وَوادٍ تَسكَرُ الأَرواحُ فيهِ

وَوادٍ تَسكَرُ الأَرواحُ فيهِ

وَتَخفِقُ فيهِ أَرواحُ النَسيمِ

وَتَخفِقُ فيهِ أَرواحُ النَسيمِ

And a valley where spirits grow drunk,

A valley where souls get drunk

And the spirits of the breeze flutter within it.

And the spirits of the breeze flutter

بِهِ الأَطيارُ قَد قالَت وَقالَت

بِهِ الأَطيارُ قَد قالَت وَقالَت

كَلاماً شافِياً داءَ الكَليمِ

كَلاماً شافِياً داءَ الكَليمِ

There the birds have spoken and spoken

Birds have sung in it

Words that heal the wounded one's affliction.

Words that cure the suffering of the afflicted

تَسَلسَلُ في خَمائِلِهِ مِياهٌ

تَسَلسَلُ في خَمائِلِهِ مِياهٌ

يُقَدُّ أَديمُها قَدَّ الأَديمِ

يُقَدُّ أَديمُها قَدَّ الأَديمِ

Waters stream through its leafy groves;

Waters cascade in its creeks

Their surface is slit as a hide is slit.

Their flow like leather strips

مُروجٌ لِلقُلوبِ بِها اِمتِزاجٌ

مُروجٌ لِلقُلوبِ بِها اِمتِزاجٌ

كَأَنَّ عُيونَها أَيدي الكَريمِ

كَأَنَّ عُيونَها أَيدي الكَريمِ

Meadows with which hearts mingle,

Meadows that gladden hearts

As though their springs were a generous man's hands.

As if their springs were the hands of the generous

لَها أَرَجُ اللَطيمَةِ حينَ يَنشا

لَها أَرَجُ اللَطيمَةِ حينَ يَنشا

وَرِقَّةُ مَنظَرِ الحَدِّ اللَطيمِ

وَرِقَّةُ مَنظَرِ الحَدِّ اللَطيمِ

They have a perfume-laden caravan's scent as it wafts forth,

It has the softness of velvet when it grows green

And the delicate look of a slapped cheek [reading 'cheek' for 'edge'].

And the delicacy of the appearance of smooth velvet

بِنَوّارٍ عَنِ الأَنوارِ يُغني

بِنَوّارٍ عَنِ الأَنوارِ يُغني

وَزَهرِ النَجمِ عَن زُهرِ النُجومِ

وَزَهرِ النَجمِ عَن زُهرِ النُجومِ

With blossoms it makes lights needless,

With light that makes light unnecessary

And with low-growing plants' flowers it makes bright stars needless.

And the blossom of a star instead of other stars

نَزَلنا فيهِ وَالأَكبادُ حَرّى

نَزَلنا فيهِ وَالأَكبادُ حَرّى

فَنَجّانا مِنَ الكَربِ العَظيمِ

فَنَجّانا مِنَ الكَربِ العَظيمِ

We alighted there, our livers burning,

We came down in it with burning livers

So it saved us from great distress.

So it saved us from great suffering

فَرَوَّحَ ظِلُّهُ روحَ الأَماني

فَرَوَّحَ ظِلُّهُ روحَ الأَماني

وَأَخمَدَ بَردُهُ نَفسَ السَمومِ

وَأَخمَدَ بَردُهُ نَفسَ السَمومِ

Then its shade refreshed the spirit of our hopes,

Its shade refreshed the spirit of wishes

And its coolness quenched the scorching wind's breath.

And its coolness quenched the breath of poisons

وَنَفَّسَ إِذ تَنَفَّسَ مِن كُروبي

وَنَفَّسَ إِذ تَنَفَّسَ مِن كُروبي

وَفَرَّجَ حينَ أَرَّجَ مِن هُمومي

وَفَرَّجَ حينَ أَرَّجَ مِن هُمومي

And, as it breathed, it eased some of my troubles,

It breathed when I breathed out my troubles

And, as it spread fragrance, it dispelled some of my cares.

And relieved when it relieved my worries

وَأَفرَشنا مِنَ الأَزهارِ بُسطاً

وَأَفرَشنا مِنَ الأَزهارِ بُسطاً

مُسَردَقَةً بِأَستارِ الغُيومِ

مُسَردَقَةً بِأَستارِ الغُيومِ

And it spread carpets of blossoms for us,

We laid out carpets of flowers

Canopied by curtains of clouds.

Shaded by the curtains of clouds

جَمَعنا لِلمَسامِعِ في ذَراهُ

جَمَعنا لِلمَسامِعِ في ذَراهُ

هَديلَ حَمائِمٍ وَهَديرِ كومِ

هَديلَ حَمائِمٍ وَهَديرِ كومِ

In its shelter we gathered for our ears

We gathered for the ears in its valleys

Doves' cooing and the rumbling of large-humped camels.

The cooing of doves and the murmur of marshes

وَقَضَينا بِهِ بِاللَهوِ يَوماً

وَقَضَينا بِهِ بِاللَهوِ يَوماً

بِهِ سَمَحَت حَشا الدَهرِ العَقيمِ

بِهِ سَمَحَت حَشا الدَهرِ العَقيمِ

And there we spent a day in merriment,

And in it we spent a day in play

Which the womb of barren Time bestowed.

In it the bleak days of fate became generous