إِذا رَآني حَبيبي كانَ يَكرَهُني

إِذا رَآني حَبيبي كانَ يَكرَهُني

يَلوحُ في وَجهِهِ منّي كراهاتُ

يَلوحُ في وَجهِهِ منّي كراهاتُ

Whenever my beloved saw me, he would hate me;

When my beloved saw me, he would abhor me

Signs of aversion to me would appear upon his face.

His face showed disgust toward me openly

صَنعت مِن ماءِ حسنٍ ما غَسلت بِهِ

صَنعت مِن ماءِ حسنٍ ما غَسلت بِهِ

وَجهي وَقَد صارَ تَعلوهُ نضاراتُ

وَجهي وَقَد صارَ تَعلوهُ نضاراتُ

From beauty's water I fashioned something with which I washed

I made from goodly water what I washed my face with

My face, and fresh radiance now covered it.

And it became adorned with radiance and clarity

صقَلَته صَقلَ ذي جدّ وَمُجتَهدٍ

صقَلَته صَقلَ ذي جدّ وَمُجتَهدٍ

حَتّى صَفا وَبَدَت فيهِ اِستِناراتُ

حَتّى صَفا وَبَدَت فيهِ اِستِناراتُ

I polished it as one earnest and diligent would,

I polished it with diligence and hard effort

Until it grew clear and gleams of light appeared in it.

Until it became pure and illumination shone free

فَصارَ إِن شامَهُ حِبِّي يدم نَظراً

فَصارَ إِن شامَهُ حِبِّي يدم نَظراً

فيهِ وَلَيسَ لَهُ عَنهُ اِلتِفاتاتُ

فيهِ وَلَيسَ لَهُ عَنهُ اِلتِفاتاتُ

So now, if my beloved beholds it, he keeps gazing

So if my beloved glimpsed it, his gaze would linger

Into it, and never turns away from it.

Unable to look away, captivated utterly

بِهِ يَرى الشّمسَ تَبدو وَهيَ مُزهِرَة

بِهِ يَرى الشّمسَ تَبدو وَهيَ مُزهِرَة

وَالبدرُ يَزهو وَلَم تَحتَطهُ هالاتُ

وَالبدرُ يَزهو وَلَم تَحتَطهُ هالاتُ

In it he sees the sun appear, radiant,

In it he saw the sun rise in full flourish

And the full moon shines in splendor, though no halos encircle it.

The moon's beauty unveiled, bright as can be

وَقالَ لي هَذِه المِرآةُ نادِرَةٌ

وَقالَ لي هَذِه المِرآةُ نادِرَةٌ

أَظنُّ ما هَذِهِ المِرآةُ مِرآةُ

أَظنُّ ما هَذِهِ المِرآةُ مِرآةُ

And he said to me, “This mirror is rare;

And it said to me “This mirror is so rare”

I think this mirror is no mirror.”

I thought “This is no mirror, but reality”