لاحَ مِنها حاجِبٌ لِلناظِرين

لاحَ مِنها حاجِبٌ لِلناظِرين

فَنَسوا بِاللَيلِ وَضّاحَ الجَبين

فَنَسوا بِاللَيلِ وَضّاحَ الجَبين

An eyebrow of hers appeared to those who gazed,

No veil can hide her radiance from the onlookers,

So they forgot the one whose brow shone in the night.

Who have forgotten in the night her gleaming brow,

وَمَحَت آيَتُها آيَتَهُ

وَمَحَت آيَتُها آيَتَهُ

وَتَبَدَّت فِتنَةً لِلعالَمين

وَتَبَدَّت فِتنَةً لِلعالَمين

And her sign effaced his sign,

And her signs have wiped out His signs,

And she appeared, a temptation to all the worlds.

And she has appeared tempting to all worlds.

نَظَرَ إِبراهامُ فيها نَظرَةً

نَظَرَ إِبراهامُ فيها نَظرَةً

فَأَرى الشَكَّ وَما ضَلَّ اليَقين

فَأَرى الشَكَّ وَما ضَلَّ اليَقين

Abraham cast a glance upon her,

Abraham looked upon her with a look,

So he showed doubt, yet never lost certainty.

And saw doubt though certitude went not astray.

قالَ ذا رَبّي فَلَمّا أَفَلَت

قالَ ذا رَبّي فَلَمّا أَفَلَت

قالَ إِنّي لا أُحِبُّ الآفِلين

قالَ إِنّي لا أُحِبُّ الآفِلين

He said, "This is my Lord"; then, when she set,

“This, my Lord!” but when she set he said,

He said, "Indeed, I do not love those that set."

“I love not those that set.”

وَدَعا القَومَ إِلى خالِقِها

وَدَعا القَومَ إِلى خالِقِها

وَأَتى القَومَ بِسُلطانٍ مُبين

وَأَتى القَومَ بِسُلطانٍ مُبين

And he called the people to her Creator,

And he called the people unto her Creator,

And came to the people with clear proof.

And came unto the people with convincing authority.

رَبِّ إِنَّ الناسَ ضَلّوا وَغَوَوا

رَبِّ إِنَّ الناسَ ضَلّوا وَغَوَوا

وَرَأَوا في الشَمسِ رَأيَ الخاسِرين

وَرَأَوا في الشَمسِ رَأيَ الخاسِرين

My Lord, the people have indeed strayed and erred,

“O Lord, men have gone astray from the truth and fallen into error

And held the losers' view of the sun.

And they have regarded the sun with the vision of the lost.”

خَشَعَت أَبصارُهُم لَمّا بَدَت

خَشَعَت أَبصارُهُم لَمّا بَدَت

وَإِلى الأَذقانِ خَرّوا ساجِدين

وَإِلى الأَذقانِ خَرّوا ساجِدين

Their eyes were humbled when she appeared,

Their eyes were humbled when she shone forth,

And they fell upon their chins, prostrating.

And to the horizons they bowed down prostrate.

نَظَروا آياتِها مُبصِرَةً

نَظَروا آياتِها مُبصِرَةً

فَعَصَوا فيها كَلامَ المُرسَلين

فَعَصَوا فيها كَلامَ المُرسَلين

They beheld her signs, plainly visible,

They saw the signs she displayed to them, an instructive sight,

And so they defied the messengers' words concerning her.

Yet in regard to her they disobeyed the words of the Envoys.

نَظَروا بَدرَ الدُجى مِرآتَها

نَظَروا بَدرَ الدُجى مِرآتَها

تَتَجَلّى فيهِ حيناً بَعدَ حين

تَتَجَلّى فيهِ حيناً بَعدَ حين

They beheld the dark night's full moon, her mirror,

They saw the moon, mirror of the night,

In it she reveals herself, time after time.

Display herself therein time after time.

