وَقابَلَني بِالحُسنِ أَبيَضُ ناعِمٌ

وَقابَلَني بِالحُسنِ أَبيَضُ ناعِمٌ

وَأَسمَرُ حُلوٌ أَصبَحا فِتنَةَ الوَرى

وَأَسمَرُ حُلوٌ أَصبَحا فِتنَةَ الوَرى

And a fair, tender one met me with beauty,

He met me with beauty—fair, soft-skinned,

and a sweet, brown-skinned one; both became a temptation to all.

And a dark one, sweet, who at dawn were the world's temptation,

فَذا سَلَّ مِن جَفنَيهِ للضَربِ أَبيَضاً

فَذا سَلَّ مِن جَفنَيهِ للضَربِ أَبيَضاً

وَذا هَزَّ مِن عِطفَيهِ لِلطَعنِ أَسمَرا

وَذا هَزَّ مِن عِطفَيهِ لِلطَعنِ أَسمَرا

So this one drew a white blade from his eyelids to strike,

So one released arrows from his eyelids when he glanced,

and that one brandished a brown spear from his sides to pierce.

And the other shook spears from his shoulders when he turned.

وَقَد صارَ لي شُغلٌ بِحبيهِما مَعاً

وَقَد صارَ لي شُغلٌ بِحبيهِما مَعاً

فَأَيُّهما يَنأى فَصفوي تَكَدَّرا

فَأَيُّهما يَنأى فَصفوي تَكَدَّرا

And now I am absorbed in loving them both at once;

And loving them both has now become my occupation.

so if either of them draws away, my peace is clouded.

So which of them moves remote, and my joy is troubled?

وَإِن يَقرُبا كانَت حَياتي لَذيذَةً

وَإِن يَقرُبا كانَت حَياتي لَذيذَةً

وَإِن يبعُدا عَنّي أَرى المَوتَ أَحمَرا

وَإِن يبعُدا عَنّي أَرى المَوتَ أَحمَرا

And if they both draw near, my life is sweet;

And if they draw near, my life becomes delicious,

and if they both go far from me, I behold red death.

But if they distance from me, I see death dyed red.

فَيا لَيتَ قَلبي قَد تَعَنّى بِواحِدٍ

فَيا لَيتَ قَلبي قَد تَعَنّى بِواحِدٍ

فَيَغنى بِه لَكن فُؤادِي تَشَطَّرا

فَيَغنى بِه لَكن فُؤادِي تَشَطَّرا

Ah, if only my heart had suffered for just one,

Would that my heart had been satisfied with just one—

so it might be content with him—but my heart has split in two.

It would suffice me, but my breast was cleft in two,

فَشَطرٌ لَدى مَن لا شُعورَ لَهُ بِهِ

فَشَطرٌ لَدى مَن لا شُعورَ لَهُ بِهِ

وَشَطرٌ لَدى ريمٍ دَرى مِنهُ وَما دَرى

وَشَطرٌ لَدى ريمٍ دَرى مِنهُ وَما دَرى

So half lies with one who is unaware of it,

One half lies with one who knows not of my love,

and half with a gazelle who knew of it, yet did not know.

One half lies with a gazelle who knows and knows not.

فَيا عَجَباً للصَّبِّ قَسَّمَ قَلبَه

فَيا عَجَباً للصَّبِّ قَسَّمَ قَلبَه

هَوى اِثنينِ هَذا القَلبُ أَعجَبُ ما يُرى

هَوى اِثنينِ هَذا القَلبُ أَعجَبُ ما يُرى

Oh, the wonder of the lovesick lover whose heart was divided

How strange is passion—it split his heart in two!

by love for two! This heart is the strangest thing to behold.

This heart falling for two—the strangest thing to see.