كَتَبتُ فَما عَلِمتُ أَخَطُّ نَقشٍ

كَتَبتُ فَما عَلِمتُ أَخَطُّ نَقشٍ

يَلوحُ لِناظِري أَم حَظُّ نَفسي

يَلوحُ لِناظِري أَم حَظُّ نَفسي

I wrote, but did not know: was it an engraved line

I wrote, but knew not if a tracing fair

Gleaming to my eye, or my soul's good fortune?

Or happiness within myself was there

فَتَمَّ بِهِ عَليَّ سُرورِ يَومي

فَتَمَّ بِهِ عَليَّ سُرورِ يَومي

وَكادَ بِأَن يُعيدَ سُرورَ أَمسي

وَكادَ بِأَن يُعيدَ سُرورَ أَمسي

So through it my day's joy became complete for me,

By it made blissful was my day of life

And it nearly restored my joy of yesterday.

And well-nigh joy returned to yesterday

وَقالوا قَد وَجَدتَ بِهِ سُروراً

وَقالوا قَد وَجَدتَ بِهِ سُروراً

فَقُلتُ مُصَرِّحاً مِن غَيرِ لَبسِ

فَقُلتُ مُصَرِّحاً مِن غَيرِ لَبسِ

And they said, "You have found joy through it."

They said, “In it thou’st found a blissful thing”

So I said plainly, without ambiguity:

I answered in unveiling free from doubt

غَرَستُ بِصَدرِ مُرسِلِهِ وِداداً

غَرَستُ بِصَدرِ مُرسِلِهِ وِداداً

فَما أَنا قَد جَنَيتُ ثِمارَ غَرسي

فَما أَنا قَد جَنَيتُ ثِمارَ غَرسي

"I planted affection in its sender's breast,

“Within the sender’s breast love’s seed I set”

So I have not reaped the fruits of my planting."

Not I the fruit have plucked of what I’ve sown