1. تقارن النيّران الشَمس وَالقَمَرُ

    فَأَشرَق الطالعان السَعد وَالظفرُ

    The two luminaries, the sun and the moon, came into conjunction.

    Then the two ascendants, good fortune and victory, shone.

  2. وَقامَ داعي الهَنا يَدعو السُرور لَنا

    يَزفّه المطربان النايُ وَالوَتَرُ

    And the herald of joy arose, inviting gladness to us,

    ushered in by the two music-makers, the reed flute and the string.

  3. رَعى لَيالي بِالبُشرى قَدِ اِبتَهجَت

    فَاِستبشر العالَمانِ الروح وَالبَشَرُ

    May nights gladdened by good tidings be preserved;

    and the two worlds, spirit and humankind, rejoiced.

  4. تَتلو المَثاني بِها الأَقمار مُشرِقَة

    فَيطرب الأَفضلان السَمع وَالبَصَرُ

    Within them, shining moons recite the oft-repeated verses,

    so the two finest senses, hearing and sight, are delighted.

  5. سَقى الحِمى وَحماهُ اللَه غادية

    يروى بِها المعشران البَدو وَالحَضَرُ

    May a morning raincloud water the sanctuary—and may God guard it—

    through which the two communities, nomads and townsfolk, drink their fill.

  6. تِلكَ المَنازل ما زالَت مَطالعها

    يَهفو لَها التائقان القَلب وَالنَظَرُ

    Those dwellings—their vistas have always

    been longed for by the two yearning ones, the heart and the eye.

  7. رِياض أُنس إِذا غَنَّت بَلابلها

    يسبّح الساجِدان النجم وَالشَجَرُ

    Gardens of delight: when their nightingales sing,

    the two prostrate worshippers, the star and the tree, sing praise.

  8. راقَت وَرقّت على صَفوٍ مَناهلها

    حَتّى اِنتَفى الشائِبان الهمّ وَالكَدَرُ

    Their watering places grew lovely and limpid in their purity,

    until the two taints, care and gloom, vanished.

  9. فَلا سرت عَن رُبوع الفَضل سارية

    أَو تحمد الغايتان الوِرد وَالصَدرُ

    May no night-cloud leave the abodes of excellence

    until the two ends, arrival and departure, are praised.

  10. وَلا اِنبَرَت أَغصُن الأَفراح يانِعَةً

    يَزهو بِها الطيّبان النورُ وَالثَمَرُ

    And may joy's ripe branches never be shorn,

    on which the two delights, blossoms and fruit, flourish.

  11. وَلا تَقضّت لَيالي الأُنس في مَلأٍ

    يُلفى بِها المؤنسان اللَهو وَالسَمَرُ

    And may nights of companionship never end among a gathering

    where the two comforters, amusement and evening talk, are found.

  12. جَعَلت تِذكارها لي في العُلى غَزَلاً

    مَحَلّه الرتبتان المَجد وَالخَطَرُ

    I made their remembrance my love-song in the heights,

    its place the two ranks, glory and eminence.

  13. فَلا مُغازلة الغزلان تَمنعني

    عَن بيضها الدَولَتان البيض وَالسمرُ

    So, in courting gazelles, I am not kept

    from their fair beauties by the two powers, bright swords and dark spears.

  14. أَسري فَأَستطلع السرّ المَصون فَلا

    يَصدُّني القاتلان الخَوف وَالحَذَرُ

    I travel by night, seeking the guarded secret; I am not

    turned back by the two killers, fear and caution.

  15. نِعمَ الجسارة كانَ الفَوز غايَتَها

    وَبئست الغايتان الجُبن وَالخورُ

    How fine the boldness whose goal was success;

    and how wretched the two ends, cowardice and weakness!

  16. لا أَعشق المرد أَهواها وَيُهلكني

    مِن أَجلِها المرديان السُهد وَالسَهَرُ

    I do not love beardless youths; I love her, and I am undone

    for her sake by the two destroyers, sleeplessness and nighttime wakefulness.

  17. وَإِنَّما العَين تَستَغني بِغانيةٍ

    مِنها حَلا المطلبان العين وَالأَثَرُ

    Only a beauty can satisfy the eye;

    through her, both things sought—presence and trace—grew sweet.

  18. بَدَت لَنا بَين أَترابٍ تَرائبها

    خَفيرها الحارِسان اللَحظ وَالخَفَرُ

    Her upper breast appeared to us among her peers,

    guarded by the two sentinels, the glance and modesty.

  19. عَين مِن العرب في أَجفانِها خزر

    هامَ الفَريقان فيهِ الترك وَالخَزَرُ

    A choice Arab beauty, with a slant in her eyelids,

    with which the two peoples, Turks and Khazars, fell madly in love.

  20. مَن لي بِعَقلي أَن يَصحو فَأرشده

    وَحَوله الساحِران الغنج وَالحوَرُ

    Who will help my mind grow sober, so that I may guide it,

    while the two enchanters, coquetry and luminous dark eyes, surround it,

  21. مِن كُلّ غالية تَزهو بِغاليةٍ

    فَيرخص الغاليان المال وَالعمرُ

    from every precious beauty radiant with costly perfume?

    Then the two precious things, wealth and life, are cheapened.

  22. شَمس عَلى غُصنِ بانٍ في كَثيب نقىً

    بِها زَها الداجيان اللَيل وَالشعرُ

    A sun on a bān-tree bough, amid a mound of fine sand,

    through her the two dark ones, night and hair, grew radiant.

  23. وَربّ أَحوَر مَعشوق الدَلال بِهِ

    قَد حارَت الثَقلان الجنّ وَالبَشَرُ

    And many a dark-eyed one, whose coquetry is adored, has

    bewildered the two orders of beings, jinn and humankind.

  24. أَشكو فأسكب دَمعي وَهوَ مُبتسم

    فَيجمع الساهِران البَرق وَالمَطَرُ

    I lament and pour out my tears while he smiles,

    so the two wakeful ones, lightning and rain, are joined.

  25. رِفقاً فَديتك يا ريم الصَريم فَقَد

    أَردانيَ الصارِمان اللَحظ وَالقَدَرُ

    Be gentle—may I be your ransom, gazelle of the thicket—for

    the two sharp blades, the glance and fate, have slain me.

  26. وا لوعتاه من اللاحي وَهجركَ لي

    بَراني المصميان اليَأس وَالضَجَرُ

    Alas for my burning anguish at the reproacher and your desertion of me!

    The two slayers, despair and vexation, have worn me down.

  27. مَن لي بِبَيع الهَوى وَالغيّ يَتبعهُ

    لا رَدَّه المُفسدان الغبن وَالغررُ

    Who will sell off passion for me, with waywardness trailing it?

    May the two spoilers, unfair loss and uncertainty, not annul it.

  28. وَما اِلتفاتي إِلى الغيد الحِسان إِذا

    مَحاسن القَوم لاحَت أَينما ذكروا

    And what care have I for graceful beauties when

    the people's virtues shine wherever they are mentioned?

  29. أَرى كَواكب مَجدٍ في الحِمى طَلعت

    مِنها البُدور وَمِنها الأَنجُم الزُهرُ

    I see stars of glory risen within the sanctuary;

    among them are full moons, and among them radiant stars.

  30. بَنو أَبيهم أَبوا إِلا الكَمال فَما

    لَهُم مِن الصيت إِلّا المندل العَطرُ

    Their father's sons, they refused all but perfection; thus

    their renown is nothing but fragrant aloeswood.