أصَوْبُ الحَيا جادَ أمْ دمْعُ عَيني
فحَيّا المَعاهِدَ بالرّقْمَتَيْنِ
Is the best of life earnest or a tear from my eye?
Greet him who pledged with the two palms,
غَراماً بمَنْ سارَ وصفُ حُلاها
مَسيرَ الكَواكِبِ في الخافِقَيْنِ
Passionately loving the one whose appearance journeyed
Like the planets course between the horizon's curves,
وذكّرَني عهْدَها بالحِمى
سَنا بارِقٍ لاحَ بالأبْرَقَيْنِ
And reminded me of her protection of the sanctuary,
A lightning bolt gleamed, flashing between the two clouds,
وأنْ أطْلَعَتْ وجْهَها مُشْرِقاً
طُلوعَ الصّباحِ من المَشْرِقَيْنِ
Her face shone radiantly
Like the sunrise between the two easts,
نَعِمْتُ بها تحتَ خفْقِ الظِّلالِ
نعيمَ المُهنّأ بالجنّتَيْنِ
I delighted in her beneath the fluttering shadows
The delight of the fortunate between the two gardens,
وما خمرةُ الكأسِ ما بَيْننا
بأعْذَبَ من خمرةِ المرْشفَيْنِ
And the wine between us was not
Sweeter than the wine of the two chalices,
وكنّا كما شاءَ حُكْمُ الهَوى
خليلَيْنِ في القُرْبِ كالفَرْقَدَيْنِ
We were as the madness of love desired,
Two intimates in closeness like two turtle doves,
وأمّا وقد بعُدَ المُلْتَقى
فَيا بُعْدَ ما بيْنَ صَبْري وبيْني
But when the meeting place grew distant,
Oh how distant between my patience and me!
إلى أيّ جنبٍ أرِيحُ الفُؤادَ
ونارُ الصّبابةِ في الجانبَيْنِ
To which side do I rest my heart
With the fire of youth on both flanks?
ولم أنسَها يوْمَ ساروا بها
نَشيدةَ قلبٍ وإنسانَ عيْنِ
I did not forget her the day they departed with her,
The melody of a heart and the companion of an eye,
وبُعْدُ الدّيارِ وشمْسُ النّهارِ
يُذيبانِ قلبيَ بالجَمْرَتيْنِ
The distance of home and the sun of day
Melt my heart with the two embers,
أشارَتْ براحَتِها إذ أراحُوا
فَما أشْوَقَ القَلْبَ للرّاحتَيْنِ
She gestured with her hand when they rested,
How it lengthens the heart for the two hands!
ألا عاذِرٌ ليَ في مَطْلَبي
إلى كمْ أرى العدْلَ يلْوي بدَيْنِ
Who will excuse me in my request
To where I see justice itself twist and bend?
صِفاتُ الكَمالِ وسرُّ الجَمالِ
أتى منهُما الدّهْرُ بالمُعْجِبَيْنِ
The qualities of perfection and the secret of beauty
Brought together the two wondrous ones,
تُريكَ القَساوةَ في قلبِها
وتُبْدي لك اللّينَ في المَعْطِفَيْنِ
It shows you harshness in her heart
And reveals to you softness in her two wrists,
ففي القدِّ ثانيةٌ للقَضيبِ
وفي الوجْهِ ثالثةُ النيّريْنِ
In her height is a second to the rod,
And in her face a third to the two lights,
إذا شِئْتَ زهْراً ففي الثّغْرِ منها
وإن شِئْتَ ورْداً ففي الوجْنتَيْنِ
If you wish a flower, from her mouth,
If you wish a rose, in her two cheeks,
يَرومُ جَناها حليفُ الهَوى
فتحْرُسُها أسْهُمُ المُقْلَتيْنِ
The confidant of love hopes for her embrace
While the arrows of her eyes stand guard,
تُصيبُ القلوبَ إذا ما رمَتْ
بها عن قِسيٍّ منَ الحاجبَيْنِ
They pierce hearts when she shoots
From a bow of slightly bent eyebrows,
