دُميَةٌ حَسناءُ تُغري النَظَرا

دُميَةٌ حَسناءُ تُغري النَظَرا

أَم مَلاكٌ طاهِرٌ فَوقَ الثَرى

أَم مَلاكٌ طاهِرٌ فَوقَ الثَرى

A lovely doll that beguiles the eye,

A beautiful doll alluring to the eye

A beautiful doll that entices the gaze,

Or a pure angel upon the earth?

Or a pure angel above the earth

Or a pure angel upon the earth?

طِفلَةٌ ساذَجَةٌ أَطهَرُ مِن

طِفلَةٌ ساذَجَةٌ أَطهَرُ مِن

زَهرَةِ الرَوض وَأَنقى جَوهَرا

زَهرَةِ الرَوض وَأَنقى جَوهَرا

An innocent little girl, purer than

An innocent child, purer than

An innocent child, purer than

A garden blossom, and purer in essence.

The garden's flower and finer than gemstones

The garden flower, and of clearer essence.

شَرُفَت أَصلا وَطابَت عُنصُراً

شَرُفَت أَصلا وَطابَت عُنصُراً

وَاِرتَقَت نَفسا وَراقَت مَنظَرا

وَاِرتَقَت نَفسا وَراقَت مَنظَرا

She was noble in origin and pure in nature,

Noble in origin and pure in descent

Noble in origin, wholesome in nature,

And lofty in spirit, lovely to behold.

With a sublime soul and pleasing to behold

Elevated in soul, and pleasing in sight.

حَمَلَت قَلباً أَبى أَن يَحمِلَ

حَمَلَت قَلباً أَبى أَن يَحمِلَ

الحِقدَ أَو يَكتُمَ نَفَساً كَدَرا

الحِقدَ أَو يَكتُمَ نَفَساً كَدَرا

She bore a heart that refused to harbor

Bearing a heart that refused

She bears a heart that refuses to harbor

Hatred, or conceal a troubled breath.

To harbor malice or conceal bitterness

Malice, or to conceal a troubled sigh.

تَجهَلُ الشَر وَلا تُحسِنُ أَن

تَجهَلُ الشَر وَلا تُحسِنُ أَن

تَخدَعَ الغَير وَلا أَن تَغدِرا

تَخدَعَ الغَير وَلا أَن تَغدِرا

She knows no evil, nor knows how to

Oblivious to evil, unable to

She knows nothing of evil, nor is she skilled

Deceive others or betray.

Deceive others or betray

At deceiving others, or at betrayal.

لا تُبالي بِبَناتِ الدَهرِ إِن

لا تُبالي بِبَناتِ الدَهرِ إِن

أَقبَلَ الدَهرُ بِها أَو أَدبَرا

أَقبَلَ الدَهرُ بِها أَو أَدبَرا

She cares nothing for the daughters of time, whether

Indifferent to the daughters of time

She cares not for the vicissitudes of Time, whether

Time comes bearing them or turns away.

Whether time faces her or turns away

Fortune advances toward her or retreats.

وَعظُمُ الكَونُ لَدَينا جُرمُهُ

وَعظُمُ الكَونُ لَدَينا جُرمُهُ

وَتَراهُ عِندَها قَد صَغُرا

وَتَراهُ عِندَها قَد صَغُرا

The universe is vast in bulk to us,

The vast universe in our eyes seems small

While the universe seems vast to us in magnitude,

Yet you see it has grown small for her.

And she sees it as diminished

In her eyes, one sees it has become small.

إِنَّما الدُنيا لَدَيها كُلُّها

إِنَّما الدُنيا لَدَيها كُلُّها

أَبَواها وَهُما كُلُّ الوَرى

أَبَواها وَهُما كُلُّ الوَرى

For her, the whole world is nothing but

To her, the whole world

For to her, the entire world consists

Her parents, and they are all humankind.

Is just her parents and none else

Of her parents; to her, they are all of creation.

جُؤذَرٌ لَكِنَّها آنِسَةٌ

جُؤذَرٌ لَكِنَّها آنِسَةٌ

لَم يَرُعها ما يَروعُ الجُؤذَرا

لَم يَرُعها ما يَروعُ الجُؤذَرا

An oryx calf, yet she is tame;

A wildflower, but gently charming

A wild fawn, yet she is gentle and tame,

What frightens the oryx calf has not frightened her.

Unstartled by what startles the wildflowers

Not startled by what startles the wild gazelle.

سَرَقَ التُفّاحُ مِن وَجنَتِها

سَرَقَ التُفّاحُ مِن وَجنَتِها

وَاِستَعارَ الظَبيُ مِنها الحَوَرا

وَاِستَعارَ الظَبيُ مِنها الحَوَرا

The apple stole its blush from her cheek,

The apple stole from her cheek

The apple stole its crimson from her cheek,

And the gazelle borrowed its dark-eyed beauty from her.

