ليI have فَقِيرٌa poor man وَهُوَand he is أَغْنَىthe richest الوَرَىmankind
لي فَقِيرٌ وَهُوَ أَغْنَى الوَرَى
بِالحُسْنِin beauty جَلَّتْexalted is قُدْرَةُthe power الوَاحِدِthe One
بِالحُسْنِ جَلَّتْ قُدْرَةُ الوَاحِدِ
I have a poor man, yet he is the richest of mankind
I am poor and he is the richest of mankind
In beauty—exalted is the power of the One!
With beauty the value of one is made great
قُلْتُI said لهُto him لَمّاwhen بَداhe appeared وانثَنىand swayed
قُلْتُ لهُ لَمّا بَدا وانثَنى
كالبَدْرِlike the full moon فَوْقَabove الغُصنِthe bough المَائِدِswaying
كالبَدْرِ فَوْقَ الغُصنِ المَائِدِ
I said to him, when he appeared and swayed,
I said to him when he appeared and bent
Like the full moon above a swaying bough:
Like the full moon above the laden branch
قِفْstop نَتنادَمْlet us drink together سَاعَةًa while قَالَhe said ليto me
قِفْ نَتنادَمْ سَاعَةً قَالَ لي
تَقُولُyou speak يَاوَرَّاقُO Warraq بِالشَّاهِدِof the witness
تَقُولُ يَاوَرَّاقُ بِالشَّاهِدِ
“Stop; let us drink together awhile.” He said to me,
Stop, let us sit awhile; he said to me
“Do you speak of the witness, O Warraq?”
“You say, O composer, with the witness”
قُلْتُI said وَلِلقَاضِيand to the judge فَنَادَىthen he cried إذاًin that case
قُلْتُ وَلِلقَاضِي فَنَادَى إذاً
مَاthere is no بَيْننَاbetween us لِلْوُدِّfor love مِنany عَاقِدِone who binds
مَا بَيْننَا لِلْوُدِّ مِن عَاقِدِ
I said, “And to the judge.” Then he cried, “In that case,
I said, and to the judge, so he called out
There is no one between us to bind our love.”
“Between us there is no bond of love”