أنا قِناعٌ لي

أنا قِناعٌ لي

بحُسْنيَ السّبْقُ

بحُسْنيَ السّبْقُ

I am a veil, and mine is

I am a veil, and mine—

I am a veil; mine is

preeminence through beauty.

by my beauty—is the first place.

preeminence through my beauty.

فالكَتْبُ عنْ وصْفي

فالكَتْبُ عنْ وصْفي

يعْجِزُ والنُّطْقُ

يعْجِزُ والنُّطْقُ

For writing, in describing me,

So writing, when it turns to describe me,

So writing, in describing me,

falls short—and speech as well.

falls short, and speech falls short as well.

falls short, as does speech.

رامَ اشتِباهاً بي

رامَ اشتِباهاً بي

في شُهْبِه الأفْقُ

في شُهْبِه الأفْقُ

The one that sought to resemble me

It sought to be mistaken for me,

A likeness to me was sought

was the horizon with its shooting stars;

the horizon, with all its blazing stars,

by the horizon in its bright stars.

ففاقَهُ ثوْبي

ففاقَهُ ثوْبي

إنْ حُقّقَ الحَقُّ

إنْ حُقّقَ الحَقُّ

yet my robe surpassed it,

but my robe surpassed it,

So my garment surpassed it,

if truth be given its due.

if the truth be rightly told.

if the truth is established.

غَمامةً أبْدو

غَمامةً أبْدو

طِرازيَ البرْقُ

طِرازيَ البرْقُ

As a cloud I appear;

As a cloud I appear,

I appear as a cloud;

lightning is my embroidery.

my embroidered border the lightning,

lightning is my embroidery.

والوجْهُ لي شمْسٌ

والوجْهُ لي شمْسٌ

أطْلَعَها الشّرقُ

أطْلَعَها الشّرقُ

And the face beneath me is a sun

and the face that is mine, a sun

And my face is a sun

that the East has caused to rise.

that the East has raised on high.

that the east has made rise.