أَيُّ نورٍ هذا الَّذي يَبهَرُ الأُف

أَيُّ نورٍ هذا الَّذي يَبهَرُ الأُف

قَ وَيَزهو مُغَشِّيا جَنَباتِهِ

قَ وَيَزهو مُغَشِّيا جَنَباتِهِ

What is this light that dazzles the horizon,

What radiance is this that dazzles the horizon

And shines, veiling its sides?

And glows enveloping its sides?

هُوَ يا شاعِري الصَغيرِ رِكابي

هُوَ يا شاعِري الصَغيرِ رِكابي

وَيَشِعُّ الضِياءُ مِن مِشكاتِهِ

وَيَشِعُّ الضِياءُ مِن مِشكاتِهِ

It is my mount, my little poet,

It is, my little poet, my carriage

And radiance shines from its lamp-niche.

And light shines from its lanterns.

قَد تَخَطّى إِلَيكَ كُلَّ هُبوبٍ

قَد تَخَطّى إِلَيكَ كُلَّ هُبوبٍ

وَمُسَفَّ اللُجاتِ في مائِجاتِه

وَمُسَفَّ اللُجاتِ في مائِجاتِه

It has crossed every gust to reach you,

It has come to you overcoming all gales

And the low sweep of the deeps amid its surging waves.

And smoothly gliding through the billows.

وَبَدا فَوقَ صَفحَةِ الأُفقِ أَيّو

وَبَدا فَوقَ صَفحَةِ الأُفقِ أَيّو

سَ يُقَلَّ الأَنوارِ في مَركَباتِه

سَ يُقَلَّ الأَنوارِ في مَركَباتِه

And Ayos appeared above the horizon's expanse,

It appeared above the expanse of the horizon, so splendid,

Carrying the lights in his chariots.

With its lights not at all dimmed in its carriages.

يا لَهُ مَركِباً غَلائِلُهُ النو

يا لَهُ مَركِباً غَلائِلُهُ النو

رُ وَمِن خالِصِ الأَثيرِ شِراعُه

رُ وَمِن خالِصِ الأَثيرِ شِراعُه

What a vessel—its veils are light,

What a carriage! Its fringes are light

And its sail is of pure ether!

And its sail is of pure ether.

اِحتَوَتهُ الأَنوارُ في رَكبِها الضا

اِحتَوَتهُ الأَنوارُ في رَكبِها الضا

في وَداني طَرفَ الأَواذي شُعاعُه

في وَداني طَرفَ الأَواذي شُعاعُه

The lights enfolded it in their ample cavalcade,

The lights embraced it in their orbit,

And its ray approached the edge of the billows.

And its rays touched the edges of valleys.

فَتَراءَت مِثلَ القَناديلِ تَترى

فَتَراءَت مِثلَ القَناديلِ تَترى

حَولَهُ فَوقَها يَرِفُّ التَماعُه

حَولَهُ فَوقَها يَرِفُّ التَماعُه

So they appeared like lanterns, one after another,

Lanterns appeared to see lanterns around it

Around it; above them its gleam flutters.

While its glitter hovered above them.

أَو رُؤىً في كَرىً تَراءى وِضاءً

أَو رُؤىً في كَرىً تَراءى وِضاءً

ضَمَّ أَطيافَها إِلَيهِ قِلاعُه

ضَمَّ أَطيافَها إِلَيهِ قِلاعُه

Or visions in slumber—it appeared radiant,

Or visions in a procession seeing brightness

Its sails gathered their phantoms to it.

Whose castles drew their spectrums to it.

قَد تَهادى بَينَ الظَلامِ كَحُلمٍ

قَد تَهادى بَينَ الظَلامِ كَحُلمٍ

ذَهَبِيٍّ عَلى جَناحٍ فِضّي

ذَهَبِيٍّ عَلى جَناحٍ فِضّي

It glided gently through the darkness like a dream,

It slipped between the darkness like a

Of gold upon a silver wing,

Golden dream on a silver wing.

مِن رُؤى أَوَّلَ الكَرى وَهِيَ تَسري

مِن رُؤى أَوَّلَ الكَرى وَهِيَ تَسري

مُسرِعاتٍ مِنَ العُيونِ الغُمضِ

مُسرِعاتٍ مِنَ العُيونِ الغُمضِ

One of the visions at sleep's onset, as they drift

Of the visions of the first orbit, and they flowed

Swiftly from closed eyes.

Hastening from half-shut eyes.

