ولربَّ ريمٍ طَرفُه

ولربَّ ريمٍ طَرفُه

بالهدب سهمَ اللحظِ راشا

بالهدب سهمَ اللحظِ راشا

And many a gazelle's eye

The glance of the one with tender eyes

has feathered the arrow of its glance with lashes,

Shot the arrow of his gaze like lightning

ورمى به صبًّا لفرطِ

ورمى به صبًّا لفرطِ

ضناه يرتعشُ ارتعاشا

ضناه يرتعشُ ارتعاشا

and shot it at a lovesick man who, from the severity of

And cast it violently due to

his wasting illness, trembles and trembles.

His burning passion that makes him tremble

قالت جنحتَ لسلوةٍ

قالت جنحتَ لسلوةٍ

فانظر لسهمكَ كيف طاشا

فانظر لسهمكَ كيف طاشا

She said: “You have turned toward forgetting;

She said you have set out to seduce

so see how your arrow has missed its mark.”

So look how your arrow has gone astray

فأجبتُها لا والذي

فأجبتُها لا والذي

جعل النهار لنا معاشا

جعل النهار لنا معاشا

So I answered her: “No, by Him who

I replied no, by Him who

made the day for us to earn our living,

Made daylight our livelihood

أنا في سبيلِ هوى الكوا

أنا في سبيلِ هوى الكوا

عب أربطُ العُشّاق جاشا

عب أربطُ العُشّاق جاشا

I, in the path of love for full-breasted

I am on the path of passionate love

maidens, am the stoutest-hearted of lovers.

So I tie together lovers firmly

هيهات أسلو أو يقالُ

هيهات أسلو أو يقالُ

سلا الندى حسنٌ وحاشا

سلا الندى حسنٌ وحاشا

Far be it that I forget, or that it be said:

Far from it! I cannot be diverted

‘Hasan has forgotten generosity’—far be it!

Or told "Beautiful is the dew's radiance!"

ذاك الذي لحوائم الآ

ذاك الذي لحوائم الآ

مالِ لم يترك عِطاشا

مالِ لم يترك عِطاشا

He is the one who, among the circling hopes,

It is He whom the backs of the noble

left none thirsty,

Camels did not leave thirsty

مذ قام للعليا مؤمِّ

مذ قام للعليا مؤمِّ

لُها وبحرُ علاه جاشا

لُها وبحرُ علاه جاشا

since the aspirant to the heights arose

Ever since He stood by the Most High

and the sea of his eminence surged.

As an immense ocean surging high

ماتت نفوسُ الحاسدين

ماتت نفوسُ الحاسدين

بغيضها والفضلُ عاشا

بغيضها والفضلُ عاشا

The souls of the envious died

The souls of envious people died

of their rage, while excellence lived on.

In their hatred, and merit lived on

من لو تساجِلهُ الغيوثُ

من لو تساجِلهُ الغيوثُ

أراك وابلها رَشاشا

أراك وابلها رَشاشا

One who, if the rains vied with him,

If clouds were to compete with Him

would make their downpour seem mere spray to you.

You'd see them pouring down showers

تستشعر الأسدُ الغضاب

تستشعر الأسدُ الغضاب

لعُظم هيبتِه اندهاشا

لعُظم هيبتِه اندهاشا

Wrathful lions feel

The lion senses fury

astonishment at his immense majesty.

At his mighty awesomeness

وعلى سِراج جبينه الآ

وعلى سِراج جبينه الآ

مال تحسبها فراشا

مال تحسبها فراشا

And around the lamp of his brow, hopes

Over the lamp of His brilliant brow

seem to you like moths.”

You'd think them to be moths