وَلَما رَأَوا حُسناً يَفوقُ تَخيَّلُوا

وَلَما رَأَوا حُسناً يَفوقُ تَخيَّلُوا

سَفاهاً بِأَنَّ الشَمسَ في الحُسنِ تَحكيكِ

سَفاهاً بِأَنَّ الشَمسَ في الحُسنِ تَحكيكِ

And when they saw surpassing beauty, they imagined

When they saw a beauty beyond their imagination

foolishly that the sun resembles you in beauty.

They acted foolishly by comparing your beauty to the sun

وَشَكُّوا أأَنتِ الشَمسُ أَم هِي وَشَكَّكُوا

وَشَكُّوا أأَنتِ الشَمسُ أَم هِي وَشَكَّكُوا

وَما واجدٌ للعَقلِ يفضي بِتَشكيكِ

وَما واجدٌ للعَقلِ يفضي بِتَشكيكِ

And they doubted: 'Are you the sun, or is she?' and made others doubt;

And they doubted is it you or the sun? And they doubted

yet no one possessed of reason would voice such doubt.

No sane mind leads to such doubt

وَإِنَّ جَمالاً قَد تَنظَّم عِقدُهُ

وَإِنَّ جَمالاً قَد تَنظَّم عِقدُهُ

بِجيدِكِ يَوماً لا يُرامُ بِتَفكيكِ

بِجيدِكِ يَوماً لا يُرامُ بِتَفكيكِ

And indeed, beauty whose necklace has been strung

A beauty has been strung as a necklace

around your neck can never be unstrung.

Around your neck one day not to be undone

فَلا تَحسَبي شَمسَ الضُحاءِ إِذا بَدَت

فَلا تَحسَبي شَمسَ الضُحاءِ إِذا بَدَت

تُعارِض في حُسنٍ وَإِن هِيَ تَنكيكِ

تُعارِض في حُسنٍ وَإِن هِيَ تَنكيكِ

So do not think the midmorning sun, when she appears,

So do not think when the sun rises in the morning

competes in beauty, even if she hurts you.

It competes in beauty even if it winks

وَلَكنَّها مِن فَرطِ حُبِّكِ لَو رَأَت

وَلَكنَّها مِن فَرطِ حُبِّكِ لَو رَأَت

لِوَجهِكِ بُعداً ظَلَّتِ الدَهرَ تبكيكِ

لِوَجهِكِ بُعداً ظَلَّتِ الدَهرَ تبكيكِ

But she, out of overwhelming love for you, if she saw

But out of extreme love for you if it saw

your face grow distant, would weep for you forever.

Your face distant it would weep forever for you