَائِلُهُ

وَالْمَرْءُ مَهْمَا طَالَ طَائِلُهُ

يَوْماً لِصَائِبَةِ الرَّدَى هَدَفُ

يَوْماً لِصَائِبَةِ الرَّدَى هَدَفُ

And a man, however far his power extends,

A man is the target of destroying fate,

One day is a target for death's unerring stroke.

One day. What a miserable state!

فَلَبِئْسَ مَا قَدِمَ الْمَشِيبُ بِهِ

فَلَبِئْسَ مَا قَدِمَ الْمَشِيبُ بِهِ

وَلَنِعْمَ مَا وَلَّى بِهِ السَّلَفُ

وَلَنِعْمَ مَا وَلَّى بِهِ السَّلَفُ

So how wretched is what gray hair has brought,

Cursed is what old age brings,

And how splendid is what the past carried away!

Blessed is what the predecessors did.