أمّا الصباح فقد بدت راياته

أمّا الصباح فقد بدت راياته

بيضاً وقد هُزِمَ الظّلام الأكلف

بيضاً وقد هُزِمَ الظّلام الأكلف

As for the morning, its banners have appeared,

The morning has unfurled its white banners

White, and the dusky darkness has been vanquished.

And defeated the stubborn darkness

فاخلِط صباحَك بالصَّبُحِ فإنه

فاخلِط صباحَك بالصَّبُحِ فإنه

أَنْفَى لمُنْتَاب الهمومِ وأتلفِ

أَنْفَى لمُنْتَاب الهمومِ وأتلفِ

So mingle your morning with morning wine, for it

So mix your morning with the morning, for it

Is better at banishing and destroying recurring cares.

Dispels the griefs of troubled minds and brings harmony

أَو ما ترى شمسَ النهار ودونَها

أَو ما ترى شمسَ النهار ودونَها

من مُسْتَهِلِّ الغَيم سِتْرٌ مُسْجَف

من مُسْتَهِلِّ الغَيم سِتْرٌ مُسْجَف

And do you not see the sun of day, before which

Or don't you see the sun of daytime and beneath it

A draped curtain of rain-bearing cloud hangs?

From the cloud's horizon, a layered curtain

ينجاب عنها تارةً فَيُبِينُها

ينجاب عنها تارةً فَيُبِينُها

وتَغيب طَوْراً في دُجاه فتكسَف

وتَغيب طَوْراً في دُجاه فتكسَف

It parts from her at times, revealing her,

Which alternately hides it then reveals it

And at other times she vanishes in its gloom and is eclipsed.

While at times it disappears into deep gloom and is eclipsed

فكأنما لبِستْ قَباءً أزرقا

فكأنما لبِستْ قَباءً أزرقا

أو مُدَّ من خَزّ عليها مِطْرَف

أو مُدَّ من خَزّ عليها مِطْرَف

So it is as though she has put on a blue robe,

As though it has worn a blue cloak

Or a silken mantle has been spread over her.

Or a festival robe has been draped over it

وبدا لنشر الروض من بعد الندى

وبدا لنشر الروض من بعد الندى

ريح كريح المِسك بل هي أشرف

ريح كريح المِسك بل هي أشرف

And after the dew, from the garden's fragrance arose

And after the dew, a breeze begins to stir the meadow

A scent like musk—no, finer still.

A musk-like breeze, nay it is even more fragrant

وَرْدٌ حكَى خَجَلَ الخدودِ ونَرْجِسٌ

وَرْدٌ حكَى خَجَلَ الخدودِ ونَرْجِسٌ

يحكي العيونَ بأَعْينُ ما تَطْرِف

يحكي العيونَ بأَعْينُ ما تَطْرِف

Roses mirror the blush of cheeks, and narcissi

A rose describing the shyness of cheeks and a narcissus

Mirror eyes with eyes that never blink.

Telling of eyes with glancing sights

فعيونُ ذاك بعسجدٍ مكحولٌ

فعيونُ ذاك بعسجدٍ مكحولٌ

وخدودُ ذا من عَنْدَمٍ تَتَغَلّف

وخدودُ ذا من عَنْدَمٍ تَتَغَلّف

So that one's eyes are lined with gold,

While the eyes of one are heavily kohled

And this one's cheeks are cloaked in crimson dye.

The cheeks of another wrap themselves in blushes

فكأنما نَثَرَتْ عليه لونَها

فكأنما نَثَرَتْ عليه لونَها

راحٌ على راحاتنا تَتَصرف

راحٌ على راحاتنا تَتَصرف

So it is as though it were sprinkled with the color

As though its color has been scattered over them

Of wine circulating across our palms.

A breeze blowing freely over our terraces

فاشربْ فقد لَؤُمَ الزمانُ وقُطِّعَت

فاشربْ فقد لَؤُمَ الزمانُ وقُطِّعَت

عُقَدُ الوفاءِ به وقلّ المنصف

عُقَدُ الوفاءِ به وقلّ المنصف

So drink, for the age has grown base, and severed

So drink up, for time has been faithless

Are the bonds of loyalty within it, and few are the fair-minded.

And the knots of loyalty to it have been cut, and the just are few

ولقد نهضتُ بعزمةٍ ما تَنثَني

ولقد نهضتُ بعزمةٍ ما تَنثَني

عمّا أريد وفَتْكةٍ ما تَضْعفُ

عمّا أريد وفَتْكةٍ ما تَضْعفُ

And indeed I rose with a resolve that would not turn aside

And I have risen up with a resolve that will not bend

From what I desire, and with a fierce attack that would not weaken.

From what I want, and a power that will not weaken

فإذا الخطوبُ إذا مضت لا تَرْعَوي

فإذا الخطوبُ إذا مضت لا تَرْعَوي

وإذا قَضَتْ بقَضِيةٍ لا تُخلف

وإذا قَضَتْ بقَضِيةٍ لا تُخلف

Then behold: calamities, once they advance, do not relent,

When calamities have passed, they are not feared

And when they decree a judgment, they never go back on it.

And when they decree something, it will not be reversed

فصبَرتُ للمقدارِ تحت مراده

فصبَرتُ للمقدارِ تحت مراده

كيلا يكونَ تأسّفٌ وَتَلَهُّفُ

كيلا يكونَ تأسّفٌ وَتَلَهُّفُ

So I bore fate patiently, subject to its will,

So I have been patient with fate's will

So that there might be no regret or anguish.

Lest there be regret and anguished sighs

وعلمت أن لكلّ ريح هَدْأَةً

وعلمت أن لكلّ ريح هَدْأَةً

ولكل جارٍ منْتَهىً وتوقّفُ

ولكل جارٍ منْتَهىً وتوقّفُ

And I learned that every wind has a lull,

And I know that every wind dies down

And all that runs has an endpoint and a halt.

And everything moving has an end and halts