أَيُّ شَأنٍ لا يُباحُ بِهِ

أَيُّ شَأنٍ لا يُباحُ بِهِ

بَعدَ ما قَد باحَ لي شانُ

بَعدَ ما قَد باحَ لي شانُ

What matter can remain undisclosed

What affair is there that I would not speak of

After my state has already spoken for me?

After my affair has been exposed?

وَكَلامُ الصَبِّ أَدمُعُهُ

وَكَلامُ الصَبِّ أَدمُعُهُ

لَكَ وَالأَفواهُ أَجفانُ

لَكَ وَالأَفواهُ أَجفانُ

And the lovesick one's speech is his tears

The tears of passion are its words

To you, and the mouths are eyelids.

For you, and the mouths are its eyelids.

أَدمُعي وَالحُبُّ إِن حَكَموا

أَدمُعي وَالحُبُّ إِن حَكَموا

فَهوَ دَعوى وَهيَ بُرهانُ

فَهوَ دَعوى وَهيَ بُرهانُ

My tears and love—if they pass judgment—

My tears and love, if they rule,

Then love is the claim, and tears the proof.

Are claims, and it is proof.

ما زَها مِن قَبلِ مِعطَفِهِ

ما زَها مِن قَبلِ مِعطَفِهِ

فَوقَ غُصنِ البانِ بُستانُ

فَوقَ غُصنِ البانِ بُستانُ

Never before his graceful form had

Its branches never ceased to move

A garden bloomed atop a bān-tree bough.

Above the branch of the wet myrtle.

جُلَّنارُ الوَجنَتَينِ لَهُ

جُلَّنارُ الوَجنَتَينِ لَهُ

مِن ثِمارِ الصَدرِ رُمّانُ

مِن ثِمارِ الصَدرِ رُمّانُ

His cheeks are pomegranate blossoms;

The cheeks of them both are for it

Among his breast's fruits are pomegranates.

Pomegranates from the fruits of the breast.

كَيفَ أَرجوهُم وَعِندَهُمُ

كَيفَ أَرجوهُم وَعِندَهُمُ

حُرُماتُ الحُبِّ أَضغانُ

حُرُماتُ الحُبِّ أَضغانُ

How can I put my hopes in them, when to them

How can I hope for them, when with them

Love's sacred claims are grudges?

Are the forbidden loves of the heart?

وَلَهُ سَيفٌ كَناظِرِهِ

وَلَهُ سَيفٌ كَناظِرِهِ

حارِسٌ لِلخَلقِ يَقطانُ

حارِسٌ لِلخَلقِ يَقطانُ

And he has a sword like his gaze,

It has a sword like its glances,

A wakeful guardian of mankind.

A guardian of creation, a drawn long sword.

عادَ كُفرُ الكافِرينَ إِذا

عادَ كُفرُ الكافِرينَ إِذا

ما رَأَوهُ وَهوَ إيمانُ

ما رَأَوهُ وَهوَ إيمانُ

The unbelievers' unbelief becomes, when

The disbelief of the disbelievers returns when

They behold it, faith.

They see it while it is faith.

حينَ يَبدو في أَنامِلِهِ

حينَ يَبدو في أَنامِلِهِ

مِنهُ نارٌ وَهيَ طوفانُ

مِنهُ نارٌ وَهيَ طوفانُ

When it appears between his fingers,

When there appears in its fingers

From it comes fire—and that fire is a flood.

Fire from it and it is a deluge.

يَتَداعى إِذ دَعَوتَ بِهِ

يَتَداعى إِذ دَعَوتَ بِهِ

حينَ يَلقى الشِركَ أَوثانُ

حينَ يَلقى الشِركَ أَوثانُ

Down fall, when you call for it,

They collapse when you call upon it

The idols, as it confronts idolatry.

When polytheism encounters the idols.

لِلظُبا الأَجفانُ نَعرِفُها

لِلظُبا الأَجفانُ نَعرِفُها

وَلِهَذا السَيفِ آذانُ

وَلِهَذا السَيفِ آذانُ

Sword-blades have sheaths, as we know;

We know the gazelle’s eyelids,

But this sword has ears.

And this sword has ears.

وَهوَ مِرآةٌ يَبينُ بِها

وَهوَ مِرآةٌ يَبينُ بِها

مِن ضَميرِ الضِدِّ أَضغانُ

مِن ضَميرِ الضِدِّ أَضغانُ

And it is a mirror in which appear

It is a mirror in which appears

Grudges from the adversary's heart.

The anguish of the heart of the opponent.

قُم لِتَملا مِن نُفوسِهِمُ

قُم لِتَملا مِن نُفوسِهِمُ

وَرِماحُ الخَطِّ أَشطانُ

وَرِماحُ الخَطِّ أَشطانُ

Rise to take your fill of their souls,

Rise up to fill their souls

While al-Khaṭṭ's spears are well-ropes.

And the lances of the script are spears.

وَخُدودُ الأَرضِ مُشرِفَةٌ

وَخُدودُ الأَرضِ مُشرِفَةٌ

مِن دَمٍ وَالخَيلُ خَيلانُ

مِن دَمٍ وَالخَيلُ خَيلانُ

And the earth's cheeks are raised

The cheeks of the land look out

By blood; the horses are beauty marks.

With blood while the horses are steeds.