وهبتُ للوردِ نفسي

وهبتُ للوردِ نفسي

فَطِبْتُ بالنفسِ نفساً

فَطِبْتُ بالنفسِ نفساً

I gave my soul to the rose,

I offered myself to the rose

and was glad at heart to give it:

So I was delighted with the soul of a soul

من أبيضٍ فاقَ نوعاً

من أبيضٍ فاقَ نوعاً

وأحمرٍ راقَ جِنسا

وأحمرٍ راقَ جِنسا

a white one, surpassing its kind,

Of a white that surpassed its kind

and a red one, lovely in its kind—

And a red that excelled its genre

كأنَّما غَمَسَتْهُ

كأنَّما غَمَسَتْهُ

في العُصْفُرِ اليدُ غَمْسا

في العُصْفُرِ اليدُ غَمْسا

as though it had been dipped

As if the hand had dipped it

by a hand deep in safflower dye.

In saffron with a dip

ما كان لمَّا تبدَّى

ما كان لمَّا تبدَّى

إلاَّ عروساً وعُرْسا

إلاَّ عروساً وعُرْسا

When it appeared, it was nothing

It was not when it appeared

but a bride and a wedding.

Except a bride and wedding

وَصَلْتُهُ وَصْلَ مثلي

وَصَلْتُهُ وَصْلَ مثلي

لحظاً وشمّاً ولمسا

لحظاً وشمّاً ولمسا

I communed with it as one like me would,

I joined it the joining of my like

through looking, smelling, and touching.

For a glance, smell and touch

ولو يُمَسُّ بقلبٍ

ولو يُمَسُّ بقلبٍ

أفناهُ المزورِينَ أُنْسا

أفناهُ المزورِينَ أُنْسا

And were it touched with a heart,

And if it was touched by a heart

those visited would consume it with delight [Arabic syntax unclear].

The familiar corrupted its intimacy

لا إِن أتى مُلَّ منه

لا إِن أتى مُلَّ منه

ولا ذا غابَ يُنسَى

ولا ذا غابَ يُنسَى

When it comes, no one tires of it,

No, if one full of it came

nor, when it is absent, is it forgotten.

Or if one absent forgot