تعشقتها في الحلي غصناء منثورا

تعشقتها في الحلي غصناء منثورا

وفي البردِ بدراً في السماء منيرا

وفي البردِ بدراً في السماء منيرا

I loved her, slender as a branch amid scattered jewels,

I fell in love with her, a blossoming branch,

And in the cloak, a full moon shining in the sky.

And in the cold, a shining full moon in the sky.

أشاهد من وجهه التأمل جنة

أشاهد من وجهه التأمل جنة

وألبس من جنس العناق حريرا

وألبس من جنس العناق حريرا

In contemplating his face, I behold a paradise,

I see gardens of contemplation in her face,

And I wear silk of the substance of an embrace.

And I wear the silk of her embrace.

وألثم معسولاً نظيماً كأنما

وألثم معسولاً نظيماً كأنما

تنظم من لفظ العلاء نثيرا

تنظم من لفظ العلاء نثيرا

And I kiss a honey-sweet string of pearls, as though

And I sip sweet, melodious wine, as if

She were stringing scattered pearls from al-ʿAlāʾ's words.

It flows from the diction of the sublime, gushing.

سريّ تعجلنا بيوم قدومه

سريّ تعجلنا بيوم قدومه

على الصومِ أعياداً لنا وسرورا

على الصومِ أعياداً لنا وسرورا

A noble man—on the day of his arrival, we enjoyed in advance

Our secret hastens us to the day of his arrival

Festivals and joy for us, despite the fast.

Bringing us celebrations during fasting and joy.

بعشر نهنيه ويمناه في الندى

بعشر نهنيه ويمناه في الندى

بخمس يهنينا الغمام مطيرا

بخمس يهنينا الغمام مطيرا

With ten we congratulate him; his right hand, in generosity,

With ten fingers we congratulate him in the dew,

With five congratulates us—a cloud pouring rain.

With five the clouds congratulate us, raining.

أفادَ فما نشكو فتورَ قريحةٍ

أفادَ فما نشكو فتورَ قريحةٍ

ترى فضل هاتيك الصفات فتورا

ترى فضل هاتيك الصفات فتورا

He bestowed bounty, so we lament no flagging of a poetic gift

His eloquence benefits, so we never complain of the lethargy of talent.

That sees the excellence of those qualities as languor.

You see the superiority of these qualities over lethargy.

وفطر أفواهاً ولولاه لم نجد

وفطر أفواهاً ولولاه لم نجد

سوى في سماوات القلوب فتورا

سوى في سماوات القلوب فتورا

And he broke the fast for mouths; without him we would have found

And the mouths that would have no eloquence but for him,

Nothing but languor in the heavens of hearts.

We would only find lethargy in the heavens of hearts.