إذا خالفتْ إِبانَها كلُّ طُرْفةٍ

إذا خالفتْ إِبانَها كلُّ طُرْفةٍ

غدا حسَنا في كلّ نفسٍ وقوعُها

غدا حسَنا في كلّ نفسٍ وقوعُها

When any rare delight comes out of season,

If every glance that violates its time

its arrival becomes pleasing to every soul.

Were to become beautiful in every soul that receives it,

بعثت بخَوخ جاء في غيرِ وقتِهِ

بعثت بخَوخ جاء في غيرِ وقتِهِ

وأعذبُ لذَّاتِ الأنام منيعها

وأعذبُ لذَّاتِ الأنام منيعها

I sent peaches that came out of season,

It would send pleasures that come at the wrong time,

and the sweetest human pleasures are those hard to attain,

And the sweetest for people's tastes because it is difficult to attain.

وإن كنتُ لا أُهدِيه إلا لمن له

وإن كنتُ لا أُهدِيه إلا لمن له

طرائِفُ أبكارِ العلا وبدِيعها

طرائِفُ أبكارِ العلا وبدِيعها

though I offer them only to one who possesses

And even if I only present it to those

the rare first fruits of glory and its marvels.

Who have the refinements of supreme knowledge and its marvels,

إذا جَمَدَتْ عَيْنُ السنين وأجدبت

إذا جَمَدَتْ عَيْنُ السنين وأجدبت

فأنت أميرَ المؤمِنين ربيعها

فأنت أميرَ المؤمِنين ربيعها

When the wellspring of the years freezes and they grow barren,

When the eye of years grows cold and barren,

then you, Commander of the Faithful, are their spring.

You are the springtime of the Commander of the Faithful.