بردك فوق الخصر جار الرؤى
فخلفه تطفر جنّيّتان
Your garment above the waist borders the realm of visions, and behind it leap two nymphs.
Two she-devils that have chosen a paradise, for paradise may well find solace in two demons.
شيطانتان اصطفتا جنّة
قد تؤنس الجنّة شيطانتان
Their fiery wine is poured for the thirsty, and revelry in paradise is given free rein.
Longing draws them close, yet they remain afar; are they two breasts or two stars?
دارت على الظمأى حميّاهما
فاللهو في الجنّة طلق العنان
The melodies of youth ripple within them, as if your breasts were two sung verses.
Two nests not for birds, but for passion; two nests, nay, two vials of musk.
يدنيهما الشوق و لم تدنوا
فهل هما نهدان أم نجمتان
I hold perfumes that I have prepared for you: the fragrance of my desires and the scent of eloquence.
They sprinkled their sweet essence upon your beauty; do my two perfumes know what they do?
تموج ألحان الصبا فيهما
كأنّما نهداك أغرودتان
Your beauty is the essence of perfume in my paradise, despite its riches, and the purest frankincense.
So walk upon the sands, and my soul shall lay down roses and spread the fragrance of daisies.
عشّان لا للطّير بل للهوى
عشّان ، بل للمسك قاروتان
Your eyes are a sea; when it slumbered, the two shores leaned in and gathered its dreams.
The phantoms of desire slumber in your eyes; your eyes are two swings for yearnings.
عندي طيوب لك أعددتها
عطر لباناتي و عطر البيان
My heart and your earrings are allies in weariness; is it not time for these two fluttering things to tire?
And two locks of hair rested in my hands, poured out from the drunken darkness of the night.
رشّا على حسنك ريّاهما
فهل درى عطراي ما يفعلان
Their fragrance lingers even when they are gone, as if your tresses were two sprigs of basil.
You exchange winks with the full moon at a rendezvous, and I grew jealous when the two glances met.
حسنك عطر العطر في جنّتي
على غناها و لبان اللبان
It adorns the dreams in silver, while the sun weaves for you a crimson hue.
Yours are the full moon and the morning sun, and all that they forge and weave.
فاغدي على الرمل و روحي يضع
ورد و يفرش طيبه أقحوان
Your eyelids have unveiled the secret of the night; your eyelids are brimming with its dark mystery.
Your eyes laugh even when they are earnest; there is no magic in eyes that do not laugh.
عيناك بحر حين أغفى انحنت
فلملمت أحلامه الضفّتان
Your eyes speak though you utter no word, and they may speak at length or be brief.
And they never weary of the meanings of love; do they not reproach, do they not tire?
تغفو بعينيك طيوف المنى
عيناك للأشواق أرجوحتان
Slender in both sorrow and stature—does a willow branch grow amidst the blazing coals?
You descended into my heart as the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary; what then are the cedars of Lebanon or the oases of Damascus?
قلبي و قرطاك حليفا ضنى
ألم يئن أن يتعب الخافقان
Between us is the kinship of fragrance to fragrance; beauty and poetry are nurslings of the same breast.
My slumber sips from your breasts two cups brimming with tavern wine.
و خصلتان ارتاحتا في يدي
من الدجى المخمور مسكوبتان
The cup circled around you, and you made it sway in intoxication, and saffron went mad when it caught your scent.
The enchanted spring of youth is sipped by my heart, the dark-haired maiden, and the twin stars.
شذاهما باق و إن غابتا
كأنّما فرعاك ريحانتان
We drain it down to its very dregs, for we do not perish, but time itself fades away.
We drain it until youth returns, alongside our dark tresses and untamed vigor.
تغامزين البدر في موعد
فغرت لمّا التقت الغمزتان
Between us on a gentle hill, with its sweet green slopes and lovely peaks.
And a forest by which the late morning slumbers, whose sun sets before its time.
ينمنم الأحلام فضّيّة
و تنسج الشمس لك الأرجوان
Our graves lie there free of desolation, consoled in their solitude by the oak trees.
And a dome guarding the treasures of the dark, standing as a sentinel in the forest.
و ملكك البدر و شمس الضحى
و ما يصوغان و ما يغزلان
The spring and the dome remain in stillness; an age hurries by while they stay unhurried.
The world has not shaken their quiet patience; the world fades away, yet they remain unstartled.
قد باح جفناك بسرّ الدجى
جفناك من سرّ الدجى مترعان
And from amidst our shadows waved two hands dyed with henna.
I embraced the world of desires in my dark-skinned maiden; when we met, both worlds cried out in awe.
تضحك عيناك و إن جدّتا
لا سحر في عينين لا تضحكان
We crossed the boundaries of the universe; in the splendor of light, there are neither two Easts nor two Wests.
We crossed the boundaries of the universe, until every hidden thing met our very eyes.
تنطق عيناك و لم تنطقي
و قد تطيلان و قد توجزان
And what was lost of the stars' light returned to them, and the sun and the moon embraced.
And the whole world was distilled into an intoxicating scent, a virgin longing, or two kisses.
و لم تضيقا بمعاني الهوى
ألا تلومان ألا تتعبان
I revealed my secrets, so they drank deep of the fragrance, as wine casks broke open their ancient wine.
