أكل بناءٍ أنت بانيه معجز

أكل بناءٍ أنت بانيه معجز

بنيت المعالي أم بنيت المنازلا

بنيت المعالي أم بنيت المنازلا

Is every building you build inimitable?

Every building you build is a wondrous miracle

Did you build heights of glory, or did you build dwellings?

Did you build glories or did you build homes?

فلا الإنس تبني مثلهن معالماً

فلا الإنس تبني مثلهن معالماً

ولا الجنّ تبني مثلهن معاقلا

ولا الجنّ تبني مثلهن معاقلا

For humans cannot build landmarks like them,

Neither human nor jinn build the like of them as landmarks

nor can the jinn build strongholds like them.

Nor fortresses the like of them as citadels

كنائس أضحت للغمام عمائماً

كنائس أضحت للغمام عمائماً

علواً وأمست في الظلام قنادلا

علواً وأمست في الظلام قنادلا

Churches became turbans for the clouds,

Churches that have become turbans for the clouds

in their loftiness, and at evening became lamps in the darkness.

Lofty and in the darkness they are lamp posts

رحابٌ كأن قد شاكلت صدر ربّها

رحابٌ كأن قد شاكلت صدر ربّها

وبيضٌ كأن قد نازعته الشمائلا

وبيضٌ كأن قد نازعته الشمائلا

Spacious courts seem to mirror their master's breast,

Sanctuaries as if modeled on the chest of their Lord

and white buildings seem to rival his noble qualities.

And whites as if competing with the attributes

وبهوٌ تباهي الأرض منه سماءها

وبهوٌ تباهي الأرض منه سماءها

بأوسع منها آخر وأوائلا

بأوسع منها آخر وأوائلا

And a hall by which the earth vies in splendor with its sky,

And a courtyard that makes the earth boast to its sky

wider than the sky, from end to beginning.

With the last being wider than the first

وصحنٍ يسير الطرف فيه ولم يكن

وصحنٍ يسير الطرف فيه ولم يكن

ليقطعه بالسير إلا مراحلا

ليقطعه بالسير إلا مراحلا

And a courtyard through which the gaze roams, unable

And a courtyard in which the eye moves but it was not

to cross it on its journey except in stages.

To cross it on foot except in stages

تلوح نقوش الجصّ في جدرانه

تلوح نقوش الجصّ في جدرانه

كما زيّن الوشم الدقيق الأناملا

كما زيّن الوشم الدقيق الأناملا

The plaster's patterns gleam upon its walls,

The patterns of plaster appear on its walls

as delicate tattooing adorns the fingertips.

As fine tattooing adorns the fingers

وماءٌ إذا أبصرتَ منه صفاءه

وماءٌ إذا أبصرتَ منه صفاءه

حسبت نجوم الليل ذابت سوائلا

حسبت نجوم الليل ذابت سوائلا

And water—when you behold its clarity,

And water, when you see its clarity from it

you think the stars of night have melted into liquid.

You would think the stars of night melted into liquids

رأيت سيوفاً قد سللن على الثرى

رأيت سيوفاً قد سللن على الثرى

وصارت لها أيدي الريّاح صياقلا

وصارت لها أيدي الريّاح صياقلا

You see swords already drawn upon the soil,

I saw swords that crept over the ground

and the winds' hands have become their polishers.

And the hands of the winds became its polishers

وروضٌ كعيش السائليك نضارةً

وروضٌ كعيش السائليك نضارةً

ووجهك بشراً حين تلحظ آملا

ووجهك بشراً حين تلحظ آملا

And a garden, as fresh as the lives of those who petition you,

And a garden as fresh as the question of the asker

and as cheerful as your face when you behold one full of hope.

And your face good omen when glancing hopefully

أصائله للنور لآضحت هواجراً

أصائله للنور لآضحت هواجراً

هواجره للطيب أضحت أصائلا

هواجره للطيب أضحت أصائلا

Its late afternoons, in brightness, have indeed become noontides;

Its branches for the light thus became chambers

its noontides, in pleasantness, have become late afternoons.

Its chambers for the scent thus became branches

هي الدار أمست مطرح العلم فاغتدى

هي الدار أمست مطرح العلم فاغتدى

لها ناهل الآمال ريّان ناهلا

لها ناهل الآمال ريّان ناهلا

It is the house that became learning's abode; thus

It is the house that has become the place of knowledge so it lived

one thirsty for hopes there became fully quenched, having drunk his fill.

And for it the attainers of hopes became fresh attainers

إذا ما انتحاها الركب لم يتطلبوا

إذا ما انتحاها الركب لم يتطلبوا

إليها دليلاً غير من كان قافلاً

إليها دليلاً غير من كان قافلاً

When travelers make for it, they seek no

If the riding company sought it out

guide to it except someone returning home.

They would not require a guide other than he who was a caravan leader

وأنت امرؤٌ أعطيت ما لو سألته

وأنت امرؤٌ أعطيت ما لو سألته

آلهك قال الناس أسرفت سائلا

آلهك قال الناس أسرفت سائلا

And you are a man who has given what, were you to ask it

And you are a man who gave what if he asked it

of your God, people would say, 'You have asked too much.'

Of your gods, the people would say you asked excessively

وآني وإلزاميك بالشعر بعدما

وآني وإلزاميك بالشعر بعدما

تعلّمته منك الندى والفواضلا

تعلّمته منك الندى والفواضلا

And I, pressing you through verse—after

And my composing poetry to you after

learning it from you—for bounty and generous gifts,

You learned it from me, the dew and sublime traits

كملزم ربِّ الدار أجرةَ داره

كملزم ربِّ الدار أجرةَ داره

ومثلك أعطى من طريقين نائلا

ومثلك أعطى من طريقين نائلا

am like one charging a house's owner rent for his own house;

Is like obligating the Lord of the house the rent of his house

and one like you bestows bounty in two ways.

And the like of you gave out of two paths an attainer