أفدي قمر

أفدي قمر

عقلي قمر

عقلي قمر

I would ransom a moon

I ransom the moon of my mind

who won my mind at play,

Then it betrayed when it could

ثمَّ غدر

ثمَّ غدر

لمَّا قدر

لمَّا قدر

then betrayed me

So no burden and no escape

when he gained the power.

O you who unsheathed the sword of insight

فلا وزر

فلا وزر

ولا مفر

ولا مفر

So there is no refuge

Against mankind, never tiring

and no escape.

Until the flame of thought blazed

يا من شهر

يا من شهر

سيف الحوَر

سيف الحوَر

O you who unsheathed

Even if the slender one commanded

the sword of dark-eyed beauty

From the mouth to extinguish the sparks

على البشر

على البشر

فما فتر

فما فتر

against humankind,

But estrangement, I do not remember

and did not relent

Spilled blood

حتى استعر

حتى استعر

وهج الفكر

وهج الفكر

until there flared

If only he would look

the blaze of thought.

At my tearful river

ولو أمر

ولو أمر

ذاكَ الخصرْ

ذاكَ الخصرْ

And had it given the command—

On the flower of the guard

that waist—

Telling the full moon, king of life

من الثغر

من الثغر

أطفى شرر

أطفى شرر

from the lips

With what he spread

it would have quenched the sparks.

Spread the news

لكن هجر

لكن هجر

وما ادَّكر

وما ادَّكر

Yet he shunned me

Of the news

and did not recall

And the laboratory

دماً هدر

دماً هدر

هلاّ نظر

هلاّ نظر

the blood he spilled without redress.

For God, a pearl

Would he but look!

Those manners

دمعي نهر

دمعي نهر

على زَهر

على زَهر

My tears are a river

How many gems

over blossoms.

And pearls

ذاكَ الخفر

ذاكَ الخفر

يحكي بدر

يحكي بدر

That bashful one

In which he stayed up late

resembles a full moon—

Until dawn

ملك عمر

ملك عمر

بما نشر

بما نشر

King ʿUmar—

Without boredom or harm

in what he spread:

Knowledge is a skilled horseman

نشرَ الخُبر

نشرَ الخُبر

من الخبر

من الخبر

the fragrance of knowledge,

Outstanding merit then spread

from report

So how much he forgave

والمختبر

والمختبر

لله دَرّ

لله دَرّ

and what has been tested.

And how much he supported

How splendid

Against others, he truly stumbled

تلكَ السير

تلكَ السير

كم من غرر

كم من غرر

are those deeds!

And how much he defeated

How many radiant beauties

Of the evil one

ومن دُرَر

ومن دُرَر

فيها سمر

فيها سمر

and pearls!

The wine crept in

In them is night-time conversation

O you who veiled

إلى السَّحر

إلى السَّحر

ولا ضجر

ولا ضجر

until the hour before dawn,

The people of deprivation

with no weariness

Of those who thanked

ولا ضرر

ولا ضرر

علمٌ مهر

علمٌ مهر

and no harm.

Then excused

A luminary who excelled,

You are the rain

فضلٌ ظهر

فضلٌ ظهر

ثمَّ انتشر

ثمَّ انتشر

merit that shone forth,

Not what was seen

then spread abroad.

On the meadow

فكم غفر

فكم غفر

وكم نصر

وكم نصر

How often he forgave,

Block who attended

and how often he championed,

And who passed by

على الغِير

على الغِير

جدّاً عثر

جدّاً عثر

against fate's reversals,

And do not neglect

a fortune that had stumbled!

Whoever vowed

وكم قهر

وكم قهر

من ذي أشر

من ذي أشر

And how often he subdued

Of the arrogant

an insolent man

Except harmful

دب الخمر

دب الخمر

يا من ستر

يا من ستر

who crept through the thicket!

O you who shielded

أهل الحصر

أهل الحصر

ممن شكر

ممن شكر

those at a loss for words

among those who thanked you,

ثمَّ عذر

ثمَّ عذر

أنت المطر

أنت المطر

then excused them:

you are the rain,

لا ما نظر

لا ما نظر

على المدر

على المدر

not what is seen

upon the clods.

سد من حضر

سد من حضر

ومن غبر

ومن غبر

Rule over those present

and those of ages past;

ولا تذر

ولا تذر

لمن نذر

لمن نذر

and do not leave

for anyone who vows

من مفتخر

من مفتخر

إلا مُضر

إلا مُضر

any cause for pride

except Muḍar.