وللهِand to God منّيfrom me شمعةٌa candle لاحَshone forth نورُهاits light
وللهِ منّي شمعةٌ لاحَ نورُها
فأخْجَلَand so put to shame فيin جِنْحِthe wing of الدُجىdarkness الأنْجُمَthe stars الزُّهْراthe radiant
فأخْجَلَ في جِنْحِ الدُجى الأنْجُمَ الزُّهْرا
And God be praised for a candle of mine whose light shone forth,
For God I have a candle whose light shone bright
and beneath the wing of darkness put the radiant stars to shame.
It made the stars in the darkness of night look dim
حَكَيتI resembled قَضيباًa slender branch قدalready تساقَطَhad fallen زهْرُهُits blossoms
حَكَيت قَضيباً قد تساقَطَ زهْرُهُ
ولاand no عجَبٌwonder أنthat تسقِطَshed القُضُبُthe branches الزَّهْراthe blossoms
ولا عجَبٌ أن تسقِطَ القُضُبُ الزَّهْرا
I resembled a branch whose blossoms had fallen,
I told of a wand whose flowers fell down in sight
and it is no wonder that branches shed blossoms.
No wonder slender wands drop flowers on a whim