كيف السبيل لسلسبيل لَماها

كيف السبيل لسلسبيل لَماها

ومهند الأجفان يحرس فاها

ومهند الأجفان يحرس فاها

How can one reach the sweet spring of her dusky lips,

How can one reach her wrists’ bracelets

while the Indian-steel sword of her eyelids guards her mouth?

When eyelids guard her mouth?

أو كيف يؤمل طيفها وغرامها

أو كيف يؤمل طيفها وغرامها

بكرى عيون العاشقين حباها

بكرى عيون العاشقين حباها

Or how can one hope for her dream-vision, when passion for her

Or how can one hope for her apparition and love

has bestowed on her the sleep of lovers' eyes?

When the lovers' eyes bestowed them upon her at dawn?

بيضاء لو حكت الغزالة نورها

بيضاء لو حكت الغزالة نورها

ما كوَّر الليل البهيم بهاها

ما كوَّر الليل البهيم بهاها

Fair-skinned—if the sun could match her light,

White, had the gazelle described her light

the pitch-black night could never fold its splendor away.

The ugly night would not have concealed it

تفتر عن لعس يلوذ بلؤلؤٍ

تفتر عن لعس يلوذ بلؤلؤٍ

لو مس مهجة ميت أحياها

لو مس مهجة ميت أحياها

She smiles, revealing dusky lips that seek shelter among pearls,

She parts from a staff seeking refuge in a pearl

which, if they touched a dead man's heart, would revive it.

If it touched the corpse of a dead man, it would revive him

صاغ السوارَ لها الهلالُ وطَوَّقَت

صاغ السوارَ لها الهلالُ وطَوَّقَت

ذاتُ البروج بنانَها بسهاها

ذاتُ البروج بنانَها بسهاها

The crescent fashioned her bracelet, and encircling

The crescent formed her bracelet for her

her fingers with its Suha was the sky of constellations.

And the constellations crowned themselves with her wrists

ورمى لها بيض السيوف حفيظها

ورمى لها بيض السيوف حفيظها

لما رأى سود العيون ظباها

لما رأى سود العيون ظباها

And her guardian cast down the bright swords for her,

And threw at her the eggs of unsheathed swords

when he saw that her dark eyes were her blades.

When they saw the blacks of her eyes hunting

بأبي وبي منها الغزالة في الضحى

بأبي وبي منها الغزالة في الضحى

والتيه ما سفرت وفاح شذاها

والتيه ما سفرت وفاح شذاها

My father and I her ransom! From her the sun draws its morning radiance,

By my father and mother, she's a gazelle in the morning

and its pride, whenever she unveils and her fragrance spreads.

And loss, though she never travelled, her scent spreads

شاميةٌ حركاتها مصريةٌ

شاميةٌ حركاتها مصريةٌ

عربيةٌ روميةٌ ريّاها

عربيةٌ روميةٌ ريّاها

A Syrian, with Egyptian movements,

A Syrian in her movements, an Egyptian

an Arab, with Roman fragrance.

An Arab, a Roman - heaven watered her

تخشى حواجبَها الرماةُ كأن قو

تخشى حواجبَها الرماةُ كأن قو

س الحاجب بن زرارةٍ إحداها

س الحاجب بن زرارةٍ إحداها

Archers fear her brows, as though the bow

Archers fear her eyebrows as if

of Hajib ibn Zurarah were one of them.

The eyebrow of Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf were one of them

خلتُ الرماحَ السمهرية حولها

خلتُ الرماحَ السمهرية حولها

أقلام ميخائيل حين براها

أقلام ميخائيل حين براها

I thought the sturdy, straight lances around her

I left the Samhar lances around her

were Mikhail's pens when he sharpened them.

Like Micha'il's pens when he created her

وجنى لقاصده بها ثمرَ الغنى

وجنى لقاصده بها ثمرَ الغنى

فغدا يَعُدُّ الفقرَ من قتلاها

فغدا يَعُدُّ الفقرَ من قتلاها

And with them he gathered wealth's fruit for whoever sought him,

And he who seeks her reaps the fruits of wealth

and came to count poverty among their slain.

So he reckoned poverty amongst those she killed

البيض والسمر الرقاق عبيدها

البيض والسمر الرقاق عبيدها

والشعر والشعراء من أسراها

والشعر والشعراء من أسراها

The bright swords and slender brown lances are their slaves,

The fair and dark, the slender and plump are her slaves

and poetry and poets are among their captives.

And so are poetry and poets she captured

ينشي العلوم بها فيهتف من يرى

ينشي العلوم بها فيهتف من يرى

إنشاءه سبحان من أنشاها

إنشاءه سبحان من أنشاها

He brings forth learning with them; and cries out whoever sees

Knowledge blooms through her so whoever sees

his work: 'Glory to Him who created them!'

Her creation exclaims “Glory to Him who created her!”

لو كان كلفها النجوم تَعُدُّها

لو كان كلفها النجوم تَعُدُّها

قبل ارتداد الطرف ما أعياها

قبل ارتداد الطرف ما أعياها

Had he charged them to count the stars,

If the stars were to count her

doing so before one's glance returned would not have wearied them.

Their eyes would tire before completing the task

يا خير أبناء الكحيل وكوكب ال

يا خير أبناء الكحيل وكوكب ال

مجد الجليل بك الوجود تباهى

مجد الجليل بك الوجود تباهى

O best of al-Kahil's sons, and star of

O best of creatures of kohl and planet of

lofty glory! All existence has taken pride in you.

Sublime glory! Through you existence prides itself

أنت المرجَّى حين ينقطع الرجا

أنت المرجَّى حين ينقطع الرجا

وتكاد أعمار الندى تتناهى

وتكاد أعمار الندى تتناهى

You are the one hoped for when hope fails,

You are the hope when hope is cut off

and generosity's days are nearly at an end.

And the lives of dew are about to end

وأخو سميِّك والملائك دونه

وأخو سميِّك والملائك دونه

شرفاً ودونك كل من حاكاها

شرفاً ودونك كل من حاكاها

And your namesake's brother—the angels stand beneath him

And the brother of your namesake and the angels beneath him

in honor; beneath you stand all who emulate them.

In nobility and beneath you all those who emulate her

من قال مصر دعتك أول كاتبٍ

من قال مصر دعتك أول كاتبٍ

فيها هجاك بقوله وهجاها

فيها هجاك بقوله وهجاها

Whoever says Egypt named you the foremost writer

Whoever said “Egypt called you the first scribe”

within her has disparaged you with his words, and disparaged her.

Wronged you in his words and wronged her

ما أنت إلّا أول الكُتَّاب في الد

ما أنت إلّا أول الكُتَّاب في الد

دنيا التي اختارتك منهم شاها

دنيا التي اختارتك منهم شاها

You are none but the foremost of writers in the

You are but the best of scribes in the

world, which chose you from among them as its shah.

World that chose you as its king

لو فتَّش الملك الحفيظ كتابه

لو فتَّش الملك الحفيظ كتابه

ما شام فيه نقيصة تخشاها

ما شام فيه نقيصة تخشاها

If the guardian angel searched his record,

If the Protector King examined His Book

he would see no fault in it that you need fear.

He would not find a deficiency to fear in it

فاسلم ودم للألمعية كوكباً

فاسلم ودم للألمعية كوكباً

يهواه كل فتى زكٍ يهواها

يهواه كل فتى زكٍ يهواها

So stay safe, and remain a star of brilliance,

So submit yourself to the Brilliant Bodies as a planet

loved by every discerning youth who loves that brilliance.

Adored by every pure heart that adores it