سُوِّغَ بستانيَ البهاءَ فما

سُوِّغَ بستانيَ البهاءَ فما

قلتُ من القول فيه ينساغُ

قلتُ من القول فيه ينساغُ

My garden was granted splendor, so whatever

My orchard was adorned with beauty unsurpassed

words I have spoken of it go down sweetly.

None can describe it but in words outclassed

باغٌ من النَّور كل واحدةٍ

باغٌ من النَّور كل واحدةٍ

فيه من النور وَحدَها باغ

فيه من النور وَحدَها باغ

A garden of blossoms: every single one

A garden of pure light each part aglow

of the blossoms within it is a garden in itself.

With heavenly brilliance to outshine the stars that show

ألوان خيريِّهِ الملوَّن لا

ألوان خيريِّهِ الملوَّن لا

يعدلُ أصباغَهُن أصباغ

يعدلُ أصباغَهُن أصباغ

The colors of its variegated gillyflowers—no

Colors of goodness, a wondrous hue

dyes can match their hues.

No dyer's skill could ever imbue

خُرَّمُهُ أرؤسٌ مُتَوَّجَةٌ

خُرَّمُهُ أرؤسٌ مُتَوَّجَةٌ

ما صاغ تيجانَهنَّ صَوَّاغ

ما صاغ تيجانَهنَّ صَوَّاغ

Its khurram blossoms are crowned heads;

Fruit so sublime like crowned heads

no goldsmith fashioned their crowns.

No jeweler could fashion their crowns and threads

وإنما وَرْدُهُ الخدودُ له

وإنما وَرْدُهُ الخدودُ له

من ورقاتٍ عليه أصداغ

من ورقاتٍ عليه أصداغ

And its roses are nothing but cheeks, with

Roses as cheeks, leaves gentle as skin

little leaves upon them for temple-locks.

As if etched by a lover's hand with care begin

يُريغُ قلبي صنوفَ زينتِهِ

يُريغُ قلبي صنوفَ زينتِهِ

فالطرفُ منه إليه روَّاغ

فالطرفُ منه إليه روَّاغ

My heart seeks the varieties of its adornment;

My heart it ravishes with its every form

so my gaze flits from one part of it to another:

My glances magnetized, to it transform

من ذي اصفرارٍ تخاله حُللاً

من ذي اصفرارٍ تخاله حُللاً

يصبغها للرياض صبَّاغ

يصبغها للرياض صبَّاغ

from yellow blossoms you would take for robes

Of saffron robes it seems to don

a dyer dyes for the gardens,

Dyed by nature's hand, unlike man's own

وذي احمرارٍ كأَنه عَلَمٌ

وذي احمرارٍ كأَنه عَلَمٌ

فيه سوادٌ كأنه داغ

فيه سوادٌ كأنه داغ

to red ones, like a banner

Crimson as flags that ebon ink did launch

with a black mark upon it, like a brand.

As piercing its hue as the blackest smudge

فرغتُ للهو فيه يُسعِدني

فرغتُ للهو فيه يُسعِدني

عليه مستهترون فُرّاغ

عليه مستهترون فُرّاغ

I devoted myself to revelry there, aided

Lost in its beauty, joy it did endue

in it by pleasure-loving idlers.

While heedless ones saw it as nothing new

أربعةٌ كالصقور خامسُنا

أربعةٌ كالصقور خامسُنا

أسْوَدُ ملقى كأنه زاغ

أسْوَدُ ملقى كأنه زاغ

Four of us are like falcons; our fifth

Four eagles midst, a raven black in their midst

is black, lying there like a crow.

Perched as if to lunge, beware of its tryst

يمجُّ سلسالةً يُسَلسِلُها

يمجُّ سلسالةً يُسَلسِلُها

مدغدغٌ للعقول لدّاغ

مدغدغٌ للعقول لدّاغ

It pours out smooth wine, letting it flow in streams—

A chain it proffers, corralling the mind

a tickler of minds, a stinger.

Tempting senses, a captor unkind

يديرُها ألثغٌ إذا لمعتْ

يديرُها ألثغٌ إذا لمعتْ

قال هي النُّوغُ بل هي الناغ

قال هي النُّوغُ بل هي الناغ

A lisper passes it round; when it gleams,

Wielded by a charmer, flashes spellbind

he says, 'It is nūgh (light)—no, nāgh (fire).'

Serpent or flute? None can define

شمسٌ من الحسن لو يُسوِّغنا

شمسٌ من الحسن لو يُسوِّغنا

من يده السمَّ كان ينساغ

من يده السمَّ كان ينساغ

A sun of beauty: were he to give us

A sun of beauty, if it would allow

poison from his hand, it would go down sweetly.

Its sweet venom would entice, I avow

تنطقُ ألحاظه ومنطقها

تنطقُ ألحاظه ومنطقها

بلاغةٌ كلُّها وإِبلاغ

بلاغةٌ كلُّها وإِبلاغ

His glances speak, and their speech

Eyes that speak, their language beyond compare

is all eloquence and clear communication.

Eloquence embodied, truth laid bare

أُسبِغَ كلُّ النعيم فيه ولا

أُسبِغَ كلُّ النعيم فيه ولا

نعيمَ ما لم يَصِلْه إِسباغ

نعيمَ ما لم يَصِلْه إِسباغ

All bliss has been lavished there, and there is no

All bliss suffuses its breadth and length

bliss unless it is bestowed in full.

No joy withheld, nothing spared in its strength