إني هُديتُ لنعمةٍ مكنونةٍ

إني هُديتُ لنعمةٍ مكنونةٍ

فأثَرتُها من تُربةٍ وصَفاةِ

فأثَرتُها من تُربةٍ وصَفاةِ

Indeed I was guided to a hidden blessing,

I was guided to a hidden blessing

so I unearthed it from soil and solid rock:

So I unearthed it from soil and clear water

بئرٍ كأنّ رِشاءَها في مائِها

بئرٍ كأنّ رِشاءَها في مائِها

سمراءُ قد رُكِزَتْ على مِرآةِ

سمراءُ قد رُكِزَتْ على مِرآةِ

a well whose rope, in its water, is like

A well whose buckets in its water

a brown spear planted upon a mirror.

Are like a brunette fixed on a mirror

كافورةُ الصَّيفِ التي تحيا بها

كافورةُ الصَّيفِ التي تحيا بها

مِنَّا النُّفُوسُ وَصِمَّةُ الشَّتَوَاتِ

مِنَّا النُّفُوسُ وَصِمَّةُ الشَّتَوَاتِ

Summer's camphor, through which

The camphor of summer which gives it life

our souls revive—and winters' viper.

Our souls and the brand of winters live by it

طَوّقْتُها حجَراً ولو أَنْصَفْتُها

طَوّقْتُها حجَراً ولو أَنْصَفْتُها

طوَّقْتُها بقلائدِ اللَّبَّاتِ

طوَّقْتُها بقلائدِ اللَّبَّاتِ

I ringed it with stone; had I done it justice,

I surrounded it with a rock and if I were fair

I would have ringed it with necklaces worn at the throat.

I would have crowned it with necklaces of labbāt

مَلكت ثناءَ جوانحي فجميعُها

مَلكت ثناءَ جوانحي فجميعُها

يُثني بما أَولَت من الحَسناتِ

يُثني بما أَولَت من الحَسناتِ

It has won my ribs' praise, so every one of them

It possessed the praise of my wings so they all

praises it for the favors it has bestowed.

Praise what it bestowed of virtues

ولَكَمْ مُنِيتُ بغيرِها فكأنَّما

ولَكَمْ مُنِيتُ بغيرِها فكأنَّما

حاولتُ خيرَ مضيِّعِ الخَيراتِ

حاولتُ خيرَ مضيِّعِ الخَيراتِ

And how often I have been plagued by another well, as though

And how often I wished for other than it as if

I had sought good from one who squanders good things.

I attempted the ruin of the best of goods

تُعطيك بعدَ الكَدِّ ماءً آجناً

تُعطيك بعدَ الكَدِّ ماءً آجناً

طَرْقاً كفَقْدِ الماءِ في الفَلواتِ

طَرْقاً كفَقْدِ الماءِ في الفَلواتِ

It gives you, after toil, stagnant water,

It gives you after toil, cool water

fouled by beasts, like having no water in the deserts.

Like the loss of water in the deserts