ثُمَّ قالوا كَيفَ لا نَعبُدُها

ثُمَّ قالوا كَيفَ لا نَعبُدُها

هَل لَها فيما تَرى العَينُ قَرين

هَل لَها فيما تَرى العَينُ قَرين

Then they said: How can we not worship her?

Then they said, “How should we not worship her?

Does she have an equal in all the eye can see?

Seest thou in relation to her aught to help discern?”

هِيَ أُمُّ الأَرضِ في نِسبَتِها

هِيَ أُمُّ الأَرضِ في نِسبَتِها

هِيَ أُمُّ الكَونِ وَالكَونُ جَنين

هِيَ أُمُّ الكَونِ وَالكَونُ جَنين

She is the earth's mother by descent;

She is the mother of the earth in her aspect,

She is the universe's mother, and the universe an embryo.

She is the mother of the universe and the universe a babe.

هِيَ أُمُّ النارِ وَالنورِ مَعاً

هِيَ أُمُّ النارِ وَالنورِ مَعاً

هِيَ أُمُّ الريحِ وَالماءِ المَعين

هِيَ أُمُّ الريحِ وَالماءِ المَعين

She is the mother of fire and light together,

She is the mother of fire and light together,

She is the mother of wind and flowing water.

She is the mother of the gentle breeze and the running waters.

هِيَ طَلعُ الرَوضِ نَوراً وَجَنىً

هِيَ طَلعُ الرَوضِ نَوراً وَجَنىً

هِيَ نَشرُ الوَردِ طيبُ الياسَمين

هِيَ نَشرُ الوَردِ طيبُ الياسَمين

She is the garden's growth, both blossom and fruit,

She is the bud of the gardens with light and harvest,

She is the fragrance of roses, the perfume of jasmine.

She is the outspreading of the roses, essence of sweet basil.

هِيَ مَوتٌ وَحَياةٌ لِلوَرى

هِيَ مَوتٌ وَحَياةٌ لِلوَرى

وَضَلالٌ وَهُدىً لِلغابِرين

وَضَلالٌ وَهُدىً لِلغابِرين

She is death and life to humankind,

She is death and life to created beings,

And misguidance and guidance to those of old.

Error and guidance for the transgressors.

صَدَقوا لَكِنَّهُم ما عَلِموا

صَدَقوا لَكِنَّهُم ما عَلِموا

أَنَّها خَلقٌ سَيَبلى بِالسِنين

أَنَّها خَلقٌ سَيَبلى بِالسِنين

They spoke truly, but they did not know

True, but they knew not that she will wear out and decay with the years.

That she is a created thing that will decay with the years.

What an absurd fancy of the ignorant is an unholy god!

أَإِلَهٌ لَم يُنَزِّه ذاتَهُ

أَإِلَهٌ لَم يُنَزِّه ذاتَهُ

عَن كُسوفٍ بِئسَ زَعمُ الجاهِلين

عَن كُسوفٍ بِئسَ زَعمُ الجاهِلين

Is this a god who has not kept his own being free

The sun and all she contains of meaningful signs

From eclipse? Wretched is the claim of the ignorant!

Are luminous hints for those endowed with knowledge.

إِنَّما الشَمسُ وَما في آيِها

إِنَّما الشَمسُ وَما في آيِها

مِن مَعانٍ لَمَعَت لِلعارِفين

مِن مَعانٍ لَمَعَت لِلعارِفين

The sun, and all that her signs contain—

A wisdom of profound significance she has exemplified,

Meanings that shone for those who know—

God’s power for a people versed in cognition.

حِكمَةٌ بالِغَةٌ قَد مَثَّلَت

حِكمَةٌ بالِغَةٌ قَد مَثَّلَت

قُدرَةَ اللَهِ لِقَومٍ عاقِلين

قُدرَةَ اللَهِ لِقَومٍ عاقِلين

Are but consummate wisdom that has shown

God's power to a people of understanding.