بيضُ الحمائم حسبهنَّهْ

أني أُردِّدُ سجعهنّهْ

The doves think

That I repeat their cooing,

رمزُ السلامة والودا

عة منذ بدءِ الخلق هُنَّه

The symbol of safety and affection

Since the beginning of creation.

في كلِّ روض فوق دا

نيةِ القطوف لهنَّ أَّنهْ

In every garden above the vines

Laden with fruit, for them is their place,

ويملْنَ والأَغصانَ ما

خَطَرَ النسيمُ بروضهنَّه

And they fill the branches that

The breeze has not stirred in the garden.

فإذا صلاهنَّ الهجي

ر هببْنَ نحو غدير هنَّه

When the hot wind blows they flutter

Towards their pond,

يهبطن بعد الحومْ مث

ل الوحي لا تدري بهَّه

They descend after the heat like

Revelation whose meaning none can grasp.

فإذا وقعن على الغديْ

ر ترتبتْ أسرابهنَّه

When they alight on the pond their flocks

Arrange themselves,

صفَّيْن طول الضّفَّتي

ن تعرَّجا بوقوفهنَّه

Lining the two banks winding

With their standing.

كلٌّ تقبِّلُ رسمَها

في الماءِ ساعةَ شُربهنَّهْ

Each kisses its reflection

In the water at drinking time,

يطفئنَ حرَّ جسومهن

نَ بغمسهنَّ صدور هَنَّه

Quenching the heat of their bodies

By dipping their breasts in it.

يقعُ الرَّشاشُ إذا انتفضْ

نَ لآلئاً لرؤوسهنَّه

Spray springs when they shake themselves

As pearls on their heads,

ويطرْنَ بعد الابترا

د إلى الغصونِ مهودهنَّه

And they fly after bathing

Back to their nests.

تُنبيك أجنحةٌ تصف

فق كيف كان سرورهنَّه

Wings lined up tell you

How happy they are,

ويُقر عينَكَ عبثهن

ن إذا جَثَمْن بريشهنّه

And their play delights you

When they squat on their feathers.

وتخالهنّ بلا رؤو

س حين يُقبلُ ليلهنّه

You imagine them headless

When night swallows them,

أخفينها تحت الجنا

ح ونمن ملءَ جفونهنّه

Hiding under the wings, sleeping

With eyes filled.

كم هجنني ورويتُ هن

هنّ الهديلَ فديتهنَّه

How often their cooing teased me,

And I envied them their gowns!

المحسناتُ إلى المري

ض غدونَ أشباهاً لهنّهْ

The beneficent to the sick

Are like them at dawn.

الروّض كالمستشفيا

تِ دواؤها إيناسهنّه

The garden is like a hospital

Whose medicine is their cheer.

ما الكهرباء وطبّها

بأجلَّ من نظراتهنّه

Electricity and its techniques

Are less potent than their glances.

يشفي العليلَ عناؤهن

نَ وعطفهنّ ولطفهنّه

Their sympathy and kindness cure

More effectively than medicine,

مُرُّ الدواء يفيك حل

وٌ من عذوبة نطقهنّهْ

Though it be bitter, a sweetness

From the charm of their speech.

مهلاً فعندي فارقٌ

بين الحمام وبينهنّه

But let me distinguish

Between doves and them -

فلربما انقطع الحما

ئم في الدُّجى عن شدوهنّه

Sometimes the doves may cease

Their singing in the darkness.

أمَّا جميلُ المحسنا

ت ففي النهار وفي الدجنّه

As for a beauty's kindness,

It is there night and day.