سائِل بغُرّته الهلالَ المُقمِرا

سائِل بغُرّته الهلالَ المُقمِرا

أَشَذىً تفاوَحَ عَرفُه أم عَنبَرا

أَشَذىً تفاوَحَ عَرفُه أم عَنبَرا

Ask the luminous crescent about his radiant brow:

The asker with his crescent-like smile,

Is it sweet fragrance whose scent has spread, or ambergris?

Did its aroma exhale ambergris or camphor?

وَسَل البراعَةَ في أَنامِلِ كَفّهِ

وَسَل البراعَةَ في أَنامِلِ كَفّهِ

شذراً يَصُوغُ بطِرسِهِ أَم جَوهَرا

شذراً يَصُوغُ بطِرسِهِ أَم جَوهَرا

And ask the artistry in the fingertips of his hand:

And did he seek skill in his fingers

Does he fashion gold beads upon his page, or gems?

To fashion a jewel or essence sublime?

أَم حالَت القِرطاسُ كافُوراً بِهَا

أَم حالَت القِرطاسُ كافُوراً بِهَا

فَسَرَت تَمجّ عَلَيهِ مِسكاً أَذفَرا

فَسَرَت تَمجّ عَلَيهِ مِسكاً أَذفَرا

Or has the paper turned to camphor through that artistry,

Or did the parchment turn to camphor near him,

which then flowed, pouring richly fragrant musk upon it?

Exhaling musk over his fragrant robes?

أَم صَدرُ غانِيةٍ تَمَزَّقَ جَيبُها

أَم صَدرُ غانِيةٍ تَمَزَّقَ جَيبُها

فَغَدَت تَحُوكُ الوَشي فيهِ مُصَوّرا

فَغَدَت تَحُوكُ الوَشي فيهِ مُصَوّرا

Or is it a beauty's breast, her garment's neckline torn,

Or did the chest of a singing girl tear its pocket,

so the artistry began weaving figured brocade upon it?

Embroidering patterns on the lining within?

وَلَعلَها رَأَتِ الوَشِيجَ لَدَى الوَغَى

وَلَعلَها رَأَتِ الوَشِيجَ لَدَى الوَغَى

فَحَكَت لِراحتِهِ الوَشيجَ الأَسمَرا

فَحَكَت لِراحتِهِ الوَشيجَ الأَسمَرا

And perhaps it saw the spears amid the fray,

Perhaps she saw the dark lining by lamplight’s glow,

so copied the dark-brown spear for his palm.

And stitched its likeness on the lining, dark as dates.

يا مَن تَخَايَلَ مِن كتابةِ أَخيلٍ

يا مَن تَخَايَلَ مِن كتابةِ أَخيلٍ

زَهراً تَدَرهَم نَورهُ وتدنَّرا

زَهراً تَدَرهَم نَورهُ وتدنَّرا

O you who envisioned, from Akhyal's writing,

O you who pretended a script of excellence,

flowers whose blossoms turned to dirhams and dinars,

A blossom whose light fades slowly away!

هَلاّ حَسِبتَ بِهَا السَّماءَ صَحيفَةً

هَلاّ حَسِبتَ بِهَا السَّماءَ صَحيفَةً

والليلَ حبراً والكَواكِبَ أَسطُرَا

والليلَ حبراً والكَواكِبَ أَسطُرَا

Why not see in it the sky as a page,

Why not consider the sky as your scroll,

and the night as ink, and the stars as written lines?

The night as your ink, the stars as your script?

قاضٍ أَتَى والحَقُّ غُصنٌ ذَابِلٌ

قاضٍ أَتَى والحَقُّ غُصنٌ ذَابِلٌ

فَسَقاهُ ماءَ العَدلِ حَتَّى أَثمَرَا

فَسَقاهُ ماءَ العَدلِ حَتَّى أَثمَرَا

A judge came when truth was a withered branch,

A judge came when truth was a withered branch,

so he watered it with the water of justice until it bore fruit.

He watered it with justice till it bore fruit.