1. وَعبدناك يا جَمال وَصغنا

    لَكَ أَنفاسُنا هياماً وَحُبّا

    And we worshipped you, O Beauty, and fashioned

    our breaths for you into passion and love.

  2. وَوَهَبنا لَكَ الحَياة وَفَجر

    نا يَنابيعها لِعَينيك قُربى

    And we gave you life, and made

    its springs gush forth as an offering to your eyes.

  3. وَسُمُونا بِكُل ما فيكَ مِن ضَعـ

    ـف جَميل حَتّى اِستَفاضَ وَأَربى

    And we exalted all that is in you of

    beautiful weakness, until it overflowed and grew.

  4. وَحَبَوناك ما يَزيدك بِالعِـ

    ـز وُضوحاً وَأَنتَ تَفتأ صَعبا

    And we gave you what adds, through glory,

    to your clarity, yet you remain elusive.

  5. وَذَهَبنا بِما يُفسر مَعنـ

    ـاك بَعيداً وَأَنتَ أَكثر قُربا

    And we carried what explains your meaning

    far afield, though you are nearer still.

  6. مَن تَرى وَزع المَفاتن يا حَسـ

    ـن وَقالَ اعبدي مِن السحر رُبا

    Who, do you think, scattered charms, O Beauty,

    and said, 'Worship a lord of enchantment'?

  7. مَن تَرى أَلهم الجَمال وَقَد أَعطـ

    ـاهُ مِن جبرة الحَوادث غَضَبا

    Who, do you think, inspired Beauty, having given it

    wrath from the tyranny of events,

  8. أَن يَبُث الهَوى مَفاتن في جفـ

    ـن بَليغ وَأَن يَجود وَيَأبى

    to scatter passion as charms in an eyelid

    eloquent, and to give and to refuse?

  9. مَن تَرى وَثق العَرى بَينَ مَسحو

    رين أَسماهُما جَمالاً وَقَلبا

    Who, do you think, bound the ties between two spellbound beings

    he named Beauty and Heart?

  10. إِنَّهُ صانع القُلوب الَّتي تنصـ

    ـب في قالب المَحاسن صِبا

    He is the maker of hearts, which are poured

    wholly into the mold of loveliness.

  11. يا جَمال الحَياة في حَيثما كا

    ن أَمانا وَحَيثما كانَ رُعبا

    O beauty of life, wherever it is

    safety, and wherever it is terror,

  12. وَجَمال الحَياة في كُل مَن أَعمَل

    شَرقا وَكُلَ مَن سارَ غَربا

    and beauty of life in everyone who journeys

    eastward, and everyone who travels westward—

  13. أَقس يا حسن ما تُريد وَتَبغي

    أَوفكن هينا عَلى النَفس رطبا

    be harsh, O Beauty, as you wish and desire,

    or else be gentle to the soul, tender.

  14. أَنا وَحدي دَنيا هَوى لك فيها

    كُل كَنز مِن المَشاعر قُربى

    I alone am a world of passion; within it, for you,

    every treasure of feeling is an offering.