أَحَبُّ اِمرِئٍ حَبَّتِ الأَنفُسُ

أَحَبُّ اِمرِئٍ حَبَّتِ الأَنفُسُ

وَأَطيَبُ ما شَمَّهُ مَعطِسُ

وَأَطيَبُ ما شَمَّهُ مَعطِسُ

The dearest man whom souls have loved,

I love a man whose love fills souls

The most beloved of men whom souls hold dear,

And the sweetest thing a nose has smelled;

And most fragrant is what he smells

The sweetest fragrance a breath has ever drawn,

وَنَشرٌ مِنَ النَدِّ لَكِنَّما

وَنَشرٌ مِنَ النَدِّ لَكِنَّما

مَجامِرُهُ الآسُ وَالنَرجِسُ

مَجامِرُهُ الآسُ وَالنَرجِسُ

And a fragrance of aromatic incense—yet

A blossom of pleasure but games

A diffusion of rare incense, though in truth,

Its censers are myrtle and narcissus.

Are his hobby, and flower petals

Its burning censers are the myrtle and narcissus.

وَلَسنا نَرى لَهَباً هاجَهُ

وَلَسنا نَرى لَهَباً هاجَهُ

فَهَل هاجَهُ عِزُّكَ الأَقعَسُ

فَهَل هاجَهُ عِزُّكَ الأَقعَسُ

And we see no flame that stirred it;

Do we not see flames that burn him

We see no flame that stirred it into scent;

So did your unassailable might stir it?

Did your glory burn him, most wretched

Was it then kindled by your unyielding glory?

وَإِنَّ الفِئامَ الَّتي حَولَهُ

وَإِنَّ الفِئامَ الَّتي حَولَهُ

لَتَحسُدُ أَرجُلَها الأَرؤسُ

لَتَحسُدُ أَرجُلَها الأَرؤسُ

And indeed, the multitudes around him—

And those demons surrounding him

And verily, the crowds that stand around him—

Their heads surely envy their feet.

Their heads envy his feet

Their very heads bear envy toward their feet.