يا مفصح الكف واللسان

يا مفصح الكف واللسان

بالطول طوراً وبالبيان

بالطول طوراً وبالبيان

O you whose hand and tongue are eloquent,

O eloquent in hand and tongue

now through bounty, now through eloquence.

Sometimes lengthy, sometimes concise

عندي من عنده فؤادي

عندي من عنده فؤادي

ومن تجنيه قد براني

ومن تجنيه قد براني

With me is the one who holds my heart,

My heart is with the one who has it

and whose ill-treatment has worn me thin.

And the one who picks its fruits has fled me

اظنها نومة لقردي

اظنها نومة لقردي

أو غفلة الغر من زماني

أو غفلة الغر من زماني

I think it a slumber for my monkey of ill luck,

I think it but a nap for my soul

or a fool's heedlessness on the part of my time.

Or an epoch's neglect by time

وليس سر السرور الا

وليس سر السرور الا

ضرة اخلاقك الحسان

ضرة اخلاقك الحسان

And the secret of joy is nothing but

The secret of joy is naught

a rival wife to your beautiful virtues.

But the radiance of your virtues