وَقابلَني في الدَرس أَبيضُ ناعِمٌ

وَقابلَني في الدَرس أَبيضُ ناعِمٌ

وَأَسمرُ لدنٌ أَورثا جسميَ الرَدى

وَأَسمرُ لدنٌ أَورثا جسميَ الرَدى

And a fair, delicate one met me at the lesson,

A fair one met me in class, soft and white

and a brown-skinned, supple one—the two brought death upon my body.

And a gentle, swarthy one bequeathed frailty to my frame

فَذا هَزَّ مِن عطفيهِ رُمحا مُثقفاً

فَذا هَزَّ مِن عطفيهِ رُمحا مُثقفاً

وَذا سَلَّ مِن جفنيه عَضبا مُهندا

وَذا سَلَّ مِن جفنيه عَضبا مُهندا

For this one brandished from his flanks a straightened spear,

One shook from his shoulder a polished lance

and that one drew from his eyelids a keen sword of Indian steel.

While the other drew from his eyelids a well-honed blade