أصَوْبُ الحَيا جادَ أمْ دمْعُ عَيني

أصَوْبُ الحَيا جادَ أمْ دمْعُ عَيني

فحَيّا المَعاهِدَ بالرّقْمَتَيْنِ

فحَيّا المَعاهِدَ بالرّقْمَتَيْنِ

Was it rain's downpour that flowed, or the tears of my eye,

Is the best of life earnest or a tear from my eye?

And greeted the old haunts at al-Raqmatayn?

Greet him who pledged with the two palms,

غَراماً بمَنْ سارَ وصفُ حُلاها

غَراماً بمَنْ سارَ وصفُ حُلاها

مَسيرَ الكَواكِبِ في الخافِقَيْنِ

مَسيرَ الكَواكِبِ في الخافِقَيْنِ

In longing for her, the description of whose charms has traveled

Passionately loving the one whose appearance journeyed

Like the stars' passage through the east and west.

Like the planets course between the horizon's curves,

وذكّرَني عهْدَها بالحِمى

وذكّرَني عهْدَها بالحِمى

سَنا بارِقٍ لاحَ بالأبْرَقَيْنِ

سَنا بارِقٍ لاحَ بالأبْرَقَيْنِ

And I was reminded of my time with her in the protected pasture

And reminded me of her protection of the sanctuary,

By lightning's gleam that flashed at al-Abraqayn,

A lightning bolt gleamed, flashing between the two clouds,

وأنْ أطْلَعَتْ وجْهَها مُشْرِقاً

وأنْ أطْلَعَتْ وجْهَها مُشْرِقاً

طُلوعَ الصّباحِ من المَشْرِقَيْنِ

طُلوعَ الصّباحِ من المَشْرِقَيْنِ

And of how she revealed her radiant face,

Her face shone radiantly

Like dawn rising from the two easts.

Like the sunrise between the two easts,

نَعِمْتُ بها تحتَ خفْقِ الظِّلالِ

نَعِمْتُ بها تحتَ خفْقِ الظِّلالِ

نعيمَ المُهنّأ بالجنّتَيْنِ

نعيمَ المُهنّأ بالجنّتَيْنِ

I found bliss with her beneath the fluttering shadows,

I delighted in her beneath the fluttering shadows

The bliss of one blessed with the two gardens.

The delight of the fortunate between the two gardens,

وما خمرةُ الكأسِ ما بَيْننا

وما خمرةُ الكأسِ ما بَيْننا

بأعْذَبَ من خمرةِ المرْشفَيْنِ

بأعْذَبَ من خمرةِ المرْشفَيْنِ

And the cup's wine there between us

And the wine between us was not

Is no sweeter than the wine of her two lips.

Sweeter than the wine of the two chalices,

وكنّا كما شاءَ حُكْمُ الهَوى

وكنّا كما شاءَ حُكْمُ الهَوى

خليلَيْنِ في القُرْبِ كالفَرْقَدَيْنِ

خليلَيْنِ في القُرْبِ كالفَرْقَدَيْنِ

And we were, as love's decree had willed,

We were as the madness of love desired,

Two lovers, close together like al-Farqadayn.

Two intimates in closeness like two turtle doves,

وأمّا وقد بعُدَ المُلْتَقى

وأمّا وقد بعُدَ المُلْتَقى

فَيا بُعْدَ ما بيْنَ صَبْري وبيْني

فَيا بُعْدَ ما بيْنَ صَبْري وبيْني

But now that reunion has grown distant,

But when the meeting place grew distant,

Oh, how far my patience is from me!

Oh how distant between my patience and me!

إلى أيّ جنبٍ أرِيحُ الفُؤادَ

إلى أيّ جنبٍ أرِيحُ الفُؤادَ

ونارُ الصّبابةِ في الجانبَيْنِ

ونارُ الصّبابةِ في الجانبَيْنِ

On which side can I rest my heart,

To which side do I rest my heart

When longing's fire burns on both sides?

With the fire of youth on both flanks?

