هلِ الأفْقُ تبْدو في مَطالِعِه الزُّهْرُ

هلِ الأفْقُ تبْدو في مَطالِعِه الزُّهْرُ

أمِ الرّوضُ في أدْواحِهِ فُتِّحَ الزّهْرُ

أمِ الرّوضُ في أدْواحِهِ فُتِّحَ الزّهْرُ

Is it the horizon, at whose rising points bright stars appear,

Does the horizon in its rising seem to blossom,

or the garden, whose blossoms have opened among its spreading trees?

Or is it the meadow in its expanse the blossoms opened?

أمِ الوَصْفُ منّي حيثُ لاحَتْ مَحاسِني

أمِ الوَصْفُ منّي حيثُ لاحَتْ مَحاسِني

تُنظَّمُ عِقْداً مثلَما يُنظَمُ الدُّرُّ

تُنظَّمُ عِقْداً مثلَما يُنظَمُ الدُّرُّ

Or is it a description of me, where my beauties shine forth,

Or is it my portrayal, when her charms appeared,

strung into a necklace just as pearls are strung?

Arranged like pearls are strung in a necklace?

فلا حُسْنَ إلا ما لوَصْفيَ يَنتَمي

فلا حُسْنَ إلا ما لوَصْفيَ يَنتَمي

ولا وصْفَ إلا ما بحُسْني له ذِكْرُ

ولا وصْفَ إلا ما بحُسْني له ذِكْرُ

So no beauty exists but what belongs to my description,

No charm but owes its being to my portrayal,

and no description but one renowned through my beauty.

No portrayal but finds in her charm its fame.

وما السّحْرُ عن هاروتَ يُروَى حقيقةً

وما السّحْرُ عن هاروتَ يُروَى حقيقةً

فحُسْني الذي يُعْزَى لِبابلِه السِّحْرُ

فحُسْني الذي يُعْزَى لِبابلِه السِّحْرُ

Nor is the magic recounted of Harut real;

And the sorcery attributed to Harut is not

for magic is ascribed to the Babylon of my beauty.

In truth, for her charm is the sorcery assigned to Babylon.

إذا أنتَ قد شاهَدتني واخْتَبَرْتَني

إذا أنتَ قد شاهَدتني واخْتَبَرْتَني

وحقّقتَ وصْفي صدّقَ الخبَرَ الخُبْرُ

وحقّقتَ وصْفي صدّقَ الخبَرَ الخُبْرُ

When you have seen me and examined me,

Now you have seen me and tried me out,

and verified my description, experience confirms the report.

And verified my portrayal, truths are verified.

لأن الجَمالَ اليوسُفيَّ حقيقةً

لأن الجَمالَ اليوسُفيَّ حقيقةً

بغَرناطةٍ دعْ ما حَوَتْ قبلَهُ مِصْرُ

بغَرناطةٍ دعْ ما حَوَتْ قبلَهُ مِصْرُ

For the beauty of Yusuf is truly

For the Joseph-like beauty is in reality

in Granada—leave aside what Egypt held before him.

In Granada - leave what Egypt contained before!

ومُبدِعُ شكلي ناصرُ الدّين يوسُفٌ

ومُبدِعُ شكلي ناصرُ الدّين يوسُفٌ

فدامَ لهُ التأييدُ والعِزُّ والنّصْرُ

فدامَ لهُ التأييدُ والعِزُّ والنّصْرُ

And the creator of my form is Nasir al-Din Yusuf;

And the creator of my form is Nasir al-Din Yusuf,

so may support, glory, and victory endure for him.

So may he enjoy support, glory and triumph!

قِناعٌ كأنّ الأفْقَ أبْدَى سحابَهُ

قِناعٌ كأنّ الأفْقَ أبْدَى سحابَهُ

جَهاماً فحلّاها ببارِقِه التّبْرُ

جَهاماً فحلّاها ببارِقِه التّبْرُ

A veil—as though the horizon had revealed its clouds,

A mask as though the horizon displayed its clouds

rainless; then gold adorned them with its flash.

As tents, which he adorned with its lightning flash.

يَروقُ شُعاعٌ منهُ فوقَ بياضِهِ

يَروقُ شُعاعٌ منهُ فوقَ بياضِهِ

فمِن سُحْبِهِ ثوبٌ ومِنْ تِبْرِه زُهْرُ

فمِن سُحْبِهِ ثوبٌ ومِنْ تِبْرِه زُهْرُ

A ray from it delights the eye above its whiteness;

A ray from it gleams over its whiteness,

so from its clouds comes a robe, and from its gold, bright stars,

So from its clouds a garment, from its lightning blossom.

كما لاحَ نورُ الشّمسِ في روْنَقِ الضُحى

كما لاحَ نورُ الشّمسِ في روْنَقِ الضُحى

وساقَ الثريّا في مُلاءَتِهِ الفجْرُ

وساقَ الثريّا في مُلاءَتِهِ الفجْرُ

just as sunlight shone in the splendor of midmorning,

As the sun's light shone in the sheen of dawn

and dawn drove the Pleiades along in its mantle.

And threaded the Pleiades in their setting at dawn.