أَتِلْكَ عُيُونٌ أَمْ نُجُومٌ مِنَ السَّمَا

إِذَا نَظَرَتْ فَالْخَطْبُ أَنْ تَتَكَلَّمَا

Are those eyes or stars from the sky

When they look, it's imperative they speak

فَيَرْجُفُ قَلْبِي مِنْ سَمَاعِ حَنِينِهَا

وَرَجْعُ الصَّدَى هَالَ الْحَنَايَا مَعَ الدِّمَا

My heart trembles from hearing their cooing

And the echo's return startles the sighs along with the blood

فَنَظْرَتَهَا الأُولَى فُؤَادِيَ مَا دَرَى

أَضَاءَ ظَلامِي أَمْ نَهَارِيَ أَظْلَمَا؟!

Her first glance, my heart did not realize

If it lit up my darkness or darkened my day?!

كَأَنِّي بِبَحْرٍ لا سَوَاحِلَ قَدْ تُرَى

أُسَافِرُ فِيهِ كَيْفَ أَرْسُو فَأَسْلَمَا

It's as if I'm in a sea with no shores to be seen

I sail in it, how do I anchor to be safe?

بِأَعْمَاقِهَا الأَسْرَارُ كَالدُّرِّ يَخْتَفِي

وَأَمْوَاجُهُ تَدْعُو لِتُقْدِمْ فَتَغْنَمَا

In their depths, secrets hide like pearls

And its waves call to proceed and gain

وَلَوْ غُصْتُ فِي الأَعْمَاقِ وَالْقَلْبُ وَاجِفٌ

أَأَغْنَمُ دُرًّا أَمْ هَلاكِيَ أُحْكِمَا؟

Even if I dove into the depths with a timid heart

Would I gain a pearl or my demise be sealed?

إِذَا أُغْمِضَتْ كَالشَّمْسِ حِينَ غُرُوبِهَا

تُوَدِّعُهَا الدُّنْيَا مَعَ الشَّوْقِ قَدْ نَمَا

When she closes them like the sun at its setting

The world bids it farewell, longing has grown

وَلَكِنَّ جَفْنَيْهَا كَمِثْلِ سَحَابَةٍ

فَتَنْهَلُ مِنْ دِفْءٍ وَنُورٌ تَبَسَّمَا

But her eyelids are like a small cloud

Trickling warmth and smiling light

وَحِينَ تَعُودُ الْكَوْنَ تَمْلأُ بَهْجَةً

وَيَزْهُو ضِيَاهَا مِنْ فُؤَادِي إِلَى السَّمَا

When they return, filling the universe with bliss

Its glow emanates from my heart up to the sky

فَيَا وَيْلَتَى صِرْتُ الأَسِيرَ لِنَظْرَةٍ

وَهَلْ قَطْرَةٌ تَرْوِي الْفُؤَادَ مِنَ الظَّمَا

Oh woe is me, I've become prisoner to a glance

Can a drop quench the heart of its thirst?

وَلَكِنْ سَأَرْضَى بِالْبِلالِ فَدُونَهُ

هَلاكٌ وَصَبْرًا فَالْمُنَى أَنْ تَكَرَّمَا

But I will be content with drizzles, beyond is

Demise, and with patience the end will be generous

وَيَا لَيْتَ شِعْرِي هَلْ إِذَا ازْدَدْتُ مَا أَرَى؟

أَرِيًّا أَمِ الصَّدَى يَهُولُ فَأَنْدَمَا

And oh, how I wish I knew, if I see more

Will I be gratified or will the echo terrify and I regret?

وَأَعْلَمُ أَنِّي كُلَّمَا ازْدَدْتُ نَظْرَةً

يَزِيدُ الصَّدَى وَالْقَلْبُ لَنْ يَتَعَلَّمَا

I know the more I glance, the louder the echo

And my heart will never learn