يا عمرو أضحت مبضةً كبَدي

يا عمرو أضحت مبضةً كبَدي

فاصبغ بياضاً بعُصفرِ العنَب

فاصبغ بياضاً بعُصفرِ العنَب

O Amr, my liver has grown pale;

O Amro, my liver has become inflamed

O Amr, my liver has become pale and exposed,

so dye its whiteness with the safflower of grapes.

So dye it white with the yellow of grapes

So dye a whiteness with the safflower of the grape.

أحمدُ ذاك الخنيس ذو الكَفَلِ

أحمدُ ذاك الخنيس ذو الكَفَلِ

الرابي وذو الوجنتين كاللهب

الرابي وذو الوجنتين كاللهب

Ahmad is that little snub-nosed one, with a rump

That scoundrel Ahmad with the curly hair

Ahmad, that languid youth with the heavy haunches,

that swells, and with cheeks like flame.

The tall one with the two cheeks like flames

The prominent one, possessing cheeks like flame.

لي بلاءٌ وأنتَ تعرفهُ

لي بلاءٌ وأنتَ تعرفهُ

رحمةُ الخطّاط في الكُتُب

رحمةُ الخطّاط في الكُتُب

I have an affliction, and you know him:

I have an affliction that you know

I bear an affliction, and you know it well—

Rahma, the calligrapher in books.

The mercy of the calligrapher in books

The mercy of the calligrapher within the books.

هذا وأمّا الذي يتمّ بهِ الإستارُ

هذا وأمّا الذي يتمّ بهِ الإستارُ

في الوزن مُنتهى الأربِ

في الوزن مُنتهى الأربِ

This one—and as for him who completes the istar

And as for what completes the concealment

This, and as for that by which the veiling is perfected,

in weight, he is the height of desire.

In meter, the pinnacle of eloquence

In its measure lies the ultimate desire.

قدّامهُ الرابعُ المحاكيَ في المش

قدّامهُ الرابعُ المحاكيَ في المش

يةِ قابوسَ مالك العرب

يةِ قابوسَ مالك العرب

Before him is the fourth, who imitates, in his walk-

Before him the fourth, resembling in walking

Preceding him is the fourth, mimicking in his strut...

ing, Qabus, ruler of the Arabs.

Qabus, king of the Arabs

...the gait of Qabus, King of the Arabs.

فطمّسَ اللَهُ كلَّ ناظرةٍ

فطمّسَ اللَهُ كلَّ ناظرةٍ

ومدَّنا للسماءِ في سَبَبِ

ومدَّنا للسماءِ في سَبَبِ

So may God blot out every watching eye,

So may God blind every onlooker

So may God obliterate every prying eye,

and draw us up to heaven on a rope.

And give us a path to the heavens as cause

And extend for us a cord reaching to the heavens.