أَدنى اِبتِسامٍ مِنكَ تَحيا القَرائِحُ

أَدنى اِبتِسامٍ مِنكَ تَحيا القَرائِحُ

وَتَقوى مِنَ الجِسمِ الضَعيفِ الجَوارِحُ

وَتَقوى مِنَ الجِسمِ الضَعيفِ الجَوارِحُ

The slightest smile from you brings poetic faculties to life,

The slightest smile from you brings life to feelings

With your faintest smile, the poetic mind revives,

And the limbs of a weak body grow strong.

And strength to the weak limbs and senses

And strength, in the frail body's limbs, arrives.

وَمَن ذا الَّذي يَقضي حُقوقَكَ كُلَّها

وَمَن ذا الَّذي يَقضي حُقوقَكَ كُلَّها

وَمَن ذا الَّذي يُرضي سِوى مَن تُسامِحُ

وَمَن ذا الَّذي يُرضي سِوى مَن تُسامِحُ

And who can fulfill all that is owed to you?

Who else could pay all that you are owed

Who is the one who can fulfill your every due?

And who can please you, save one whom you pardon?

Who else could satisfy but one who pardons

And who can please, save the one forgiven by you?

وَقَد تَقبَلُ العُذرَ الخَفيَّ تَكَرُّما

وَقَد تَقبَلُ العُذرَ الخَفيَّ تَكَرُّما

فَما بالُ عُذري واقِفاً وَهوَ واضِحُ

فَما بالُ عُذري واقِفاً وَهوَ واضِحُ

And you sometimes accept an obscure excuse out of generosity;

You accept the hidden excuse out of nobility

You accept the hidden plea with noble grace,

So why is my excuse left waiting, though it is clear?

Yet my clear excuse still waits

So why is my clear excuse stalled in its place?

وَإِنَّ مُحالاً إِذ بِكَ العَيشُ أَن أَرى

وَإِنَّ مُحالاً إِذ بِكَ العَيشُ أَن أَرى

وَجِسمُكَ مُعتَلٌّ وَجِسمِيَ صالِحُ

وَجِسمُكَ مُعتَلٌّ وَجِسمِيَ صالِحُ

And it is unthinkable, since life depends on you, that I should see

It is impossible, when you are my life, that I could

It is impossible—since my life flows from thee—

Your body ailing while my own is healthy.

See your body ailing while mine is healthy

To see you ailing while health resides in me.

وَما كانَ تَركي الشِعرَ إِلّا لِأَنَّهُ

وَما كانَ تَركي الشِعرَ إِلّا لِأَنَّهُ

تُقَصِّرُ عَن وَصفِ الأَميرِ المَدائِحُ

تُقَصِّرُ عَن وَصفِ الأَميرِ المَدائِحُ

And my abandoning poetry was only because

I left poetry only because

I abandoned poetry for this cause, long since:

Poems of praise fall short of describing the prince.

Praises fall short of describing the prince

That praises fall short of describing the Prince.