يا قَمَراً أفقُهُ فُؤادي

يا قَمَراً أفقُهُ فُؤادي

مقالةٌ لَم تُشَب بِإِفكِ

مقالةٌ لَم تُشَب بِإِفكِ

O moon whose horizon is my heart—

O moon that enriches my heart

a statement untainted by falsehood.

Words unmarred by any falsehood

وَمَن غَدا مُسترقَ حُرّ ال

وَمَن غَدا مُسترقَ حُرّ ال

كَلامِ قَد حازَهُ بِمُلكِ

كَلامِ قَد حازَهُ بِمُلكِ

And whoever has come to enslave noble

And he who tries to steal the essence

speech has acquired it as his own.

Of this sacred speech holds its treasure

نَثَرتُ دُرّ القَريض نَثراً

نَثَرتُ دُرّ القَريض نَثراً

يَقومُ ذهني لَهُ بِسِلكِ

يَقومُ ذهني لَهُ بِسِلكِ

I scattered the pearls of verse, unstrung;

I scattered the pearls of verse

my mind provides a thread for them.

To build in the mind an exquisite edifice

فَقدتُ لِلَّه دَرُّ ذهنٍ

فَقدتُ لِلَّه دَرُّ ذهنٍ

يُخرِجُ دُرّا مِن بَحر فَكِّ

يُخرِجُ دُرّا مِن بَحر فَكِّ

I lost—what a mind, by God,

I lost the pearl of an ingenious mind

that draws pearls from a jaw's sea!

That brings forth gems from an ocean of understanding

وَجاءَت الطَيرُ مودّعاتٍ

وَجاءَت الطَيرُ مودّعاتٍ

سِرّك يا سرّ كُلّ مُلكِ

سِرّك يا سرّ كُلّ مُلكِ

And the birds came, entrusted with

The birds came to bid farewell

your secret, O secret of every realm.

To your secret, O essence of all dominion

بَيتانِ دَلّا عَلى وِدادٍ

بَيتانِ دَلّا عَلى وِدادٍ

مَحَضتَهُ لي بِغَير شَكِّ

مَحَضتَهُ لي بِغَير شَكِّ

Two couplets revealed an affection

Two verses revealed an affection

you gave me sincerely, without doubt.

You had assured me of beyond any doubt