كسفَت خدود النرجس المصفرّ من

كسفَت خدود النرجس المصفرّ من

حسَدٍ وقد يدوى العدُوّ الحاسدُ

حسَدٍ وقد يدوى العدُوّ الحاسدُ

The yellow narcissus's cheeks grew eclipsed from

The cheeks of the yellowed narcissus grew dim from

envy—and the envious foe may well fall ill.

envy; indeed, the envious foe may fall ill.

واصفَرَّ حتّى كاد أن يقضي أسَىً

واصفَرَّ حتّى كاد أن يقضي أسَىً

لمّا رأى الوَردَ الذي هو وارِدُ

لمّا رأى الوَردَ الذي هو وارِدُ

It yellowed until it nearly died of grief

And it turned yellow until it nearly died of sorrow,

when it saw the rose arriving.

when it saw the rose arriving.

هيهات لِلوَردِ الفضائلُ كُلُّها

هيهات لِلوَردِ الفضائلُ كُلُّها

وإِن ادَّعى التكذيب فيه معاندُ

وإِن ادَّعى التكذيب فيه معاندُ

Far from it! The rose possesses every virtue,

How far apart! All virtues belong to the rose,

though some obstinate man should claim otherwise.

even if a stubborn opponent claims this is false.

فَصلُ القَضِيَّة أنّ هذا مُمتعٌ

فَصلُ القَضِيَّة أنّ هذا مُمتعٌ

فَصلَ الربيع وكُلُّ نَورٍ بائِدُ

فَصلَ الربيع وكُلُّ نَورٍ بائِدُ

The substance of the verdict is that this one gives delight

The case is settled: this one gives delight

throughout the spring, while every other blossom passes away.

through the spring, while every blossom perishes.

يَأتي ونوَّارُ الرُبى مُتَزَجزحٌ

يَأتي ونوَّارُ الرُبى مُتَزَجزحٌ

وكذا الرئيسُ من المَشابهِ واحدُ

وكذا الرئيسُ من المَشابهِ واحدُ

It comes when the uplands' flowers are withdrawing;

It comes when the blossoms of the hills are receding,

so too a leader stands alone among his peers.

and likewise the chief stands alone among his peers.

هذا مُقِرٌ للسَماءِ بفَضلِها

هذا مُقِرٌ للسَماءِ بفَضلِها

في ما غَذَتهُ به وهذا جاحِدث

في ما غَذَتهُ به وهذا جاحِدث

This one acknowledges the clouds' bounty

This one acknowledges the sky's bounty

in what they fed it, while that one denies it.

in the sustenance it gave him; the other denies it.

وتَرى تباينَ ذاكَ في وَجهَيهما

وتَرى تباينَ ذاكَ في وَجهَيهما

باللَونِ والنشر الَّذي هو شاهدُ

باللَونِ والنشر الَّذي هو شاهدُ

You see that difference upon their two faces,

And you see that difference in their two faces,

in color and fragrance, which bear witness.

in their color and fragrance, which bears witness.

كم بين مُصطَنَعَين هذا كافِرٌ

كم بين مُصطَنَعَين هذا كافِرٌ

أفضالَ سَيّدِهِ وهذا حامِدُ

أفضالَ سَيّدِهِ وهذا حامِدُ

What a gulf between two recipients of favor: this one denies

How different two recipients of favor are! This one denies

his master's favors, while this one gives praise.

his master's benefactions, while the other gives thanks.

هذا له خَلقُ العجوز وهذه

هذا له خَلقُ العجوز وهذه

عَذراءُ في حُمرِ المجاسِدِ ناهِدُ

عَذراءُ في حُمرِ المجاسِدِ ناهِدُ

This one has the form of an old woman, while this

This one has an old woman's form, while the other is

is a full-breasted virgin in garments of red.

a maiden with budding breasts, in crimson robes.

وكفى افتخاراً انَّ هذا نافِقٌ

وكفى افتخاراً انَّ هذا نافِقٌ

غَضّاً ومُبتذَلاً وهذا كاسِدُ

غَضّاً ومُبتذَلاً وهذا كاسِدُ

Glory enough that this one finds a ready market,

And it is boast enough that this one sells readily,

fresh or freely handled, while that one goes unsold.

fresh or much-handled, while the other goes unsold.

