وَقَوافٍ سَقَيتُ مِنها وَلِيّاً

وَقَوافٍ سَقَيتُ مِنها وَلِيّاً

حُلوَها وَالعَدُوُّ يُسقى المَريرَا

حُلوَها وَالعَدُوُّ يُسقى المَريرَا

And rhymes whose meaning and wording I have steeped—

And rhymes from which I gave a friend to drink—

in their sweetness—while what is for my enemy serves the bitter draught.

Their sweetness, while the enemy is made to drink bitterness.

وَكَأَنَّ السُطورَ كانَت زُنوداً

وَكَأَنَّ السُطورَ كانَت زُنوداً

قَدَحَت أَن قَرَأتَها لَكَ نورا

قَدَحَت أَن قَرَأتَها لَكَ نورا

The written lines seemed to be fire-sticks

And it was as though the lines were fire-sticks,

that struck out light when I read them to you.

Kindling light for you when you read them.

إِنَّ يَوماً أَراكَ فيهِ لَيَومٌ

إِنَّ يَوماً أَراكَ فيهِ لَيَومٌ

يَلبِسُ الأُفقَ مُشمِساً وَمَطيرا

يَلبِسُ الأُفقَ مُشمِساً وَمَطيرا

Surely a day on which I see you is a day

Indeed, a day on which I see you is surely a day

when the horizon clothes itself in sunshine and rain.

That wears the horizon, sunlit and rain-laden.

لا وَمَن شَقَّ في يَدَيكَ بُحوراً

لا وَمَن شَقَّ في يَدَيكَ بُحوراً

فَتَسَمّى الحَيا إِلَيكَ قَطيرا

فَتَسَمّى الحَيا إِلَيكَ قَطيرا

No—by Him who cleft seas within your hands,

No, by Him who opened seas within your hands,

so that rain, beside you, calls itself a mere trickle.

So rain, beside you, came to be called mere drops.

إِنَّ لِلَهِ فيكَ سِرّاً جَلِيّا

إِنَّ لِلَهِ فيكَ سِرّاً جَلِيّا

يُظهِرُ اللَهُ مِنهُ أَمراً كَبيرا

يُظهِرُ اللَهُ مِنهُ أَمراً كَبيرا

Indeed, God has in you a manifest secret;

Indeed, God has in you a manifest secret,

from it God will reveal a momentous thing:

From which God reveals something great:

ذاكَ أَن تَنظِمَ الكَواكِبَ تاجاً

ذاكَ أَن تَنظِمَ الكَواكِبَ تاجاً

ثُمَّ تَعلو عَلى السَماءِ السَريرا

ثُمَّ تَعلو عَلى السَماءِ السَريرا

that you shall string the stars into a crown,

That is, you string the stars into a crown,

then mount the throne above the sky.

Then mount the throne above the sky.