And the gazelle borrowed its glance from her eyes

And the doe borrowed the deep contrast of her eyes.

ذاتُ شِعرٍ ذَهَبِيٍّ لَونُهُ

ذاتُ شِعرٍ ذَهَبِيٍّ لَونُهُ

قَد حَكى نورَ الضُحى مُنتَشِرا

قَد حَكى نورَ الضُحى مُنتَشِرا

She has hair whose golden hue

A girl with golden hair

Possessor of hair golden in hue,

Mirrors the spreading light of late morning.

That mimics the dawn's scattering light

Resembling the spreading light of the morning.

وَعُيونٍ بِالنُهى عابِثَةٍ

وَعُيونٍ بِالنُهى عابِثَةٍ

جَذَبَ الغُنجُ إِلَيها الخَفَرا

جَذَبَ الغُنجُ إِلَيها الخَفَرا

And eyes that toy with reason:

And playful eyes that attract

And eyes that toy with the intellect,

Coy charm drew bashfulness into them.

Even the aloof with their glances

Where coquetry has drawn modesty to itself.

شُغِفَت بِالبَدرِ حُبّاً فَهيَ لا

شُغِفَت بِالبَدرِ حُبّاً فَهيَ لا

تَعرِفُ الغَمضَ إِلى أَن يُسفَرا

تَعرِفُ الغَمضَ إِلى أَن يُسفَرا

She fell deeply in love with the full moon, so she does not

She loved the moon and thus her eyes

She is passionately enamored with the full moon, so she

Know sleep until he shines forth.

Refuse to close until it appears

Knows no sleep until it unveils its face.

وَقَفَت تَرقُبُهُ في لَيلَةٍ

وَقَفَت تَرقُبُهُ في لَيلَةٍ

مِثلِ حَظِّ الأُدَباءِ الشُعَرا

مِثلِ حَظِّ الأُدَباءِ الشُعَرا

She stood watching for him on a night

She awaited it one night

She stood watching for it on a night

Like the lot of writers and poets.

As poets await inspiration

As dark as the fortune of writers and poets.

تَكتُمُ الظَلماءُ مِن لَألائِها

تَكتُمُ الظَلماءُ مِن لَألائِها

أَيُّ بَدرٍ في الظَلامِ أَستَرا

أَيُّ بَدرٍ في الظَلامِ أَستَرا

The darkness conceals some of her radiance—

The darkness concealed her beauty

The darkness conceals, amidst her radiance,

Which full moon is more veiled in the darkness?

What moon in the dark could compete?

Which full moon is truly veiled in the gloom.

أَرسَلَت نَحوَ الدَراري لَفتَةً

أَرسَلَت نَحوَ الدَراري لَفتَةً

أَذكَرَت تِلكَ الدَراري القَمَرا

أَذكَرَت تِلكَ الدَراري القَمَرا

She cast a glance toward the brilliant stars

She gestured to the houses

She cast a glance toward the shining stars,

That reminded those brilliant stars of the moon.

Reminding them of the moon

Reminding those stars of the moon itself.

وَإِذا بِالبَدرِ قَد مَزَّقَ عَن

وَإِذا بِالبَدرِ قَد مَزَّقَ عَن

وَجهِهِ بُرقَعَهُ ثُمَّ اِنبَرى

وَجهِهِ بُرقَعَهُ ثُمَّ اِنبَرى

And lo, the full moon tore away from

And there, the moon tore off

And lo, the full moon tore away

His face his veil, then stepped forth.

Its cover and rose

The veil from his face, and stepped forth.

فَأَضاءَ الجَو وَالأَرضَ مَعاً

فَأَضاءَ الجَو وَالأَرضَ مَعاً

نورُهُ الفِضِّيُّ لَمّا ظَهَرا

نورُهُ الفِضِّيُّ لَمّا ظَهَرا

So sky and earth together were illumined

Its silver light illuminated

Illuminating the air and the earth together

By his silvery light when he appeared.

The sky and earth when it appeared

With his silver light when he appeared.

فَرَنَت عَن فاتِر وَاِبتَسَمَت

فَرَنَت عَن فاتِر وَاِبتَسَمَت

عَن نَظيمٍ قَد أَكَنَّ الدُرارا

عَن نَظيمٍ قَد أَكَنَّ الدُرارا

So she gazed with languid eyes and smiled,

She smiled, no longer sullen

She gazed with languid eyes and smiled,

Revealing a well-formed mouth that had sheltered pearls.

Nor frowned, her face now blossoming

Revealing a row of teeth harboring pearls.

ثُمَّ قالَت يا حَبيبي مَرحَباً

ثُمَّ قالَت يا حَبيبي مَرحَباً

لا رَآكَ الطَرفُ إِلّا نَيِّرا

لا رَآكَ الطَرفُ إِلّا نَيِّرا

Then she said, “My beloved, welcome!

