أطرف بقدركَ لولا أنها عبرت

أطرف بقدركَ لولا أنها عبرت

ولا يلاحظها نارٌ ولا دسمُ

ولا يلاحظها نارٌ ولا دسمُ

How remarkable your pot—were it not that it has wept!

Your pot is as radiant as the full moon

I marvel at your pot, were it not cast aside,

And neither fire nor grease so much as glances at it.

Were it not obscured by clouds and darkness

Unnoticed by the fire, by grease unverified.

تاهت على قدرها إذ إذنُها سلمَت

تاهت على قدرها إذ إذنُها سلمَت

وما تعاورَها الولدانُ والخدَمُ

وما تعاورَها الولدانُ والخدَمُ

It strutted above its station, since its handle remained intact,

Unnoticed, it quietly boils away

It grew haughty in its rank, its handles safe and sound,

And the boys and servants have not passed it around.

Untended by servants busy with other tasks

For neither slave nor servant ever passed it round.

يضيءُ أسفلُها في كلّ نائبةٍ

يضيءُ أسفلُها في كلّ نائبةٍ

إذا تدنّستِ السكينُ والبُرَم

إذا تدنّستِ السكينُ والبُرَم

Its underside gleams in every crisis,

Its base glows steadily in the hearth

Its bottom shines radiant in every darkened hour,

When the knife and earthenware pots become soiled.

When knives and pans have lost their gleam

When knives and cooking vessels are stained by soot and sour.

كأنّها البدرُ لولا حال وجنتهِ

كأنّها البدرُ لولا حال وجنتهِ

وما بِقدرِكَ لا خالٌ ولا وصمُ

وما بِقدرِكَ لا خالٌ ولا وصمُ

It is like the full moon, but for the state of his cheek,

As though it were the moon but for its veil

It is the full moon's likeness, save for the lunar cheek,

And your pot has neither mole nor blemish.

Your pot bears no stain or blemish or mar

For on your pot no blemish nor a dark mole can one seek.

لو أنّ عرضكَ في تنظير قدرِكَ ما

لو أنّ عرضكَ في تنظير قدرِكَ ما

داناكَ في المجدِ لا كعبٌ ولا هرمُ

داناكَ في المجدِ لا كعبٌ ولا هرمُ

If your honor were comparable to your pot, no one

If your repute matched the sheen of your pot

If your honor were analogous to your pot's pure hue,

Would rival you in glory—neither Kaʿb nor Harim.

None could surpass your glory, however grand

In glory, neither Ka'b nor Harim could rival you.