النونُ حاجبه والعينُ مقلتُه

النونُ حاجبه والعينُ مقلتُه

والميمُ لا شكَّ إن فكرتَ فيه فَمُ

والميمُ لا شكَّ إن فكرتَ فيه فَمُ

Nūn is his eyebrow, and ʿayn his eye.

His eyebrow is a nun, his eyelashes a meem

And mīm, without doubt, if you ponder it, is a mouth.

No doubt, if you think about it, it’s a mouth

فالنونُ صورتُه قوسٌ بِلاَ وترٍ

فالنونُ صورتُه قوسٌ بِلاَ وترٍ

والطرفُ نُشَّابه أو صارمٌ خَذِمُ

والطرفُ نُشَّابه أو صارمٌ خَذِمُ

So nūn's shape is a bow without a string.

The nun is shaped like a bow without a string

And his gaze is its arrows, or a keen-edged sword.

And its tip is youthful, or a piercing sword

سلاحُه طرفُه ما شاءَ صرَّفَه

سلاحُه طرفُه ما شاءَ صرَّفَه

يرمى فيُصْمِى ولكن لا يسيل دَمُ

يرمى فيُصْمِى ولكن لا يسيل دَمُ

His weapon is his gaze; he directs it however he wishes.

Its tip is his weapon, he wields it as he pleases

He shoots and kills outright, yet no blood flows.

He shoots and hits his mark, but no blood flows

وفوقَ مبسمه سيناتُه رسمتْ

وفوقَ مبسمه سيناتُه رسمتْ

ناهيك من أحرفٍ ما خطها قَلَمُ

ناهيك من أحرفٍ ما خطها قَلَمُ

And above his smiling mouth his sīns are drawn.

Above his smile, his teeth are lined up

What letters these are—no pen has traced them!

Not to mention the letters his pen has traced

وتحتها دررٌ قد زانَها شَنَبٌ

وتحتها دررٌ قد زانَها شَنَبٌ

كأنَّها لؤلؤٌ في السلك منتظمُ

كأنَّها لؤلؤٌ في السلك منتظمُ

And beneath them lie pearls, graced with cool freshness.

Under them are pearls adorned with a mustache

As though they were pearls strung upon a thread.

As if arranged pearls on a necklace

وفوقَ صُدْغيه لامٌ أصلها أَلِفٌ

وفوقَ صُدْغيه لامٌ أصلها أَلِفٌ

بقدرةِ الله عنها الحاسِدُون عَمُوا

بقدرةِ الله عنها الحاسِدُون عَمُوا

And above his temples is a lām whose root is an alif.

Above his cheeks, a lam whose origin is an alif

By God's power, the envious have grown blind to it.

By God's power, the envious are blind to it