ولابسٍ نُقَبَ الأعْراض جوهره

ولابسٍ نُقَبَ الأعْراض جوهره

لهُ انسيابُ حُبابٍ رَقْشُهُ الحَبَبُ

لهُ انسيابُ حُبابٍ رَقْشُهُ الحَبَبُ

And one whose substance wears the robes of outward qualities,

Wearing the garb of modesty is his essence

It has a serpent's glide; its mottling is bubbles.

He flows smoothly like beads strung together

إذا الصَّبا زلقت فيه سنابكُها

إذا الصَّبا زلقت فيه سنابكُها

حسبته مُنْصُلاً في متنه شُطَبُ

حسبته مُنْصُلاً في متنه شُطَبُ

When the east wind's hooves slip across it,

When the breeze blows through his boughs

You would take it for a sword with grooves along its blade.

You'd think he was a paddle in the sea's midst

وردتُهُ ونجوم الليل مائلةٌ

وردتُهُ ونجوم الليل مائلةٌ

كما تدَحرَجَ دُرٌّ ما له ثُقَبُ

كما تدَحرَجَ دُرٌّ ما له ثُقَبُ

I came to it while the stars of night were sinking,

I returned to find him with the night stars tilting

Like rolling pearls with no holes pierced through them.

Like a pearl rolling, flawless and un-pierced

ومغربٍ طعنته غيرَ نابيةٍ

ومغربٍ طعنته غيرَ نابيةٍ

أسنَّةٌ هي إن حققتها شهبُ

أسنَّةٌ هي إن حققتها شهبُ

And a west pierced, without their glancing off,

And a sunset stabbed by uncouth

By spearheads that, if you examine them, are shooting stars;

Spears, if you look closely, are its rays

ومشرقٍ كيمياءُ الشمسِ في يدهِ

ومشرقٍ كيمياءُ الشمسِ في يدهِ

ففضةُ الماءِ من إلقائها ذهبُ

ففضةُ الماءِ من إلقائها ذهبُ

And an east holding the sun's alchemy in its hand,

And a sunrise with the sun's alchemy in its hand

So casting it turns the water's silver into gold.

For the water's silver turns to gold when cast by it