رَقَصتَ أَبا إِسحاقَ ما لَيسَ في القَصِّ

رَقَصتَ أَبا إِسحاقَ ما لَيسَ في القَصِّ

غَداةَ تَثَنّى مِنكَ غُصنٌ عَلى دَعصِ

غَداةَ تَثَنّى مِنكَ غُصنٌ عَلى دَعصِ

You danced, Abu Ishaq, what no tale contains,

You danced Abu Ishaq what is not in the story

That morning when a branch of yours swayed upon a dune.

The morning after a branch leaned on you from the palm tree

أَتَيتَ بِإيقاعٍ وَجَدناهُ راجِحاً

أَتَيتَ بِإيقاعٍ وَجَدناهُ راجِحاً

وَما كُلُّ إِيقاعٍ يَكونُ بِلا نَقصِ

وَما كُلُّ إِيقاعٍ يَكونُ بِلا نَقصِ

You brought a rhythm we found superior,

You came with a rhythm we found it apt

And not every rhythm is without a flaw.

And not every rhythm is without flaw

وَأَبرَزتَ مِن خِدرِ الإِشارَةِ مَقطَعاً

وَأَبرَزتَ مِن خِدرِ الإِشارَةِ مَقطَعاً

تَنَزَّهَ طَرفي مِنهُ في حَسَنِ الشَخصِ

تَنَزَّهَ طَرفي مِنهُ في حَسَنِ الشَخصِ

And from gesture’s curtained chamber you brought forth a passage;

And you brought out from the fold of gesture an excerpt

My gaze took delight in its fair form.

My eyes averted from it in the beauty of the person

فَلَو لَم يَكُن هاروتَها مِن صِناعَةٍ

فَلَو لَم يَكُن هاروتَها مِن صِناعَةٍ

إِذاً ما رَأَينا مِنكَ سِحراً مِنَ الرَقصِ

إِذاً ما رَأَينا مِنكَ سِحراً مِنَ الرَقصِ

For had its Harut not arisen from artistry,

So if her skill was not from wizardry

Then we would have seen no magic in your dancing.

Then we would not have seen from you magic in the dance