وَمُهَنَّدٍ أَخَذَ العُيونَ بِمائِهِ

وَمُهَنَّدٍ أَخَذَ العُيونَ بِمائِهِ

فَكَأنَّها في دَمعِها الجوَّالِ

فَكَأنَّها في دَمعِها الجوَّالِ

And an Indian-steel sword that seized the eyes with its watery sheen,

And Muhand capturing eyes with his tears

So they seemed to be amid their coursing tears;

As if they in their flowing tears

أَسرى مِن السرَّاءِ في الأَرواحِ بَل

أَسرى مِن السرَّاءِ في الأَرواحِ بَل

أَسرى مِن الأَرواح في الأَوصالِ

أَسرى مِن الأَرواح في الأَوصالِ

Coursing more swiftly than joy through souls—nay,

Were captives of bliss in spirits, nay

More swiftly than souls through the limbs.

Were captives from spirits in limbs

إِن كانَ لِلآجالِ جِسمٌ ظاهِرٌ

إِن كانَ لِلآجالِ جِسمٌ ظاهِرٌ

لِلعَينِ فَهوَ مُجَسِّمُ الآجالِ

لِلعَينِ فَهوَ مُجَسِّمُ الآجالِ

If appointed deaths have a body visible

If spans of life have manifest bodies

To the eye, then it is the embodiment of those deaths.

Visible to the eye, he bodies forth the spans