Then she said, my love, welcome

Then she said: "O my beloved, welcome!

May the eye see you only radiant!

When you come, eyes brighten

May the eye never see you other than shining.

قِف قَليلاً أَو كَثيراً فَعَسى

قِف قَليلاً أَو كَثيراً فَعَسى

نورُكَ الباهِرُ يَجلو البَصَرا

نورُكَ الباهِرُ يَجلو البَصَرا

Stay a little while, or long; perhaps

Stay a little or stay a while

Stay a while, be it brief or long, for perhaps

Your dazzling light will clear my sight.

Your brilliant light clears the sight

Your dazzling light will clarify my sight.

إِن تَغِب فَالصُبحُ عِندِيَ كَالدُجى

إِن تَغِب فَالصُبحُ عِندِيَ كَالدُجى

وَالدُجى إِن جِئتَ بِالصُبحِ اِزدَرى

وَالدُجى إِن جِئتَ بِالصُبحِ اِزدَرى

If you vanish, morning to me is like darkness,

If you're absent, dawn to me is gloom

If you vanish, the morning to me is like darkness,

And if you come, the darkness scoffs at morning.

And gloom, when you come, disdains the dawn

And if you come, the darkness scorns the dawn.

لَم تُحِبَّ السَيرَ لَيلاً فَإِذا

لَم تُحِبَّ السَيرَ لَيلاً فَإِذا

ذَرَّ قَرنُ الشَمسِ عانَقتَ الكَرى

ذَرَّ قَرنُ الشَمسِ عانَقتَ الكَرى

Why do you love roaming by night, and when

You hate traveling at night, so when

Why do you not love to journey by night? For when

The sun's rim rises, embrace slumber?

The sun's horn scatters, you embrace the vine

The sun's ray appears, you embrace slumber.

أَتَخافُ الشَمسَ أَم أَنتَ كَذا

أَتَخافُ الشَمسَ أَم أَنتَ كَذا

تَعشَقُ اللَيل وَتَهوى السَهَرا

تَعشَقُ اللَيل وَتَهوى السَهَرا

Do you fear the sun, or do you simply

Do you fear the sun or is it that

Do you fear the sun? Or is it that you

Love the night and delight in staying awake?”

You love the night and desire vigil?

Are in love with the night and fond of sleeplessness?"

ثُمَّ ناجَت نَفسَها قائِلَةً

ثُمَّ ناجَت نَفسَها قائِلَةً

أَتُرى أَبلُغُ مِنهُ وَطَرا

أَتُرى أَبلُغُ مِنهُ وَطَرا

Then she whispered to herself, saying:

Then she whispered to herself

Then she whispered to herself, saying:

“I wonder, shall I get my wish from him?

Can I reach you or even soar?

"Will I ever attain my desire of him?

لَيتَ لي أَجنِحَةً بَل لَيتَني

لَيتَ لي أَجنِحَةً بَل لَيتَني

نَجمَةً أَتبَعُهُ أَنّى سَرى

نَجمَةً أَتبَعُهُ أَنّى سَرى

If only I had wings—better yet, if only I were

Oh, that I had wings! Or better yet

Would that I had wings, or rather, would that I were

A star, following him wherever he journeys by night!

Were a star to follow you wherever you go

A star to follow him wherever he roams.

وَهُمَ البَعضُ فَقالوا دِرهَمٌ

وَهُمَ البَعضُ فَقالوا دِرهَمٌ

ما أَرى الدِرهَمَ إِلّا حَجَرا

ما أَرى الدِرهَمَ إِلّا حَجَرا

Some were mistaken and said, ‘A dirham!’

While others said, a coin?

Some have imagined, saying he is a silver coin,

I see a dirham as nothing but a stone.

I don't see a coin, just a rock

Yet I see the coin as nothing but a stone.

وَلَقَد أَضحَكَني زَعمُهُمُ

وَلَقَد أَضحَكَني زَعمُهُمُ

أَنَّهُ يُشبِهُ في الحَجمِ الثَرى

أَنَّهُ يُشبِهُ في الحَجمِ الثَرى

And their claim has surely made me laugh:

Their claim made me laugh

And how their claim has made me laugh,

That he resembles the earth in size.

That it's the same size as the earth

That he resembles the vast earth in size!

زَعَموا ما زَعَموا لَكِنَّما

زَعَموا ما زَعَموا لَكِنَّما

هُوَ عِندي لُعبَةٌ لا تُشتَرى

هُوَ عِندي لُعبَةٌ لا تُشتَرى

They claimed what they claimed, but

Let them say what they say, but

Let them claim what they will, for in truth,

To me he is a toy that cannot be bought.”

To me it's a toy that can't be bought

To me, he is a plaything that cannot be bought."