بدتْ قمراً لهُ حظي ليالي
وجسمي في هواها كالهلالِ
She appeared like a moon, my nights were blessed by her
And my body in her love is like a crescent
ولاحتْ في المرآةِ فقلْ سماءٌ
تولتْها الملائِكُ بالصقالِ
When she appeared in the mirror, it said "This is a heaven"
Adorned by angels with polishing
ترقرقَ حسنها فيها فقالتْ
وفي الطاووسِ طبعُ الاختيالِ
Her beauty sparkled in it, so it said
"The peacock has the nature of pretentiousness"
وكانتْ كالغصونِ أصبنَ نهراً
فداعبْنَ الظِّلالَ على الزلالِ
She was like branches where a river flowed
So shadows played upon the smooth surface
وكنتُ لها بواحدةٍ قتيلاً
فكيفَ بها اثنتينِ على قتالي
And I was killed by her with one glance
So how about two of her glances in battle?
دعوها تدرِ منها ما درينا
وتنظر ما نظرنا من جمالِ
Leave her unleash what we have unleashed
And see what we have seen of her beauty
فما مرآتها إلا كتابٌ
يعدُّ لها جناياتُ الدلالِ
Her mirror is but a book
That counts her coquetries for her
وما اتهمتْ محاسنها ولكنْ
يكونُ سجيةً مرحُ الغزالِ
And I did not accuse her beauty, but
The playfulness of a gazelle is its nature
عساها صدَّقتْ ما أخبروها
بأن الطيفَ يسمحُ بالوصالِ
May she has believed what they told her
That an apparition allows union
فلازمتِ المرآةَ كما أراها
تحاولُ أنْ تُظَّفرَ بالخيالِ
So she kept staring in the mirror as I saw her
Trying to get hold of an illusion
وللحسناءِ آمالٌ وماذا
يؤملُ في السما غيرُ المحالِ
The beautiful one has hopes, but what
Can be hoped for in the sky except the impossible?
فيا مرآتها وصفاءَ قلبي
وعصرَ طفولتي وخلوَّ بالي
Oh, her mirror and my heart's purity
And the prime of my youth and my pure thoughts
ويا حظّي وحاجبها ودهري
وطرتَها وعينها وحالي
Oh my luck, her eyebrow, my fate
Her flightiness, her eye and my state
تقلبتِ الليالي بي ولما
يرعني إن تقلبتِ الليالي
The nights have changed with me, but when
Have I cared if the nights changed?
كأني صرتُ مرآةً لدهري
يرى يها محاسنهُ البوالي
It is as if I have become a mirror to my fate
Where it sees its excellent trials
فلم ينظرْ جبيني قَطُّ إلا
تنفسَ فيهِ بالهمِّ العُضالِ
So my forehead has never looked
Except it breathed worries and difficulties in it
فدَيتُكِ ساعةَ المرآةِ طولي
أمدكِ من لياليَّ الطوالِ
I ransom the moment of standing before the mirror
May it prolong my long nights for you
فما أحلى إذا وقفتْ إليها
تبالي بالجمالِ ولا تبالي
How beautiful when she stood before it
Indifferent to beauty or indifference
وبانتْ في الحليِّ طريقَ سبقٍ
لتستبقَ اليمينَ معَ الشمالِ
In her jewelry appeared a way of precedence
So the right competes with the left
وأعيى كفها الشعرُ اختلافاً
كما تعيى الهدايةُ بالضلالِ
Her wrist grew tired of the differing hair
As guidance grows tired of misguidance
ولاحتْ في لواحظها سِمَاةٌ
كا تجري المنيةُ في النّصالِ
In her glances shone a sharpness
As death flows through the blades
فلو نطقتْ لنا المرآةُ عنها
إذاً قالتْ تباركَ ذو الجلالِ
If only the mirror would speak of her
It would say "Blessed is He of Majesty"
