إِذا ما شِئتَ أَن تَصنَ

إِذا ما شِئتَ أَن تَصنَ

عَ شَيئاً يُعجِبُ الناسا

عَ شَيئاً يُعجِبُ الناسا

If you wish to make

If you wish to compose

something that amazes people,

Something that delights people

وَتَدري كَيفَ مَعشوقٌ

وَتَدري كَيفَ مَعشوقٌ

تَحَسّى في الهَوى كاسا

تَحَسّى في الهَوى كاسا

and to know how a beloved

And you know how a lover

has sipped a cup of passion,

Sipped the cup of passion

فَصَوِّر هاهُنا فَوزاً

فَصَوِّر هاهُنا فَوزاً

وَصَوِّر ثَمَّ عَبّاسا

وَصَوِّر ثَمَّ عَبّاسا

then depict Fawz here,

Then portray here success

and depict Abbas there;

And portray Abbas too

وَقِس بَينَهُما شِبراً

وَقِس بَينَهُما شِبراً

فَإِن زِدتَ فَلا باسا

فَإِن زِدتَ فَلا باسا

and measure a handspan between them—

And judge closely between them

and if you allow more, there is no harm.

If you add more, no problem

فَإِن لَم يَدنوا حَتّى

فَإِن لَم يَدنوا حَتّى

تَرى رَأسَيهِما راسا

تَرى رَأسَيهِما راسا

But if they do not draw near until

If they don't come close until

you see their two heads as one,

You see their two heads together

فَكَذِّبها بِما قاسَت

فَكَذِّبها بِما قاسَت

وَكَذِّبهُ بِما قاسى

وَكَذِّبهُ بِما قاسى

then call her a liar about what she suffered,

Then deny it by what it judged

and call him a liar about what he suffered.

And deny him by what he endured