وَأَوجُهٍ مِثلَ مَصابيحِ الدُجى

وَأَوجُهٍ مِثلَ مَصابيحِ الدُجى

لَو شُرِبَ السُمُّ عَلَيها ما لُفِظ

لَو شُرِبَ السُمُّ عَلَيها ما لُفِظ

And faces like lamps in the darkness—

And faces like lamps in the darkness of night

Were poison drunk in their presence, it would not be spat out.

If poison were drunk on them, it would not be vomited

أَهدَيتُها بَعدَ النَعيمِ لِلبَلى

أَهدَيتُها بَعدَ النَعيمِ لِلبَلى

فَيا لَها مَوعِظَةٌ لَو إِتُّعِظ

فَيا لَها مَوعِظَةٌ لَو إِتُّعِظ

I offered them, after bliss, to decay.

I gave them up to decay after luxury

So what a lesson, if only heed were taken!

Oh, what an admonition, if it were heeded

أَضَعتُها حينَ أَرَدتُ حِفظَها

أَضَعتُها حينَ أَرَدتُ حِفظَها

وَكَم أَضاعَ المَرءُ مِن حَيثُ حَفِظ

وَكَم أَضاعَ المَرءُ مِن حَيثُ حَفِظ

I lost them when I meant to preserve them.

I lost them when I wanted to preserve them

And how often one has lost through the very act of preserving!

And how much man has lost from where he guarded