علمknows اللهGod عرضthe honor of غيريsomeone other than me عرضيmy honor
علم الله عرض غيري عرضي
أناI am حاميهits guardian فهوfor it is كليmy whole وبعضيand my part
أنا حاميه فهو كلي وبعضي
God knows: another's honor is my honor.
God knows I have presented myself, my nature
I guard it, for it is my whole and my part.
I protect it, so it is all of me and some of me
عنfrom حبيmy love of الجمالbeauty حبيmy love للعفةfor chastity
عن حبي الجمال حبي للعفة
حبthe love of المختارthe free chooser منwith غيرno حضurging
حب المختار من غير حض
My love of chastity springs from my love of beauty,
Of my love of beauty, my love of chastity
The love of one who chooses freely, without urging.
Love of the Chosen One without any blemish
عجبmarveled الناسthe people منat ولوعيmy passion بالطهرfor purity
عجب الناس من ولوعي بالطهر
ولمand did not يفهمواthey understand سمائيmy heaven أرضيmy earth
ولم يفهموا سمائي أرضي
People marveled at my passion for purity,
People were amazed at my obsession with purity
Nor did they understand my heaven—my earth.
And did not understand my heavenly or earthly qualities
غشهديbear witness (apparent typo) ياO فنونarts كيفhow تسامتrose high
غشهدي يا فنون كيف تسامت
صورthe images of الحبlove فيin شعوريmy feeling وقرضيand my verse
صور الحب في شعوري وقرضي
Bear witness, O arts, how high have soared
Bear witness, oh arts, how noble
The images of love in my feeling and my verse.
Are the images of love in my feelings and poetry
واشهديand bear witness كيفhow يستعزfinds strength بيthrough me الحسنbeauty
واشهدي كيف يستعز بي الحسن
لخلقيthrough my character فالحقfor truth دينيmy faith وفرضيand my duty
لخلقي فالحق ديني وفرضي
And bear witness how beauty finds strength in me,
And witness how the beautiful draws me to it
Through my character, for truth is my faith and my duty.
For creation is my religion and duty
موحياتيmy inspirations منهfrom it ومنيand from me لهto it الوحيinspiration
موحياتي منه ومني له الوحي
وفيand in نظرتيmy gaze إلىtoward الحسنbeauty غضيmy lowering of the eyes
وفي نظرتي إلى الحسن غضي
My inspirations come from it, and from me inspiration comes to it.
My inspirations are from it and from me to it is the revelation
And as I gaze at beauty, I lower my eyes.
And in my gaze at the beautiful is my lowered glance
أتعالىI rise above عليهit دونwithout تعالarrogance
أتعالى عليه دون تعال
وأجافيهand I shun it وهوthough it is خفقيmy heartbeat ونبضيand my pulse
وأجافيه وهو خفقي ونبضي
I rise above it without arrogance,
I transcend it without arrogance
And keep aloof from it, though it is my heartbeat and my pulse.
And neglect it though it is my flutter and pulse
أناI am عبدa slave لهto it ولكنbut أميرa prince بعفافيthrough my chastity
أنا عبد له ولكن أمير بعفافي
ونخوتيand my sense of honor كيفhowever أمضيI proceed
ونخوتي كيف أمضي
I am its slave, yet a prince through my chastity
I am its servant but a prince in my chastity
And my sense of honor, however I proceed.
And my pride, how I walk!
ركضran الناسthe people خلفهafter it فيin جنونmadness
ركض الناس خلفه في جنون
وأبىand refused ليfor me حتىeven خياليَmy imagination ركضيmy running
وأبى لي حتى خياليَ ركضي
People ran after it in madness,
People ran after it madly
And even my imagination refused to let me run.
Yet I refused even for my imagination to run after it
أناI am ندan equal لهto it بروحيin my spirit وذهنيand my mind
أنا ند له بروحي وذهني
لستI do not أرضيهplease it عامداdeliberately حينwhen أرضيI please
لست أرضيه عامدا حين أرضي
I am its equal in my spirit and my mind.
I match it with my soul and mind
When I please it, I do not do so deliberately.
I do not please it intentionally when I please
وأناand I منزليmy station قرينan equal لهto it دوماalways
وأنا منزلي قرين له دوما
وماand not يستطيعit can رفعيraising me وخفضيand lowering me
وما يستطيع رفعي وخفضي
And as for me, my station is always equal to its own;
And I am its eternal companion
And it can neither raise me nor bring me low.
It cannot raise or lower me
ليسis not مدحيmy praise ولاnor هجائيmy satire بماthat which يعنيsignifies
ليس مدحي ولا هجائي بما يعني
وجوديmy existence وليسnor is it بسطيmy elation وقبضيand my dejection
وجودي وليس بسطي وقبضي
Neither my praise nor my satire defines
My praise or satire does not mean
My existence, nor my elation and dejection.
My existence, my expansion or restraint
إننيindeed I am قبسةa spark منfrom الألقthe radiance الأسمىthe highest
إنني قبسة من الألق الأسمى
فمنso from وضمهits meat-table (altar) المقدّسsacred ومضيmy gleam
فمن وضمه المقدّس ومضي
Indeed, I am a spark of the highest radiance;
I am truly a ray from the Most Sublime Light
So my gleam comes from its sacred altar-table.
So one embraced by the Sacred shone
بعدafter هذاthis فلستso I do not أحسبregard إطرائيmy praise
بعد هذا فلست أحسب إطرائي
فخاراboastfulness وليسnor is it بالمستنضّsomething wrung out
فخارا وليس بالمستنضّ
After this, I do not regard my praise
After this, I do not count my flattery
As boastfulness, nor is it wrung out.
As pride or something to wipe clean
بعدafter هذاthis فلستso I do not أحسبهregard it عاراa disgrace
بعد هذا فلست أحسبه عارا
ولوeven if كانit were كالردىlike death المنتقضbreaking out anew
ولو كان كالردى المنتقض
After this, I do not regard it as a disgrace,
After this, I do not consider it a disgrace
Even if it were like death breaking forth anew.
Even if it were like scattered ashes
فوقabove هذاthis وفوقand above ذاكthat اعتباريmy dignity
فوق هذا وفوق ذاك اعتباري
واختياريand my choice وعرضand the honor of غيريsomeone other than me وعرضيand my honor
واختياري وعرض غيري وعرضي
Above this and above that stand my dignity
Above this and that is my self-esteem
And my choice, and another's honor and my own.
And my choice and my nature and myself