بنوهُ على تلكَ اللحاظِ الفواتكِ

بنوهُ على تلكَ اللحاظِ الفواتكِ

وصاغوهُ من نورِ الثغورِ الضواحكِ

وصاغوهُ من نورِ الثغورِ الضواحكِ

They built it upon those deadly glances,

They built it upon those vanished moons

And fashioned it from the light of smiling mouths.

And formed it from the light of smiling horizons

ومنذُ طووا فيهِ شبابكِ لم يزلْ

ومنذُ طووا فيهِ شبابكِ لم يزلْ

تلوحُ عليهِ مسحةٌ من شبابكِ

تلوحُ عليهِ مسحةٌ من شبابكِ

And since they enfolded your youth within it, still

And since they folded your youth within it, it has not ceased

A trace of your youth gleams upon it.

To display a touch of your youth upon it

بناهُ لكِ الباني فلم يلبثِ الهوى

بناهُ لكِ الباني فلم يلبثِ الهوى

أن اقتادهُ حتى ثوى في جواركِ

أن اقتادهُ حتى ثوى في جواركِ

The builder built it for you; love did not tarry

The builder built it for you, and passion

In leading him away, until he came to rest beside you.

Did not delay to lead it until it lay by your side

سليهِ أهذا قلبهُ صارَ مدفناً

سليهِ أهذا قلبهُ صارَ مدفناً

وقبركِ في السوادءِ أم غيرُ ذلكِ

وقبركِ في السوادءِ أم غيرُ ذلكِ

Ask him: is this his heart, turned into a tomb,

Ask it, has his heart become a tomb now

And your grave in the darkness—or is it otherwise?

And is your tomb in obscurity, or other than that?

وتلكَ لآلٍ أم أمانيُّ نفسِهِ

وتلكَ لآلٍ أم أمانيُّ نفسِهِ

وذاكَ ظلامٌ أم همومُ الممالكِ

وذاكَ ظلامٌ أم همومُ الممالكِ

And are those pearls, or the longings of his soul?

And are those ornaments fantasies of his soul

And is that darkness, or the cares of kingdoms?

And is that darkness, or the concerns of kingdoms?

وضعتِ بيمناهُ فؤاداً فلم يجدْ

وضعتِ بيمناهُ فؤاداً فلم يجدْ

سوى ملكهِ ن حليةٍ لشمالكِ

سوى ملكهِ ن حليةٍ لشمالكِ

You placed a heart in his right hand; he found nothing

You placed at its right a heart, but it found

But his kingdom—[unclear fragment]—as an ornament for your left hand.

Nothing but its rule, a jewel for your left

فلا ما بنى كسرى ولا قصرُ جعفرٍ

فلا ما بنى كسرى ولا قصرُ جعفرٍ

ولا قصرُ غمدانَ ولا للبرامكِ

ولا قصرُ غمدانَ ولا للبرامكِ

So neither what Kisra built, nor Ja'far's palace,

Neither what Khosrow built, nor Ja'far's palace

Nor Ghumdan's palace, nor the Barmakids'.

Nor Ghumdan's palace, nor Baram's

كأنَّ قلوباً في غرامكِ أُحرقتْ

كأنَّ قلوباً في غرامكِ أُحرقتْ

فذَوَّبها الصيَّاغُ بينَ السبائكِ

فذَوَّبها الصيَّاغُ بينَ السبائكِ

As though hearts had been burned in love for you,

As if hearts burnt with passion for you

And the goldsmith had melted them among the ingots.

Were melted by the goldsmith among ingots

كأنَّ اللآلي المشبهاتِ أزاهراً

كأنَّ اللآلي المشبهاتِ أزاهراً

فرائدها بعضَ الدموعِ السوافكِ

فرائدها بعضَ الدموعِ السوافكِ

The pearls, likened to blossoms—it is as though

As if the ornaments resembling flowers

Their choicest gems were some of the tears being shed.

Were bouquets whose chalices were your falling tears

كأنَّ ظلامَ القبرِ في لَمَعانِها

كأنَّ ظلامَ القبرِ في لَمَعانِها

شعورُ الغواني بينَ حالٍ وحالكِ

شعورُ الغواني بينَ حالٍ وحالكِ

As though the tomb's darkness, amid their gleam,

As if the tomb's darkness in its flashes

Were beauties' tresses, ranging from black to pitch-black.

Were the thrills of the lovesick between one state and your state

كأنَّ سناكِ في دياجيهِ نيَّةٌ

كأنَّ سناكِ في دياجيهِ نيَّةٌ

تردَّدُ في قلبٍ طهورٍ مباركِ

تردَّدُ في قلبٍ طهورٍ مباركِ

As though your radiance in its deep darkness were an intention

As if your teeth in their pearls were an intention

Moving to and fro within a pure, blessed heart.

Echoing in a pure, blessed heart

كأني أرى تلكَ المآذنَ أيدياً

كأني أرى تلكَ المآذنَ أيدياً

تشيرُ إلى الأفلاكِ أنكِ هنالكِ

تشيرُ إلى الأفلاكِ أنكِ هنالكِ

As though I see those minarets as hands

As if I see those minarets as hands

Pointing toward the celestial spheres: you are there.

Signaling to the cosmos that you are there

بدائعُ نالتْ من يراعي ولم يكنْ

بدائعُ نالتْ من يراعي ولم يكنْ

يراعٌ يباريهِ بتلكَ المسالكِ

يراعٌ يباريهِ بتلكَ المسالكِ

Marvels that taxed my reed-pen; and there was no

Marvels that preoccupied the preoccupied, and there was no preoccupied one

Reed-pen to rival it along those paths.

To rival it through those paths

وكنَّ على قلبي الجلالةَ والتقى

وكنَّ على قلبي الجلالةَ والتقى

فأصبحتُ منها بينَ ناسٍ وناسكِ

فأصبحتُ منها بينَ ناسٍ وناسكِ

And they were majesty and piety upon my heart,

And they brought majesty and piety upon my heart

So through them I found myself between forgetfulness and devotion.

So I became distinguished among people, and an ascetic

وصارتْ حياتي للفؤادِ سنابكٌ

وصارتْ حياتي للفؤادِ سنابكٌ

فأطلق جوادي ينطلقُ بالسنابكِ

فأطلق جوادي ينطلقُ بالسنابكِ

And my life became hooves for the heart;

And my life became for the heart window lattices

So I loose my steed, and it races on those hooves.

So I let loose my steed galloping with the lattices