إذا نظرَ السحرَ العوالي بطرفِهِ

إذا نظرَ السحرَ العوالي بطرفِهِ

تقول كأنَّ السيفَ للرمحِ شاتمُ

تقول كأنَّ السيفَ للرمحِ شاتمُ

When he looks at the lofty spears with his bewitching gaze,

When the enchanting morning casts its glance,

You say it is as though the sword were reviling the spear.

You'd say the sword insulted the spear.

عزائمُ سحرٍ في أولي العزمِ طرفُهُ

عزائمُ سحرٍ في أولي العزمِ طرفُهُ

على قدْرِ أهلِ العزمِ تأتي العزائِمُ

على قدْرِ أهلِ العزمِ تأتي العزائِمُ

His gaze casts magic spells upon those of firm resolve;

The firm resolutions of an enchanting dawn -

Resolutions come in proportion to the mettle of the resolute.

Resolutions match the firmness of the resolved.

نقاسي عظيماً في الهوى وهْو ضاحكٌ

نقاسي عظيماً في الهوى وهْو ضاحكٌ

وتصغُرُ في عينِ العظيمِ العظائِمُ

وتصغُرُ في عينِ العظيمِ العظائِمُ

We endure great suffering in love while he laughs,

I suffered much in passion, yet it smiled,

And great hardships seem small in the eyes of the great.

And great things seem so small in the eyes of the great.

فَسَلْ عَنْ دمي فيهِ وعن فيضِ أدمعي

فَسَلْ عَنْ دمي فيهِ وعن فيضِ أدمعي

لتعلمَ أيَّ الساقيينِ الغمائِمُ

لتعلمَ أيَّ الساقيينِ الغمائِمُ

So ask about my blood shed for him and the flood of my tears,

Ask about my blood in it, and the outpouring of my tears,

To learn which of the two cupbearers the clouds are.

To learn which of the two cloud-rainers was more plentiful.

لئنْ شَبَهَ العشاقُ خدَّيْهِ جنَّةً

لئنْ شَبَهَ العشاقُ خدَّيْهِ جنَّةً

فموجُ المنايا حولَهُ متلاطِمُ

فموجُ المنايا حولَهُ متلاطِمُ

If indeed lovers have likened his cheeks to a garden,

If lovers likened his cheeks to a garden,

Then death's waves crash together around him.

Then the waves of death crash around it continually.