حَولَهُ مَوجَتانِ قَد حَوتاهُ

حَولَهُ مَوجَتانِ قَد حَوتاهُ

وَهوَ فيها يَرِفُّ مِثلَ الوَمضِ

وَهوَ فيها يَرِفُّ مِثلَ الوَمضِ

Around it, two waves have enfolded it,

Two waves enveloped it, and it hovered among them

And within them it flutters like a flash.

Like a gleam.

يُعكَسُ السِحرُ فَوقَهُ كُلَّ حينٍ

يُعكَسُ السِحرُ فَوقَهُ كُلَّ حينٍ

في زَهِيِّ الأَطيافِ مِن كُلِّ مَحضِ

في زَهِيِّ الأَطيافِ مِن كُلِّ مَحضِ

Magic is reflected upon it at every moment,

Magic is reflected above it at all times

In radiant visions of all that is pure.

In the glow of spectrums and purified essence.

أَنتَ يا شاعِري تَحَمَّلتَ صَبراً

أَنتَ يا شاعِري تَحَمَّلتَ صَبراً

في حَياةٍ مَحفوفَةٍ بِالزَوالِ

في حَياةٍ مَحفوفَةٍ بِالزَوالِ

You, my poet, have endured patiently

You, my poet, have endured with patience

In a life beset by impermanence.

A life fraught with decay.

هِيَ رُؤيا حِلمٍ وَيَقظَتُهُ المَو

هِيَ رُؤيا حِلمٍ وَيَقظَتُهُ المَو

تُ وَقَفرٌ سَماؤُهُ مِن آلِ

تُ وَقَفرٌ سَماؤُهُ مِن آلِ

It is a dream-vision, and its awakening is death,

It is a dream vision, and its waking is death,

And a wasteland whose sky is mirage.

And its sky is barren of family.

تَبدَأُ العَيشَ في الَّذي تَنتَهي في

تَبدَأُ العَيشَ في الَّذي تَنتَهي في

هِ سَوادٌ عَلى قَفيرِ خالِ

هِ سَوادٌ عَلى قَفيرِ خالِ

You begin life where you come to an end:

Life begins in that which it ends,

Blackness over an empty hive.

Darkness over desolate ruins.

وَنَهارٌ يَمضي بِساحَةِ لَيلَي

وَنَهارٌ يَمضي بِساحَةِ لَيلَي

نِ هُوَ العَيشُ وَهوَ عُمرُ خَيالي

نِ هُوَ العَيشُ وَهوَ عُمرُ خَيالي

And a day passing through the courtyard of two nights—

And a day passes in the arena of two nights,

That is life, and it is an imaginary lifespan.

It is life, and it is the age of fantasy.

إيهِ يا شاعِري تَحَمَّلتَ صَبراً

إيهِ يا شاعِري تَحَمَّلتَ صَبراً

في عَذابٍ قَد فاقَ كُلَّ عَذابِ

في عَذابٍ قَد فاقَ كُلَّ عَذابِ

Ah, my poet, you have endured patiently

What patience you have endured, my poet,

In torment that has surpassed every torment.

In torment that surpassed all torment.

لَكَأَنّي أَراكَ في نَشوَةِ الفِك

لَكَأَنّي أَراكَ في نَشوَةِ الفِك

رِ شَكِيّاً تَشكو مِنَ الأَوصابِ

رِ شَكِيّاً تَشكو مِنَ الأَوصابِ

It is as though I see you in thought's rapture,

It is as if I see you in the intoxication of thought

Ailing, complaining of afflictions.

Complaining of grief.

أَتُرى تَرتَضي اِصطِحابي إِلى الجَنَّ

أَتُرى تَرتَضي اِصطِحابي إِلى الجَنَّ

ةِ مَثوى الشَوادِنِ الأَسرابِ

ةِ مَثوى الشَوادِنِ الأَسرابِ

I wonder, would you agree to accompany me to Paradise,

Do you wish me to accompany you to Paradise,

The dwelling of herds of young gazelles,

Abode of the black-eyed houris?

حَيثُ تَلقى ما تَشتَهيهِ مِنَ الآما

حَيثُ تَلقى ما تَشتَهيهِ مِنَ الآما

لِ في الأَشرِباتِ وَالأَسلابِ

لِ في الأَشرِباتِ وَالأَسلابِ

Where you find the hopes you long for,

Where you will find all that you desire

In drinks and garments.

Of drinks and robes.