ولم أنسَها يوْمَ ساروا بها

ولم أنسَها يوْمَ ساروا بها

نَشيدةَ قلبٍ وإنسانَ عيْنِ

نَشيدةَ قلبٍ وإنسانَ عيْنِ

Nor have I forgotten her the day they departed with her,

I did not forget her the day they departed with her,

The one my heart seeks, and the pupil of my eye.

The melody of a heart and the companion of an eye,

وبُعْدُ الدّيارِ وشمْسُ النّهارِ

وبُعْدُ الدّيارِ وشمْسُ النّهارِ

يُذيبانِ قلبيَ بالجَمْرَتيْنِ

يُذيبانِ قلبيَ بالجَمْرَتيْنِ

And distance from her dwellings and the daytime sun

The distance of home and the sun of day

Melt my heart with their two embers.

Melt my heart with the two embers,

أشارَتْ براحَتِها إذ أراحُوا

أشارَتْ براحَتِها إذ أراحُوا

فَما أشْوَقَ القَلْبَ للرّاحتَيْنِ

فَما أشْوَقَ القَلْبَ للرّاحتَيْنِ

She gestured with her palm as they departed at evening;

She gestured with her hand when they rested,

How the heart longs for her two palms!

How it lengthens the heart for the two hands!

ألا عاذِرٌ ليَ في مَطْلَبي

ألا عاذِرٌ ليَ في مَطْلَبي

إلى كمْ أرى العدْلَ يلْوي بدَيْنِ

إلى كمْ أرى العدْلَ يلْوي بدَيْنِ

Is there no one to excuse me in my pursuit?

Who will excuse me in my request

How long must I see justice delay repaying a debt?

To where I see justice itself twist and bend?

صِفاتُ الكَمالِ وسرُّ الجَمالِ

صِفاتُ الكَمالِ وسرُّ الجَمالِ

أتى منهُما الدّهْرُ بالمُعْجِبَيْنِ

أتى منهُما الدّهْرُ بالمُعْجِبَيْنِ

The qualities of perfection and the secret of beauty—

The qualities of perfection and the secret of beauty

Time has brought forth two marvels from them.

Brought together the two wondrous ones,

تُريكَ القَساوةَ في قلبِها

تُريكَ القَساوةَ في قلبِها

وتُبْدي لك اللّينَ في المَعْطِفَيْنِ

وتُبْدي لك اللّينَ في المَعْطِفَيْنِ

She shows you hardness in her heart,

It shows you harshness in her heart

And reveals softness to you in her two flanks.

And reveals to you softness in her two wrists,

ففي القدِّ ثانيةٌ للقَضيبِ

ففي القدِّ ثانيةٌ للقَضيبِ

وفي الوجْهِ ثالثةُ النيّريْنِ

وفي الوجْهِ ثالثةُ النيّريْنِ

So in stature she is a second slender bough,

In her height is a second to the rod,

And in face, a third luminary beside the sun and moon.

And in her face a third to the two lights,

إذا شِئْتَ زهْراً ففي الثّغْرِ منها

إذا شِئْتَ زهْراً ففي الثّغْرِ منها

وإن شِئْتَ ورْداً ففي الوجْنتَيْنِ

وإن شِئْتَ ورْداً ففي الوجْنتَيْنِ

If you wish for blossoms, they are in her mouth,

If you wish a flower, from her mouth,

And if you wish for roses, in her two cheeks.

If you wish a rose, in her two cheeks,

يَرومُ جَناها حليفُ الهَوى

يَرومُ جَناها حليفُ الهَوى

فتحْرُسُها أسْهُمُ المُقْلَتيْنِ

فتحْرُسُها أسْهُمُ المُقْلَتيْنِ

Love's ally seeks her fruit,

The confidant of love hopes for her embrace

So the arrows of her two eyes guard her.

While the arrows of her eyes stand guard,

تُصيبُ القلوبَ إذا ما رمَتْ

تُصيبُ القلوبَ إذا ما رمَتْ

بها عن قِسيٍّ منَ الحاجبَيْنِ

بها عن قِسيٍّ منَ الحاجبَيْنِ

She strikes hearts whenever she lets fly

They pierce hearts when she shoots

Those arrows from the bows of her two eyebrows.

From a bow of slightly bent eyebrows,