إِذا سَقى اللَّه رَوضَةً مَطراً

إِذا سَقى اللَّه رَوضَةً مَطراً

فَخصَّ بِالسقي كُلَّ نيلوفر

فَخصَّ بِالسقي كُلَّ نيلوفر

When God waters a garden with rain,

When Allah waters a garden with rain

may He single out every water lily for watering.

And singles out every water lily for watering

تستر أَوراقه زمرُّدةٌ

تستر أَوراقه زمرُّدةٌ

ليلاً وَعندَ النَّهار لا تستر

ليلاً وَعندَ النَّهار لا تستر

An emerald veils its petals

Its leaves are cloaked in emeralds

at night, but by day she does not veil them.

At night and in the day they do not cloak

خافَت عَلَيهِ اللُصوص فَاشتملت

خافَت عَلَيهِ اللُصوص فَاشتملت

عَلَيهِ لَيلاً مِن خَوف أَن يظهر

عَلَيهِ لَيلاً مِن خَوف أَن يظهر

She feared thieves for its sake, so wrapped herself

Thieves feared for it so they wrapped

around it at night, lest it become visible.

Themselves around it at night fearing it would appear

إِذا الزّنابيرُ مِن مَغالقهِ

إِذا الزّنابيرُ مِن مَغالقهِ

لَم تَتحفظ فَبينها تُقبَر

لَم تَتحفظ فَبينها تُقبَر

If wasps, faced with its closing petals,

When the bees from their hiding places

take no precautions, they are entombed among them.

Did not take precautions between them they are buried

كَأَن أَجفانهُ جُفون الَّذي

كَأَن أَجفانهُ جُفون الَّذي

أَهواه لا تَستَطيع أَن تَسهر

أَهواه لا تَستَطيع أَن تَسهر

As though its eyelids were those of the one

As if its petals were the eyelids of one

I love—they cannot stay awake at night.

Who loved and could not stay awake

كَأَنَّها كوس فضةٍ فُرِشَت

كَأَنَّها كوس فضةٍ فُرِشَت

قِيعانها بِالزمردِ الأَخضر

قِيعانها بِالزمردِ الأَخضر

As though they were silver cups, lined

As if they were a silver chalice inlaid

at their bases with green emerald.

With emerald green bases

تَنعم في حُسنِهِ وَنكهتهِ

تَنعم في حُسنِهِ وَنكهتهِ

فَأَنت في مَنظر وَفي مخبر

فَأَنت في مَنظر وَفي مخبر

You delight in its beauty and fragrance,

Delighting in its beauty and aroma

for you enjoy both outward beauty and inward worth.

So you are in the sights and in the news