نورٌa light تولدَwas born بينَbetween الشمسِthe sun والقمرِand the moon
نورٌ تولدَ بينَ الشمسِ والقمرِ
يجلُّis too sublime حسناًin beauty عنfor الأشباهِlikenesses والصورِand forms
يجلُّ حسناً عن الأشباهِ والصورِ
A light born between the sun and the moon,
A light born between the sun and moon
too sublime in beauty for likenesses and forms.
Revealing beauty beyond forms and images
إنif قلتُI say منof بشرٍhumankind قالتsaid محاسنُهُhis charms
إن قلتُ من بشرٍ قالت محاسنُهُ
لاno والهَوىby love ماwhat الذيthat which تعنيyou mean منamong البشرِhuman beings
لا والهَوى ما الذي تعني من البشرِ
If I say, "He is human," his charms reply:
If I say a human, his beauty says
"No, by love! Whom among humans do you mean?"
No, it is love - who do you mean by human?
فكلُّso every وصفِكَyour description دعوىa claim لاnot تقومُyou uphold بهاwith it
فكلُّ وصفِكَ دعوى لا تقومُ بها
منwhomever (uncertain here) تنحهyou set him aside (uncertain reading) غيرَexcept لحظِthe glance of العينِthe eye بالنظَرِby looking
من تنحه غيرَ لحظِ العينِ بالنظَرِ
Every description of yours is a claim you cannot substantiate;
Every description of you is a claim unable to stand
[Wording unclear: "whomever you set aside"]—save the eye's glance as it gazes.
None can grasp you but a glance of the eye in seeing
فالوهمُso imagination يَعجزُfalls short عنهُof grasping him فهوso it is مقتسمdivided
فالوهمُ يَعجزُ عنهُ فهو مقتسم
رأياًin judgment تحيَّرَbecame bewildered بينbetween القلبِthe heart والفِكَرِand thoughts
رأياً تحيَّرَ بين القلبِ والفِكَرِ
Imagination cannot grasp him, and so it is divided,
So imagination falls short of you - you are a shared
in judgment, bewildered between the heart and thoughts.
View perplexing the heart and mind alike