ياماء مُحتبساً وَراء النور

ياماء مُحتبساً وَراء النور

عَجَباً خَدَعت بِفَيضك المَسحور

عَجَباً خَدَعت بِفَيضك المَسحور

O water, held captive behind the light,

O water held back behind the light

How strange! With your flow you deceived the spellbound one.

How strange you deceived the enchanted one with your abundance

يا حسن حَسبي مِن خِداع السحر

يا حسن حَسبي مِن خِداع السحر

اَو حَسب المَفاتن مِن خِداع الزور

اَو حَسب المَفاتن مِن خِداع الزور

O Beauty, enough for me of magic's deceit,

O beauty, it is enough for me to be deceived by sorcery

or enough for these charms of falsehood's deceit.

Or enough for the charms to be deceived by falsity

أَفتلك نافِذة الفَناء وَهَذِهِ الشـ

أَفتلك نافِذة الفَناء وَهَذِهِ الشـ

ـرفات أَم هِيَ عالم مِن نور

ـرفات أَم هِيَ عالم مِن نور

Is that the courtyard window, and are these the bal—

Is that the window of passing, and these

—conies, or is it a world of light?

Balconies, or is it a world of light?

وَهُناكَ أَنتَ أَم الجَلال أَم الهَوى

وَهُناكَ أَنتَ أَم الجَلال أَم الهَوى

صُوَراً مُلَونة عَلى بلور

صُوَراً مُلَونة عَلى بلور

And there—is it you, or majesty, or love,

And there you are, or is it majesty, or passion

in colored images upon crystal?

Colored images on crystal

لَحسبتها دُنيا هُناك لِعابر

لَحسبتها دُنيا هُناك لِعابر

علق بِها أَو شاعر موتور

علق بِها أَو شاعر موتور

I would surely have thought them a world there for a passerby

I thought it was a world there for a passerby

who grew attached to it, or a bereaved poet.

Who clung to it or a lovelorn poet

وَلَكدت أَحسبها معاني قصرت

وَلَكدت أَحسبها معاني قصرت

كلماً فَأَفرغها الهَوى في دور

كلماً فَأَفرغها الهَوى في دور

And I almost took them for meanings inadequately expressed

And I almost thought they were meanings shortened

in words, so love poured them into dwellings.

Into a word that passion poured into a cycle

مَرحى بِمَطلعك الجَميل وَمَوقِفي

مَرحى بِمَطلعك الجَميل وَمَوقِفي

إِذ ذاكَ مَوقف شاخص مَذعور

إِذ ذاكَ مَوقف شاخص مَذعور

Hurrah for your beautiful appearance! And my stance

Delighted by your beautiful rising and my stance

at that moment was that of one staring in terror.

When that was an upright, frightened stance

أَنسيت نَفسي في الجَمال وَغِبت مَأ

أَنسيت نَفسي في الجَمال وَغِبت مَأ

خوذ النَواظر فيكَ عَن تَفكيري

خوذ النَواظر فيكَ عَن تَفكيري

You made me forget myself in beauty, and I drifted away, cap—

I forgot myself in the beauty and the gazes were absent

—tivated, my eyes fixed on you, oblivious to my thoughts,

From my thoughts, enthralled by you

وَبِسحر نافِذة الفَناء وَدونَها

وَبِسحر نافِذة الفَناء وَدونَها

مغدى الوَلائد أَو مراح الحور

مغدى الوَلائد أَو مراح الحور

and by the courtyard window's magic; before it lies

And by the spell of the window of passing, and beneath it

the maidens' morning haunt, or the houris' evening retreat.

A resting place for babies or a yard for maidens

وَهُناك تَطلَع مِن وَراء سَمائِها

وَهُناك تَطلَع مِن وَراء سَمائِها

كَالماء مُحتَبِساً وَراء النور

كَالماء مُحتَبِساً وَراء النور

And there you appear from behind its sky,

And from behind its skies it appeared

like water held captive behind the light.

Like water held back behind the light

وَبلهوك المَحبوب خَلف زُجاجها الـ

وَبلهوك المَحبوب خَلف زُجاجها الـ

ـفُضي تَعبث بِالفَتى المَسحور

ـفُضي تَعبث بِالفَتى المَسحور

And with your beloved play behind its glass—

And your beloved's playfulness behind its

silvery—you toy with the spellbound youth.

Transparent glass, teasing the enchanted young man