أَتِلْكَ عُيُونٌ أَمْ نُجُومٌ مِنَ السَّمَا

أَتِلْكَ عُيُونٌ أَمْ نُجُومٌ مِنَ السَّمَا

إِذَا نَظَرَتْ فَالْخَطْبُ أَنْ تَتَكَلَّمَا

إِذَا نَظَرَتْ فَالْخَطْبُ أَنْ تَتَكَلَّمَا

Are those eyes, or stars from the sky?

Are those eyes or stars from the sky

When they gaze, the peril is that they speak.

When they look, it's imperative they speak

فَيَرْجُفُ قَلْبِي مِنْ سَمَاعِ حَنِينِهَا

فَيَرْجُفُ قَلْبِي مِنْ سَمَاعِ حَنِينِهَا

وَرَجْعُ الصَّدَى هَالَ الْحَنَايَا مَعَ الدِّمَا

وَرَجْعُ الصَّدَى هَالَ الْحَنَايَا مَعَ الدِّمَا

Then my heart trembles at the sound of their yearning.

My heart trembles from hearing their cooing

And the returning echo struck terror through my ribs and blood.

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

فَنَظْرَتَهَا الأُولَى فُؤَادِيَ مَا دَرَى

فَنَظْرَتَهَا الأُولَى فُؤَادِيَ مَا دَرَى

أَضَاءَ ظَلامِي أَمْ نَهَارِيَ أَظْلَمَا؟!

أَضَاءَ ظَلامِي أَمْ نَهَارِيَ أَظْلَمَا؟!

For at their first glance, my heart could not tell:

Her first glance, my heart did not realize

Had my darkness brightened, or had my daylight darkened?!

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

كَأَنِّي بِبَحْرٍ لا سَوَاحِلَ قَدْ تُرَى

كَأَنِّي بِبَحْرٍ لا سَوَاحِلَ قَدْ تُرَى

أُسَافِرُ فِيهِ كَيْفَ أَرْسُو فَأَسْلَمَا

أُسَافِرُ فِيهِ كَيْفَ أَرْسُو فَأَسْلَمَا

As though I were at sea, with no shores to be seen,

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

I journey on it—how can I anchor and be safe?

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

بِأَعْمَاقِهَا الأَسْرَارُ كَالدُّرِّ يَخْتَفِي

بِأَعْمَاقِهَا الأَسْرَارُ كَالدُّرِّ يَخْتَفِي

وَأَمْوَاجُهُ تَدْعُو لِتُقْدِمْ فَتَغْنَمَا

وَأَمْوَاجُهُ تَدْعُو لِتُقْدِمْ فَتَغْنَمَا

In their depths, secrets lie hidden like pearls,

In their depths, secrets hide like pearls

And its waves call: 'Venture forth and win!'

And its waves call to proceed and gain

وَلَوْ غُصْتُ فِي الأَعْمَاقِ وَالْقَلْبُ وَاجِفٌ

وَلَوْ غُصْتُ فِي الأَعْمَاقِ وَالْقَلْبُ وَاجِفٌ

أَأَغْنَمُ دُرًّا أَمْ هَلاكِيَ أُحْكِمَا؟

أَأَغْنَمُ دُرًّا أَمْ هَلاكِيَ أُحْكِمَا؟

And were I to dive into the depths, my heart trembling,

Even if I dove into the depths with a timid heart

Would I gain pearls, or seal my own doom?

Would I gain a pearl or my demise be sealed?

إِذَا أُغْمِضَتْ كَالشَّمْسِ حِينَ غُرُوبِهَا

إِذَا أُغْمِضَتْ كَالشَّمْسِ حِينَ غُرُوبِهَا

تُوَدِّعُهَا الدُّنْيَا مَعَ الشَّوْقِ قَدْ نَمَا

تُوَدِّعُهَا الدُّنْيَا مَعَ الشَّوْقِ قَدْ نَمَا

When they are closed, like the sun at its setting,

When she closes them like the sun at its setting

The world bids them farewell, while longing has grown.

The world bids it farewell, longing has grown

وَلَكِنَّ جَفْنَيْهَا كَمِثْلِ سَحَابَةٍ

وَلَكِنَّ جَفْنَيْهَا كَمِثْلِ سَحَابَةٍ

فَتَنْهَلُ مِنْ دِفْءٍ وَنُورٌ تَبَسَّمَا

فَتَنْهَلُ مِنْ دِفْءٍ وَنُورٌ تَبَسَّمَا

But their two eyelids are like a cloud,

But her eyelids are like a small cloud

So you drink of warmth, and light smiles.

Trickling warmth and smiling light

وَحِينَ تَعُودُ الْكَوْنَ تَمْلأُ بَهْجَةً

وَحِينَ تَعُودُ الْكَوْنَ تَمْلأُ بَهْجَةً

وَيَزْهُو ضِيَاهَا مِنْ فُؤَادِي إِلَى السَّمَا

وَيَزْهُو ضِيَاهَا مِنْ فُؤَادِي إِلَى السَّمَا

And when they return, they fill the universe with joy,

When they return, filling the universe with bliss

And their radiance shines from my heart to the sky.

Its glow emanates from my heart up to the sky

فَيَا وَيْلَتَى صِرْتُ الأَسِيرَ لِنَظْرَةٍ

فَيَا وَيْلَتَى صِرْتُ الأَسِيرَ لِنَظْرَةٍ

وَهَلْ قَطْرَةٌ تَرْوِي الْفُؤَادَ مِنَ الظَّمَا

وَهَلْ قَطْرَةٌ تَرْوِي الْفُؤَادَ مِنَ الظَّمَا

So, woe is me! I have become the captive of a glance.

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

And can a drop quench the heart's thirst?

Can a drop quench the heart of its thirst?

وَلَكِنْ سَأَرْضَى بِالْبِلالِ فَدُونَهُ

وَلَكِنْ سَأَرْضَى بِالْبِلالِ فَدُونَهُ

هَلاكٌ وَصَبْرًا فَالْمُنَى أَنْ تَكَرَّمَا

هَلاكٌ وَصَبْرًا فَالْمُنَى أَنْ تَكَرَّمَا

Yet I shall be content with moisture, for without it

But I will be content with drizzles, beyond is

There is ruin—so patience, for the hope is that they be generous.

Demise, and with patience the end will be generous

وَيَا لَيْتَ شِعْرِي هَلْ إِذَا ازْدَدْتُ مَا أَرَى؟

وَيَا لَيْتَ شِعْرِي هَلْ إِذَا ازْدَدْتُ مَا أَرَى؟

أَرِيًّا أَمِ الصَّدَى يَهُولُ فَأَنْدَمَا

أَرِيًّا أَمِ الصَّدَى يَهُولُ فَأَنْدَمَا

And would that I knew: if I take more, what shall I see?

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

Relief from thirst—or thirst that terrifies me, leaving me regretful?

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

وَأَعْلَمُ أَنِّي كُلَّمَا ازْدَدْتُ نَظْرَةً

وَأَعْلَمُ أَنِّي كُلَّمَا ازْدَدْتُ نَظْرَةً

يَزِيدُ الصَّدَى وَالْقَلْبُ لَنْ يَتَعَلَّمَا

يَزِيدُ الصَّدَى وَالْقَلْبُ لَنْ يَتَعَلَّمَا

And I know that with every extra glance I take,

I know the more I glance, the louder the echo

Thirst increases, and the heart will never learn.

And my heart will never learn