لما أتاني كتابٌ جامعُ الطرف

لما أتاني كتابٌ جامعُ الطرف

تنزهت مقلتي في روضه الأنف

تنزهت مقلتي في روضه الأنف

When a book gathering rare delights came to me,

When a book of collected beauty came to me

My eye wandered for pleasure through its untouched garden.

My thoughts strolled in a garden of bliss

ما دار في خلدي من قبل رؤيته

ما دار في خلدي من قبل رؤيته

أن ينبت الزهر في روض من الصحف

أن ينبت الزهر في روض من الصحف

Before seeing it, it had never crossed my mind

Never before had it crossed my mind

That flowers could bloom in a garden of pages.

That flowers could bloom from printed pages

حتى النجوم نأت عن أفقها وغدت

حتى النجوم نأت عن أفقها وغدت

تلوح من نقشه المسود في سدف

تلوح من نقشه المسود في سدف

Even the stars withdrew from their horizon and began

Even the stars moved from their place

To gleam from its blackened lettering in the darkness.

Gleaming out of its blackened script

ومذ وعت أذني معنى بلاغته

ومذ وعت أذني معنى بلاغته

علمت كخيف مقر الدر في الصدف

علمت كخيف مقر الدر في الصدف

And when my ear grasped the meaning of its eloquence,

And when my ears took in its eloquence

I understood how pearls dwell within shells.

I knew, like a shell hiding a pearl