قَد صَدَقَ الوَردُ في الَّذي زَعَما

قَد صَدَقَ الوَردُ في الَّذي زَعَما

أَنَّكَ صَيَّرتَ نَثرَهُ دِيَما

أَنَّكَ صَيَّرتَ نَثرَهُ دِيَما

The rose spoke truly in what it claimed:

The rose was right in what it claimed

The roses spoke the truth when they proclaimed that you have turned their scattering into rain;

That you turned its scattering into steady showers.

That you made its prose into poetry forever

As if the air, rippling with their fall, were a sea holding red anemones within its waves.

كَأَنَّما مائِجُ الهَواءِ بِهِ

كَأَنَّما مائِجُ الهَواءِ بِهِ

بَحرٌ حَوى مِثلَ مائِهِ عَنَما

بَحرٌ حَوى مِثلَ مائِهِ عَنَما

As though the air, billowing with it,

As if the air wafting it

Their scatterer is one who scatters blood with swords, and every word he utters is wisdom;

Were a sea holding as much red ‘anam as water.

Was an ocean that held the like of its softness

With horses he has parceled out estates, alongside ample blessings and retributions.

ناثِرُهُ ناثِرُ السُيوفِ دَماً

ناثِرُهُ ناثِرُ السُيوفِ دَماً

وَكُلَّ قَولٍ يَقولُهُ حِكَما

وَكُلَّ قَولٍ يَقولُهُ حِكَما

He who scatters it scatters blood with his swords,

Its sprinkler sprinkles blood from swords

So let the rose show us—if it complains of his hand—something fairer that escaped his bounty unharmed.

And wisdom in every word he utters,

And everything it says is wise maxims

And tell it: "You are not the best of what he has strewn; he but made you an amulet to guard Generosity,"

وَالخَيلَ قَد فَصَّلَ الضِياعَ بِها

وَالخَيلَ قَد فَصَّلَ الضِياعَ بِها

وَالنِعَمُ السابِغاتِ وَالنِقَما

وَالنِعَمُ السابِغاتِ وَالنِقَما

And horses, with which he has interspersed gifts of estates,

And the horses differentiated the lands with them

"In fear of the Envious Eye, lest it be struck; thus he struck the eye by which blindness is struck."

And abundant favors and punishments.

And the perfect blessing and the perfect adversity

فَليُرِنا الوَردُ إِن شَكا يَدَهُ

فَليُرِنا الوَردُ إِن شَكا يَدَهُ

أَحسَنَ مِنهُ مِن جودِهِ سَلِما

أَحسَنَ مِنهُ مِن جودِهِ سَلِما

So let the rose, if it complains of his hand, show us

So let the rose show us if it complains of its hand

Something lovelier than itself that escaped his generosity.

Better than it in giving generously complete

وَقُل لَهُ لَستَ خَيرَ ما نَثَرَت

وَقُل لَهُ لَستَ خَيرَ ما نَثَرَت

وَإِنَّما عَوَّذَت بِكَ الكَرَما

وَإِنَّما عَوَّذَت بِكَ الكَرَما

And tell it: you are not the best thing his hand has scattered;

And say to it you are not the best thing sprinkled

His hand only used you as a charm to protect generosity,

But they have only protected you, O generosity

خَوفاً مِنَ العَينِ أَن يُصابَ بِها

خَوفاً مِنَ العَينِ أَن يُصابَ بِها

أَصابَ عَيناً بِها يُصابُ عَمى

أَصابَ عَيناً بِها يُصابُ عَمى

For fear it might be struck by the evil eye.

Fearing the evil eye would afflict it

May blindness strike any eye that strikes it!

An eye that is afflicted with it, is afflicted with blindness