لَو لم يَكُن لِلوَردِ إِلّا أنَّهُ

لَو لم يَكُن لِلوَردِ إِلّا أنَّهُ

يفنى ويَبقى ماؤُه المتعاهِدُ

يفنى ويَبقى ماؤُه المتعاهِدُ

Had the rose no merit except that it

If the rose had no virtue except that

perishes while its carefully preserved water remains,

it perishes, yet its carefully preserved water remains—

ولَهُ مَنافِعُ لا تجمل كَثرةً

ولَهُ مَنافِعُ لا تجمل كَثرةً

وَمَرافِقٌ مشكورَةٌ وفَوائِدُ

وَمَرافِقٌ مشكورَةٌ وفَوائِدُ

and that its benefits are too numerous to reckon,

and it has benefits too abundant to recount,

its valued uses and advantages earning thanks—

and praiseworthy uses and advantages.

والنَرجسُ المصفَرُّ ليس بِنافعٍ

والنَرجسُ المصفَرُّ ليس بِنافعٍ

ميتاً ولا في الرَوض إذ هو وافِدُ

ميتاً ولا في الرَوض إذ هو وافِدُ

the yellow narcissus, by contrast, is of no use,

And the yellowed narcissus is of no use,

dead or in the garden when it comes.

either dead or newly arrived in the garden.

هذا عقِيمٌ لا يُشادُ بذكرِهِ

هذا عقِيمٌ لا يُشادُ بذكرِهِ

ابداً وعَقبُ الوَردِ باقٍ خالِدُ

ابداً وعَقبُ الوَردِ باقٍ خالِدُ

This one is barren: its name will never be extolled,

This one is barren; its name is not extolled

while the rose's offspring remain forever.

ever, while the rose's offspring endures, immortal.

أخَوانِ مَغزُوّانِ لم يتنازعَا

أخَوانِ مَغزُوّانِ لم يتنازعَا

شِبهاً وبينهُما إخاءٌ تالِدُ

شِبهاً وبينهُما إخاءٌ تالِدُ

Two brothers—both the objects here—who never laid claim

Two brothers, both assailed, have not vied

to likeness, though theirs is an ancient brotherhood.

over resemblance; theirs is an ancient brotherhood.

هذا يُبَشّرُ بالحَياةِ وذاكَ يُن

هذا يُبَشّرُ بالحَياةِ وذاكَ يُن

ذِرُ بالمَماتِ إذا أتاهُ العائِدُ

ذِرُ بالمَماتِ إذا أتاهُ العائِدُ

This one heralds life, while that one fore—

This one brings glad tidings of life, while that one warns

—tells death when the sickbed visitor comes.

of death when the sickbed visitor comes to him.

أين الحياةُ من المَماتِ نَفاسَةً

أين الحياةُ من المَماتِ نَفاسَةً

ورِياسةً لَولا القِياسُ الفاسِدُ

ورِياسةً لَولا القِياسُ الفاسِدُ

How can life compare with death in preciousness

How could life be compared with death in worth

and primacy—except by false analogy?

and preeminence, were it not for a faulty analogy?

يا أيُّها القاضي المُصفّى جَوهَراً

يا أيُّها القاضي المُصفّى جَوهَراً

والسَيد النَدب الشريف الماجدُ

والسَيد النَدب الشريف الماجدُ

O judge, pure in your very essence,

O judge, refined in essence,

valiant lord, noble, highborn, and glorious,

and lord, valiant, noble, illustrious,

أُحكُم فإِن العَدلَ شِيمَتُكَ التي

أُحكُم فإِن العَدلَ شِيمَتُكَ التي

أوصى بِها جَدٌّ إِلَيكَ ووالِدُ

أوصى بِها جَدٌّ إِلَيكَ ووالِدُ

pass judgment, for justice is your native trait,

Judge, for justice is your disposition, which

commended to you by both grandfather and father.

your grandfather and father enjoined upon you.

فَغَدوتَ طفلاً في المهادِ وأنت لِل

فَغَدوتَ طفلاً في المهادِ وأنت لِل

حُكم الذي أعيى البَريَّةَ ماهِدُ

حُكم الذي أعيى البَريَّةَ ماهِدُ

Thus, while still a child in the cradle, you were preparing

Thus, even as a child in the cradle, you were, for the

judgment itself—the task that baffled all creation.

judgment that baffled humankind, paving the way.

أين العُيُون منَ الخُدود نفاسةً

أين العُيُون منَ الخُدود نفاسةً

ورياسَةً لولا القياس الفاسِدُ

ورياسَةً لولا القياس الفاسِدُ

How can eyes compare with cheeks in preciousness

How could eyes be compared with cheeks in worth

and primacy—except by false analogy?

and preeminence, were it not for a faulty analogy?