1. قد بدا للعين ما

    أظهرَه الطالع

    To the eye has now appeared what

    The rising one revealed.

  2. وأرتدي

    حُسن الدمى

    And I don

    The beauty of the statues;

  3. مظهره

    الطامع

    Its revealer

    Is the aspirant.

  4. وابتدا

    يطلبُ ما

    And he began

    To seek what

  5. يستره

    الطابع

    Is concealed by

    The sealer,

  6. من خلالٍ هنَّ حلى

    كلِّ فتى ثابت

    Of qualities that are ornaments

    Of every steadfast youth,

  7. في ليالٍ هنّ على

    الحاصلِ الفائت

    In nights that lie over

    The attained and the lost.

  8. كم أتى

    يطلبني

    How often has come

    Seeking me

  9. من خلته

    المرتقى

    One whose friendship

    Is the ascent.

  10. والفتى

    تجذبني

    And the youth—

    I am drawn

  11. خلته

    للقا

    By his friendship

    To the meeting.

  12. ومتى

    تحجبني

    And whenever

    I am veiled by

  13. خدمتُه

    والتقى

    Service to him

    And piety,

  14. في الظلالِ حال الطلا

    يخر عن باهت

    In the shadows, the fawn's state

    Falls away from one bewildered,

  15. في جمال خلف ملا

    ناطق أو صامت

    In beauty, behind a gathering,

    Speaking or silent.

  16. قد بدا

    ما شاله

    Now there has appeared

    What was lifted by

  17. الواقفُ

    في زعمه

    The one standing,

    According to his claim;

  18. وغدا

    إذ ناله

    And he became,

    When he attained it—

  19. العاكفُ

    في حكمه

    The devoted one—

    In his judgment,

  20. مُنشداً

    ما قاله

    A reciter of

    What was said by

  21. السالفُ

    في نظمِه

    The predecessor

    In his verse:

  22. الجمالُ وقفٌ على

    ظبي بنى ثابت

    Beauty is an endowment for

    A gazelle of Bani Thabit;

  23. لا زوالَ في الحبِّ لا

    عن عهدِه الثابتْ

    No waning in love, no turning

    From his steadfast covenant.