أَيا لافِظاً بِالسِحرِ ها أَنا سامِعُ

أَيا لافِظاً بِالسِحرِ ها أَنا سامِعُ

وَيا ناثِراً للدُرِّ ها أَنا جامِعُ

وَيا ناثِراً للدُرِّ ها أَنا جامِعُ

O utterer of magic—here I am, listening.

O utterer of magic, I listen

And O scatterer of pearls—here I am, gathering.

O showerer of pearls, I gather

لَقَد حُزتَ في شَرخِ الشَبابِ مَعارِفاً

لَقَد حُزتَ في شَرخِ الشَبابِ مَعارِفاً

وَحُزتَ مدىً لِلشَيبِ إِذ أَنتَ نافِعُ

وَحُزتَ مدىً لِلشَيبِ إِذ أَنتَ نافِعُ

You have indeed gained knowledge in the prime of youth,

You have gained knowledge in the vigor of youth

and attained the reach of the gray-haired, for you bring benefit.

And you have gained scope for old age, as you are beneficial

مُبينُ بَيانٍ لَيسَ يَنفَكُّ دائِماً

مُبينُ بَيانٍ لَيسَ يَنفَكُّ دائِماً

بدائهُ مِنهُ تعتَرى أَو بَدائِعُ

بدائهُ مِنهُ تعتَرى أَو بَدائِعُ

A lucid master of expression, whose flow never ceases:

An explainer of clear explanation that never ceases

spontaneous inspirations or marvels arise from him.

Its ailment from it plagues or marvels

إذا الناسُ قَد ضَنُّوا برُشحٍ مُصَرَّدٍ

إذا الناسُ قَد ضَنُّوا برُشحٍ مُصَرَّدٍ

فَمِن بَحرِهِ الطامي هَوامٍ هَوامِعُ

فَمِن بَحرِهِ الطامي هَوامٍ هَوامِعُ

When people begrudge even a meager trickle,

When people were stingy with polished prose

then from his overflowing sea come showers streaming down.

From his swelling sea were waves, swelling waves

وَإِن قَدَحُوا يَوماً زِناداً لِفكرَةٍ

وَإِن قَدَحُوا يَوماً زِناداً لِفكرَةٍ

فَمِن فِكرَةِ الواري سَوارٍ سَوارِعُ

فَمِن فِكرَةِ الواري سَوارٍ سَوارِعُ

And if one day they strike flints for a thought,

And if they lit one day a flint for an idea

then from the fire-kindler's thought come flames, spreading swiftly.

From the idea of the watchman were bracelets, shining bracelets

وَإمّا بَدا أَو فاهَ يَوماً فَأَعيُنٌ

وَإمّا بَدا أَو فاهَ يَوماً فَأَعيُنٌ

إِلَيهِ وَأَسماعٌ سَوامٍ سَوامِعُ

إِلَيهِ وَأَسماعٌ سَوامٍ سَوامِعُ

And if he ever appears or speaks, then eyes

And if he appeared or spoke one day, so eyes

are lifted toward him, and ears are listening.

To him and ears intoxicated, intoxicated listeners

يَروقك لَفظاً أَو يَروعُك مَنظَراً

يَروقك لَفظاً أَو يَروعُك مَنظَراً

فَأَعجِب بِهِ مِن رائِقٍ وَهوَ رائِعُ

فَأَعجِب بِهِ مِن رائِقٍ وَهوَ رائِعُ

He delights you in speech, or awes you in appearance;

A word may please you or a spectacle appall you

so marvel at him—so charming, and so awe-inspiring!

So marvel at it from a pleaser while it is marvelous

غَدا مالِكي في الحُبِّ مَن هُوَ شافِعي

غَدا مالِكي في الحُبِّ مَن هُوَ شافِعي

فللّهِ مِنهُ مالكٌ ليَ شافِعُ

فللّهِ مِنهُ مالكٌ ليَ شافِعُ

He who is Shāfiʿī has become my master in love;

Tomorrow my defender in love is who is intercessor

God be praised for him—a master, an intercessor for me!

So for God from it a defender I have, an intercessor

جَميلٌ نَقيُ العِرضِ عَمّا يَشينُهُ

جَميلٌ نَقيُ العِرضِ عَمّا يَشينُهُ

سِوى خِلسَةٍ للطَرفِ وَالطَرفُ خاشِعُ

سِوى خِلسَةٍ للطَرفِ وَالطَرفُ خاشِعُ

Beautiful, his honor unstained by anything that disgraces him,

Beautiful of pure honor beyond what disgraces him

save a stolen glance—and the gaze is downcast.

Other than a glance of the eye and the eye is downcast

وَما إِن يَضُرُّ البَدرَ إِن كُنتُ ناظِراً

وَما إِن يَضُرُّ البَدرَ إِن كُنتُ ناظِراً

إِلَيهِ وَقَد أَيأَسنَ مِنهُ المَطامِعُ

إِلَيهِ وَقَد أَيأَسنَ مِنهُ المَطامِعُ

Nor does it harm the full moon if I gaze

The full moon is not harmed if I gaze

upon him, though my hopes have made me despair of him.

At it while the ambitious have despaired of it