مِن كُلِّ جِسمٍ كَأَنَّهُ عَرَضٌ

مِن كُلِّ جِسمٍ كَأَنَّهُ عَرَضٌ

يَكادُ لُطفاً بِاللَحظِ يُنتَهَبُ

يَكادُ لُطفاً بِاللَحظِ يُنتَهَبُ

Among all bodies, it seems a mere attribute,

Every body seems transient,

so delicate it is almost snatched away by a glance.

So tender it could be plundered by a glance,

نورٌ وَإِن لَم يَغِب وَوَهمٌ إِذا

نورٌ وَإِن لَم يَغِب وَوَهمٌ إِذا

صَحَّ وَماءٌ لَو كانَ يَنسَكِبُ

صَحَّ وَماءٌ لَو كانَ يَنسَكِبُ

Light, though it does not vanish, and an illusion, if

A light, even when it doesn’t set, an illusion when

it were real; and water, if it could pour forth.

it holds, and water, had it spilled.

لا عَيبَ فيهِ سِوى إِذاعَتِهِ

لا عَيبَ فيهِ سِوى إِذاعَتِهِ

سِرَّ الَّذي في حَشاهُ يَحتَجِبُ

سِرَّ الَّذي في حَشاهُ يَحتَجِبُ

It has no flaw except its revealing

No flaw in it but its diffusion

the secret of what lies hidden in its bosom.

Of that secret it hides within its breast,

كَأَنَّهُ صاغَهُ النِفاقُ فَما

كَأَنَّهُ صاغَهُ النِفاقُ فَما

يَخلُصُ مِنهُ صِدقٌ وَلا كَذِبُ

يَخلُصُ مِنهُ صِدقٌ وَلا كَذِبُ

As though hypocrisy had fashioned it, so

As if hypocrisy had minted it, so no

neither truth nor falsehood emerges from it unmixed.

Truth or lies emerge unalloyed.