بَدرانِ مُنكَسِفانِ مِن ضَوءِ السُها

بَدرانِ مُنكَسِفانِ مِن ضَوءِ السُها

لا ذاكَ مَودودٌ وَلا هَذا حَسَن

لا ذاكَ مَودودٌ وَلا هَذا حَسَن

Two full moons, eclipsed by the light of al-Suhā—

Two full moons eclipsed by Suha's light.

neither that one Maḥmūd—praiseworthy—nor this one Ḥasan—handsome.

That one is not beloved (Mawdud), nor is this one handsome (Hasan).

اِثنانِ قَد تَرَكَتهُما عِرساهُما

اِثنانِ قَد تَرَكَتهُما عِرساهُما

ذا أَيَّلاً سامي القُرونِ وَذا رَسَن

ذا أَيَّلاً سامي القُرونِ وَذا رَسَن

Two men whom their own wives have abandoned:

Two men whose wives have left them—

one a stag with lofty antlers, the other a halter.

this one a stag with lofty antlers, and the other with a halter.

خانا فَلَو حَكَما عَلى عَينِ اِمريءٍ

خانا فَلَو حَكَما عَلى عَينِ اِمريءٍ

سَرَقا بِمَكرِهِما مِنَ الجفنِ الوَسَن

سَرَقا بِمَكرِهِما مِنَ الجفنِ الوَسَن

They acted treacherously; were they to sit in judgment over a man’s eye,

Both were treacherous: had they judged a man's eye,

with their cunning they would steal drowsiness from its lid.

they would have stolen slumber from its eyelid through their cunning.

فَسَأَلتُ هَل لَكُما قَرينٌ ثالِثٌ

فَسَأَلتُ هَل لَكُما قَرينٌ ثالِثٌ

قالا نَعَم عَرّج عَلى قاضي اليَمَن

قالا نَعَم عَرّج عَلى قاضي اليَمَن

So I asked, “Have you two a third companion?”

So I asked, 'Do you two have a third companion?'

They said, “Yes—call upon the judge of Yemen.”

They said, 'Yes—call on the judge of Yemen.'