ذهبتُ أطلبُ ألفاظاً أُخاطِبُهُ

ذهبتُ أطلبُ ألفاظاً أُخاطِبُهُ

وقد شُغِلتُ بعينٍ تشتهي النَّظَرا

وقد شُغِلتُ بعينٍ تشتهي النَّظَرا

I went seeking words with which to address him,

I went seeking words to address him,

While I was engrossed by an eye that longed to gaze.

While I was preoccupied with an eye desiring to look.

وكلما حارَ طرفي في محاسنه

وكلما حارَ طرفي في محاسنه

لأَشتَفي منه قال الحُسنُ كيف ترى

لأَشتَفي منه قال الحُسنُ كيف ترى

And whenever my gaze wandered, bewildered, among his charms

Whenever my gaze was confused by his beauty,

To sate my longing for him, Beauty said, “What do you think of

To quench my thirst, beauty said, “How do you see him?”

هذا الذي ابتدع الرحمن صُورَتَهُ

هذا الذي ابتدع الرحمن صُورَتَهُ

فلا تفاوُتَ فيه فارجعِ البَصَرا

فلا تفاوُتَ فيه فارجعِ البَصَرا

This one whose form the All-Merciful fashioned?

This one whom the Most Merciful created in his image,

There is no flaw in him; look again.”

There is no flaw in him, so turn your sight back.

فقلت ما قال قبلي نسوةٌ بصرت

فقلت ما قال قبلي نسوةٌ بصرت

بيوسف الحسن ما هذا الفتى بَشرا

بيوسف الحسن ما هذا الفتى بَشرا

So I said what women before me had said on beholding

So I said what the women of sight said before me,

The Joseph of beauty: “This youth is no human being.”

When they saw Joseph’s beauty, “This is no mortal!”

يبدو فتحسبه بالحسن متعجراً

يبدو فتحسبه بالحسن متعجراً

بالطيب مرتدياً باللين مؤتزرا

بالطيب مرتدياً باللين مؤتزرا

He appears, and you think him turbaned in beauty,

He appears and you would think him scowling with beauty,

Robed in fragrance, with softness for his waist-wrap.

Clothed in scent, wrapped in gentleness.

لو تقدح النارُ من خديه لانقدحت

لو تقدح النارُ من خديه لانقدحت

أو يقطر الماء من أطرافه قطرا

أو يقطر الماء من أطرافه قطرا

If fire were struck from his cheeks, it would ignite,

If fire were to spark from his cheeks it would ignite,

Or if water were made to drip from his limbs, it would drip.

Or water were to drip from his eyelids as drops.

فلا تكن كدرَ الأخلاق يا أملي

فلا تكن كدرَ الأخلاق يا أملي

فيُصبح الصَّفوُ من ذا كلِّه كدرا

فيُصبح الصَّفوُ من ذا كلِّه كدرا

So do not be sour of temper, O my hope,

So do not be sullen in manners, O my hope,

Lest the purity of all this turn murky.

Lest the clear become in all this troubled.

إن السياسة يُرجى خير صاحبها

إن السياسة يُرجى خير صاحبها

كالبَرق يأمل فيه الزارعُ المَطَرا

كالبَرق يأمل فيه الزارعُ المَطَرا

Indeed, one hopes for kindness from one who governs,

Truly, governance is hoped to benefit its master,

Like lightning, in which the farmer finds hope of rain.

Like lightning which the farmer hopes for rain.

وأنت غير غَنيٍّ عن أخي ثقةٍ

وأنت غير غَنيٍّ عن أخي ثقةٍ

ولا غَنَاءَ لقَوسٍ تعدم الوَتَرا

ولا غَنَاءَ لقَوسٍ تعدم الوَتَرا

And you cannot do without a trustworthy brother,

And you have no need to distrust a brother,

And a bow without its string is of no use.

Nor has a bow any glory without its string.

زِدنا فإنّا شكرنا حسن فِعلكم

زِدنا فإنّا شكرنا حسن فِعلكم

وقد يُزَادُ على الإحسان مَن شكرا

وقد يُزَادُ على الإحسان مَن شكرا

Give us more, for we have thanked you for your kind deed,

Increase us, for we are thankful for your good deeds,

And one who has given thanks may receive yet more kindness.

And good can be added to by one who is thankful.