أَصَعِدْتَ مُرْتَفِعاً إلى أَوْجِ السَّما

أَصَعِدْتَ مُرْتَفِعاً إلى أَوْجِ السَّما

فَنَظَمْتَ في ذا الطِّرْسِ تِلكَ الأَنْجُما

فَنَظَمْتَ في ذا الطِّرْسِ تِلكَ الأَنْجُما

Did you rise aloft to the zenith of the sky,

You ascended loftily to the zenith of the sky,

then string those stars upon this page?

And composed in that crown those stars,

أَمْ غُصْتَ في البَحْرِ الخِضَمِّ فَجِئْتَ بالدّ

أَمْ غُصْتَ في البَحْرِ الخِضَمِّ فَجِئْتَ بالدّ

رِّ الثَّمينِ مُنَقِّباً ومُنَظِّما

رِّ الثَّمينِ مُنَقِّباً ومُنَظِّما

Or did you dive into the vast sea and return with the

Or did you dive into the deep sea and come out

precious pearls, piercing them and stringing them?

With precious pearls, searching and stringing them,

أَمْ سِحْرُ هارُوتٍ ومارُوتٍ أَتَى

أَمْ سِحْرُ هارُوتٍ ومارُوتٍ أَتَى

مِنْ بابِلٍ وإلَى قَصائِدِكَ انْتَمى

مِنْ بابِلٍ وإلَى قَصائِدِكَ انْتَمى

Or did the magic of Harut and Marut come

Or is it the magic of Harut and Marut

from Babylon and become part of your poems?

That came from Babylon and belonged to your poems.