رأيته والمرآة في يده

رأيته والمرآة في يده

كأنها شمسة على ملكِ

كأنها شمسة على ملكِ

I saw him with the mirror in his hand,

I saw him with a mirror in his hand

as though it were a sun-disc above a king.

Like a sunburst upon a king

فقلت للصورة التي احتجبت

فقلت للصورة التي احتجبت

من غير زهد فينا ولا نسك

من غير زهد فينا ولا نسك

So I said to the image that had veiled itself,

So I said to the image that was veiled

not out of indifference to us, nor out of piety:

Without any asceticism or devotion in us

يا أشبه الناس بالحبوب ألا

يا أشبه الناس بالحبوب ألا

تخبرنا عنك غير مؤتفك

تخبرنا عنك غير مؤتفك

"O you who, of all people, most resemble the beloved, will you not

O you who most resembles loved ones, won't you

tell us about yourself, without lying?"

Tell us about yourself other than your coverings

قال أنا البدر زرت بدركم

قال أنا البدر زرت بدركم

وهذه قطعة من الفلك

وهذه قطعة من الفلك

He said, "I am the full moon; I have visited your full moon,

He said, I am the full moon that visited your full moon

and this is a fragment of the celestial sphere."

And this is a piece of the cosmos

قلت فإني أرى بها صدأ

قلت فإني أرى بها صدأ

فقال هذه بقية الحبك

فقال هذه بقية الحبك

I said, "Yet I see tarnish on it."

I said, then I see rust on it

So he said, "This is what remains of the heavens' tracery."

He said, this is the remnants of love