تَوسّطَ بينَ الشمسِ والبدر سالمٌ

تَوسّطَ بينَ الشمسِ والبدر سالمٌ

فَقلتُ لَهُم إنّي توسّطه أرضى

فَقلتُ لَهُم إنّي توسّطه أرضى

Salim came between the sun and the full moon;

Salem mediated between the sun and the moon

so I told them, “I approve of his mediation.”

So I told them that I was pleased with his mediation

وَلَو غيرهُ رامَ التوسّط بيننا

وَلَو غيرهُ رامَ التوسّط بيننا

خَشينا خسوفاً إِذ حَكى ثقلهُ الأَرضا

خَشينا خسوفاً إِذ حَكى ثقلهُ الأَرضا

And had someone else sought to come between us,

And had another tried to mediate between us

we would have feared an eclipse, since his weight resembled the earth’s.

We would have feared an eclipse, as his gravity burdened the earth

أُحاشيكَ عَن نهبِ الحجى ومن الّذي

أُحاشيكَ عَن نهبِ الحجى ومن الّذي

يَمدّ يداً للبرقِ كَي يسرقَ الومضا

يَمدّ يداً للبرقِ كَي يسرقَ الومضا

I hold you above plundering intellect—and who is it

I caution you against stealing veils and who

that stretches a hand toward lightning to steal its flash?

Could extend a hand to lightning to steal its flash

نَعَم إنّني وَجّهت مرآة فكرتي

نَعَم إنّني وَجّهت مرآة فكرتي

لِشمسكَ فَاِستنزلتُ صورتها فَرضا

لِشمسكَ فَاِستنزلتُ صورتها فَرضا

Yes, indeed, I turned the mirror of my thought

Yes, I directed my mind’s mirror

toward your sun, and so drew down its image by supposition.

To your sun and drew its image to please

يَلومُونَني في سالمٍ وأَلومُهم

يَلومُونَني في سالمٍ وأَلومُهم

وَجِلدةُ بينَ العينِ والأنفِ سالمُ

وَجِلدةُ بينَ العينِ والأنفِ سالمُ

They blame me over Salim, and I blame them;

They blame me for Salem and I blame them

and Salim is the skin between the eye and the nose.

While the skin between the eye and the nose is safe