Our kin were not absent from our wedding feast; the sun and the stars attended the festival.
رشيقة الأحزان و القدّ . هل
ينبت في جمر الغضا غصن بان
And people know nothing of our sorrows; longing pities us, and tenderness weeps for our sake.
The waves lift me to towering heights and pull me down... the two scales never rest.
نزلت قلبي سدرة المنتهى
ما أرز لبنان و ما الغوطتان
The waves quaked with their mighty tremors, embraced by a gloom of smoke.
The tempest shook them until their pearls and gems overflowed, yielding wholly to my hands.
و بيننا قربى الشذى للشذى
ألحسن و الشعر رضيعا لبان
A prolonged ordeal I honored with patience, until time itself grew weary and softened.
The free man never despairs nor complains; for every raging sea has two shores.
ترشف من نهديك إغفاءتي
كأسين قد أترعتا بنت حان
I searched for my fear but could not find it; how could I perceive fear when you are my sanctuary?
God brought us close, so far above time; we are one with the light, transcending space.
طافت بك الكأس فرنّحتها
و جنّ لمّا شمّك الزعفران
Our faith illuminates the darkness, and the nectar of the call to prayer intoxicates the dawn.
We, our two hearts, and our deep secrets—are but a longing for God, and two sung melodies.
نبع الصبا المسحور يشتفّه
قلبي و السمراء و الفرقدان
Is her face my Qibla, or is it His Holy House? I seek God's forgiveness, for I face two Qiblas.
We desire embers for the incense of passion; but these embers are found in the Fire, not in Paradise.
نشتفّه حتّى ثمّالاته
فنحن لا نفنى و يفنى الزمان
Our prayer is light; from its glowing heat the morning radiates, and the twin luminaries blaze.
From our litany, the celestial spheres sing praise, while the morning and the stars exalt in awe.
نشتفّه حتّى يعود الصبا
و اللّمّة السوداء و العنفوان
The sun winks at me in passion's embrace, as two strands of her flowing hair envelop me.
My face—whose expressions deceive none—and my heart are two brightly polished mirrors.
و بيننا في ربوة سمحة
حلو السفوح الخضر ، حلو الرعان
I wrote 'In the Name of God,' turning the parchment into Eden, where 'In the Name of God' became two Houris.
Neither hardship nor adversity burdens me; God and my dark-skinned maiden are my true refuge.
و غابة يغفو الضحى عندها
و شمسها تغرب قبل الأوان
I bared my destitution at both their doors; there, the grievance is sweet, and submission is a joy.
قبورنا فيها بلا وحشة
يؤنسها في الوحدة السنديان
و قبّة تحرس كنز الدجى
كأنّها في الغابة الديدبان
و النبع و القبّة في هدأة
يسرع دهر و هما وانيان
ما هزّت الدنيا أناتيهما
فتغرب الدنيا و لا يدهشان
و لوّحت من بعض أفيائنا
كفّان بالحنّاء مخضوبتان
حضنت في السمراء دنيا المنى
حين التقينا كبّر العالمان
جزنا حدودو الكون ، لا مشرقان
في جلوة النّور ، و لا مغربان
جزنا حدود الكون ، حتّى التقى
كلّ مغيب عندنا بالعيان
و عاد للأنجم ما ضاع من
أضوائها و اعتنق الأزهران
و اختصر الدنيا شذا مسكر
أو لهفة عذراء أو قبلتان
بحت بأسراري فعبّوا الشذى
فضّت عن الراح العتيق الدنان
نا غاب عن أعراسنا أهلنا
ألشمس و الأنجم في المهرجان
و الناس لا تعرف أحزاننا
يرثى لنا الشوق و يبكي الحنان
يرفعني الموج . إلى شاهق
و حطّني .. لا تهدأ الكفّتان
زلزلت الأمواج زلزالها
و احتضنتها دجنة من دخان
قد رجّها العاصف حتى طغى
لؤلؤها – طوع يدي و الجمان
و محنة طالت و أكرمتها
بالصبر حتّى ملّ دهر فلان
لا يقنط الحرّ و لا يشتكي
لكلّ بحر هائج شاطئان
فتّشت عن خوفي فلم ألفه
كيف أرى الخوف و أنت الأمان
قرّبنا الله ففوق الزمان
نحن مع النور و فوق المكان
يضوّئ الظلمة إيماننا
و يسكر الفجر رحيق الأذان
نحن و قلبانا و أسرارنا
شوق إلى الله و أغنيّتان
أوجهها أم بيته قبلتي
أستغفر الله فلي قبلتان
نريد جمرا لبخور الهوى
في النار هذا الجمر لا في الجنان
صلاتنا النور فمن وهجها
شعّ الضحى و أتلق النيّران
من وردنا الأفلاك تسبيحة
و الصبح و النجمة تكبيرتان
تغمزني الشمس عناق الهوى
فلفّني من فرعها خصلتان
وجهي – و لم تخدع أساريره
و القلب مرآتان مجلوّتان
كتبت ( بسم الله ) فالطرس من
عدن ( و بسم الله ) حوريّتان
لم يعنني عسر و لا شدّة
الله و السمراء لي المستعان
عرّيت فقري عند بابيهما
و تعذّب الشكوى و يحلو الهوان
