أتى الحبيبُ بوَجْهٍِ جَلَّ خالقُهُ

أتى الحبيبُ بوَجْهٍِ جَلَّ خالقُهُ

لَمَّا بَراه بلُطْفٍ فِتْنةَ الرَّائِي

لَمَّا بَراه بلُطْفٍ فِتْنةَ الرَّائِي

The beloved came with a face whose Creator was glorious

The beloved came with a face whose Creator adorned it

when He fashioned it with delicate grace, a temptation to the beholder.

When He saw it with the charm that captivates the onlooker

فَلاح شَخْصُ عَذُولِي فوقَ وَجْنَتِهِ

فَلاح شَخْصُ عَذُولِي فوقَ وَجْنَتِهِ

فقلتُ شَبِّهْهُ لي في فَرْطِ لأْلاَءِ

فقلتُ شَبِّهْهُ لي في فَرْطِ لأْلاَءِ

Then my reproacher’s figure appeared upon his cheek;

So the figure of my slender one shone above his cheek

so I said, “Liken it for me in its surpassing radiance.”

I said, "Compare him to me in excessive radiance"

فظَلَّ يُجْهِد أيَّاماً قَرِيحَتَهُ

فظَلَّ يُجْهِد أيَّاماً قَرِيحَتَهُ

وفَسَّر الماءَ بعد الجَهْدِ بالْماءِ

وفَسَّر الماءَ بعد الجَهْدِ بالْماءِ

So for days he kept straining his poetic imagination,

He continued exerting his talent for days

and after all that effort, explained water by water.

And after the effort, he explained water with water