طَفَلَ المَساءُ وَلِلنَسيمُ تَضوُّعُ

طَفَلَ المَساءُ وَلِلنَسيمُ تَضوُّعُ

وَالأُنسُ يَنظم شَمَلنا وَيَجمّعُ

وَالأُنسُ يَنظم شَمَلنا وَيَجمّعُ

Evening has grown dusky, and the breeze wafts fragrance;

The evening welcomed a child, and the breeze sighed,

And fellowship binds our company and draws us together.

While companionship knitted our gathering and united us.

وَالزَهرُ يَضحك مِن بُكاء غَمامَة

وَالزَهرُ يَضحك مِن بُكاء غَمامَة

رِيعَت لِشَيمِ سُيوف بَرقٍ تَلمَعُ

رِيعَت لِشَيمِ سُيوف بَرقٍ تَلمَعُ

And the flowers laugh at the weeping of a cloud

And flowers laughed at the weeping of a small cloud

frightened by the unsheathing of lightning’s gleaming swords.

Whose lightning swords shone brightly.

وَالنَهرُ مَن طَرَبٍ يَصفِّقُ مَوجُهُ

وَالنَهرُ مَن طَرَبٍ يَصفِّقُ مَوجُهُ

وَالغُصنُ يَرقُصُ وَالحَمامَةُ تَسجَعُ

وَالغُصنُ يَرقُصُ وَالحَمامَةُ تَسجَعُ

And the river’s waves clap for joy;

The river clapped its waves in rapture,

And the bough dances, and the dove coos.

The branch danced and the dove cooed.

فَاِنعم أَبا عُمران وَالهُ بِرَوضَةٍ

فَاِنعم أَبا عُمران وَالهُ بِرَوضَةٍ

حَسُنَ المَصيفُ بِها وَطابَ المَربَعُ

حَسُنَ المَصيفُ بِها وَطابَ المَربَعُ

So enjoy yourself, Abu ʿImrān, and make merry in a garden

So take your ease, Abu Umran, in a garden

where the summer retreat is lovely and the spring retreat delightful.

Where summer is beautiful and the square delightful,

يا شادِنَ البانِ الَّذي دُونَ النَقا

يا شادِنَ البانِ الَّذي دُونَ النَقا

حَيثُ التُقى وادي الحِمى وَالأَجرَعُ

حَيثُ التُقى وادي الحِمى وَالأَجرَعُ

O young gazelle of the bān trees, dwelling this side of the dune,

O you who settled by the white sands

where the valley of al-Ḥimā and al-Ajraʿ meet.

Where the valley of Al-Hima joins Al-Ajra’a,

الشَمسُ يَغرُبُ نورُها وَلربّما

الشَمسُ يَغرُبُ نورُها وَلربّما

كُسِفَت وَنُورك كُلّ حينَ يَسطعُ

كُسِفَت وَنُورك كُلّ حينَ يَسطعُ

The sun’s light sets, and sometimes

The sun sets and its light disappears, but yours

it is eclipsed; yet your light shines at every moment.

Remains shining at all times.

إِن غابَ نُورُ الشَمس بِتنا نَتّقي

إِن غابَ نُورُ الشَمس بِتنا نَتّقي

بِسناكَ لَيلَ تَفَرُّقٍ يَتَطلُع

بِسناكَ لَيلَ تَفَرُّقٍ يَتَطلُع

If the sun’s light vanishes, we spend the night warding off

When the sun’s light is gone, we take shelter

with your radiance a looming night of separation.

In your light, dispelling the night’s darkness.

أَفَلَت فَنابَ سَناكَ عَن إِشراقِها

أَفَلَت فَنابَ سَناكَ عَن إِشراقِها

وَجَلا مِن الظَلماءِ ما يُتَوقَّعُ

وَجَلا مِن الظَلماءِ ما يُتَوقَّعُ

It has set, and your radiance has replaced its shining

When it set it relied on your rising

and dispelled whatever darkness one might fear.

To dispel the expected gloom.

فَأَمِنتَ يا مُوسى الغُروبَ وَلَم أَقُل

فَأَمِنتَ يا مُوسى الغُروبَ وَلَم أَقُل

فَودَدتُ يا مُوسى لَو أَنّك يوشع

فَودَدتُ يا مُوسى لَو أَنّك يوشع

Thus you are safe from setting, O Musa, and I did not say:

You felt safe from sunset, Moses, and I did not say

“So I wished, O Musa, that you were Yūshaʿ.”

I wish, O Moses, you were Joshua!