تَأَمَّل سَماءً أَظلّت عَلَي

تَأَمَّل سَماءً أَظلّت عَلَي

كَ فيها مَصابيحُها تَزهر

كَ فيها مَصابيحُها تَزهر

Contemplate a sky that has cast its shade over

Gaze upon a sky that has shaded me

you, where its lamps shine;

In it are lamps blossoming

وَأَرض نُقابِلُها بِالعَرو

وَأَرض نُقابِلُها بِالعَرو

سِ وَالبُرج شَمسُها جَعفَر

سِ وَالبُرج شَمسُها جَعفَر

And a land before us at al-ʿArūs

And an earth we face with pyramids

and al-Burj, whose sun is Jaʿfar;

Its sun is the star Ja'far

وَمَسحَبُ نورٍ غداة الرَّبي

وَمَسحَبُ نورٍ غداة الرَّبي

عِ أَنفاسُه المسك وَالعَنبَر

عِ أَنفاسُه المسك وَالعَنبَر

And a sweep of blossoms on a spring morning,

And a draft of light the morning after rain

whose breaths are musk and ambergris.

Its breaths are musk and ambergris

خِلالَ شَقائِقِه أَصفَرٌ

خِلالَ شَقائِقِه أَصفَرٌ

وَأَضعاف أَصفرِه أَحمَر

وَأَضعاف أَصفرِه أَحمَر

Amid its anemones is yellow,

Among its anemones yellow

and amid its yellow is red.

And multiples of its yellow redder

وَلِلماءِ مُطَّرَدٌ بينه

وَلِلماءِ مُطَّرَدٌ بينه

يَضيقُ بِآذيِّه المَصدَر

يَضيقُ بِآذيِّه المَصدَر

And water has a flowing channel within it,

And for the water a constant flow between them

whose outlet is too narrow for its surging waves.

Narrowed by its injury the source

وَلِلناطِقاتِ بِأَكنافِه

وَلِلناطِقاتِ بِأَكنافِه

دَواعي اِشتِياق وَمُستَعبَر

دَواعي اِشتِياق وَمُستَعبَر

And the songbirds around its edges

And for the eloquent ones at its edges

awaken longing and give cause for tears.

Yearnings of longing and expressed

يُساوِقه البَرّ من جانِب

يُساوِقه البَرّ من جانِب

وَمن جانِب بَحره الأَخضَر

وَمن جانِب بَحره الأَخضَر

Dry land runs alongside it on one side,

The land accompanies it from one side

and on another, its green sea:

And from one side its green sea

مَجال وحوش وَمرقى أَنيس

مَجال وحوش وَمرقى أَنيس

فَيا عُرفَ لهو وَيا مَنظَر

فَيا عُرفَ لهو وَيا مَنظَر

a roaming ground for wild beasts, a height for human company.

An open space of beasts and a watering place of companions

So, what fine pleasure, and what a sight!

So excellent an orchard and what a scene

وَيا حُسن دُنيا وَيا عِزَّ مُلك

وَيا حُسن دُنيا وَيا عِزَّ مُلك

يسوسهم السائِس الأَكبَر

يسوسهم السائِس الأَكبَر

And what beauty of this world, and what glory of kingship!

And oh beauty of the world and oh pride of kingdom

The supreme ruler governs them—

Ruled by the Greatest Ruler

إِمام بِه أَمَرَ الآمرو

إِمام بِه أَمَرَ الآمرو

نَ بِالعُرفِ وَاِستُنكِر المُنكَر

نَ بِالعُرفِ وَاِستُنكِر المُنكَر

an imam through whom those who enjoin have enjoined

With Him the order of the Commanders

what is right, and wrongdoing has been condemned.

With propriety and the prohibition of wrong