جست مثاني عودها بأنامل

جست مثاني عودها بأنامل

عبثت بلب الخاشع المتورع

عبثت بلب الخاشع المتورع

She touched her oud's strings with fingertips

Her fingers danced upon the strings

that toyed with the heart of the reverent, scrupulously devout.

Of the shy, devout lute

وشدت فلو شاءت عذوبةُ لفظها

وشدت فلو شاءت عذوبةُ لفظها

عطفت عنان البارق المتسرع

عطفت عنان البارق المتسرع

And she sang—had the sweetness of her words so willed,

If the sweetness of her voice willed it

it would have turned the reins of the rushing lightning.

It would rein in the racing lightning

وعجبت من ريح الصبا إذ لم تقف

وعجبت من ريح الصبا إذ لم تقف

طرباً ولكن ما لها أذن تعي

طرباً ولكن ما لها أذن تعي

And I marveled that the east wind did not pause

I wondered at the spring breeze that did not pause

in rapture—but it has no ear to understand.

Enraptured, but it has no ear to hear

أبصرت يا عيني ما لم تبصري

أبصرت يا عيني ما لم تبصري

وسمعت يا أذني مالم تسمعي

وسمعت يا أذني مالم تسمعي

You have seen, O my eye, what you had never seen,

My eyes, you have seen what you did not see before

and you have heard, O my ear, what you had never heard.

My ears, you have heard what you did not hear before