وأنتَ ابتدعتَ لناعورتينِ

وأنتَ ابتدعتَ لناعورتينِ

بدائعَ أَعيت فما تُوصفُ

بدائعَ أَعيت فما تُوصفُ

And you devised for two waterwheels

You created for us two fountains

Marvels that baffle and cannot be described.

With wonders beyond all description

هُما ضرّتانِ كمثلِ يَدَيكَ

هُما ضرّتانِ كمثلِ يَدَيكَ

إذا جارتا والحيا مُغدفُ

إذا جارتا والحيا مُغدفُ

They are two rival co-wives, like your two hands,

Two pools like your hands

When they vie as the rain pours down.

When they flow, alive stirs

كأنّهما منكبا يَدبُلِ

كأنّهما منكبا يَدبُلِ

ولكنّ يَذبُلَ لا يدلُفُ

ولكنّ يَذبُلَ لا يدلُفُ

They are like Yadbul's two shoulders,

As if they were shoulders rising

Yet Yadhbul does not move.

Yet they wither, not gather

كأنّهما هيبةٌ في العُيو

كأنّهما هيبةٌ في العُيو

نِ منك فتُغضي ولا تطرُفُ

نِ منك فتُغضي ولا تطرُفُ

As though they were awe within the eyes,

As if they were awe in caves

Inspired by you, so the eyes lower their gaze and do not blink.

From you, so they frown and don't wink

كأنّهما صاحبا غِلظةٍ

كأنّهما صاحبا غِلظةٍ

وبينهما عاشقٌ ملطفُ

وبينهما عاشقٌ ملطفُ

They are like two harsh-tempered men,

As if they were stern companions

And between them is a tender lover.

Between them a gentle lover

فمن هذِهِ صولةٌ تُستَراب

فمن هذِهِ صولةٌ تُستَراب

ومن هذه يحلُمُ الأحنفُ

ومن هذه يحلُمُ الأحنفُ

So from this one comes an onslaught that arouses misgivings,

So from this one, ferocity is doubted

And from this one al-Ahnaf draws forbearance.

And from this, the meek dreams

كأنّ الشفانينَ والمفصحات

كأنّ الشفانينَ والمفصحات

منَ الطّيرِ فوقهما تهتفُ

منَ الطّيرِ فوقهما تهتفُ

As though the turtledoves and the clear-voiced

As if the nightingales and songstresses

Birds were calling out above them.

Above them, twitter

وخافَت على مُحدثاتِ الثّمارِ

وخافَت على مُحدثاتِ الثّمارِ

إذا النّهرُ عن سقيها يضعفُ

إذا النّهرُ عن سقيها يضعفُ

And she feared for the newly formed fruit,

And the fruits' conversationalists feared

Should the river grow too weak to water it.

When the river weakens to water them

فمدّت إلى أرضها ثديَها

فمدّت إلى أرضها ثديَها

مع السدِّ فَهوَ الذي يرشفُ

مع السدِّ فَهوَ الذي يرشفُ

So she stretched her breast toward her land,

So she stretched her breasts to her land

Beside the dam, for it is the one that sips.

With the dam, as it sprinkles

وبينهُما مجلسٌ للملوكِ

وبينهُما مجلسٌ للملوكِ

بهِ من عزازتهِ يُحلفُ

بهِ من عزازتهِ يُحلفُ

And between them is a place for kings to sit,

And between them a seat for kings

By which oaths are sworn, so dearly is it prized.

By it, they swear by its glory

على قاعهِ لُجّةٌ من رخامِ

على قاعهِ لُجّةٌ من رخامِ

يُغرّقُ فيها ولا يتلفُ

يُغرّقُ فيها ولا يتلفُ

Upon its floor lies a deep sea of marble,

On its floor, smooth marble

One drowns in it, yet does not perish.

Floods it, and doesn't wear away

يلذّونَ من طلّها بِرشاشٍ

يلذّونَ من طلّها بِرشاشٍ

يفيقُ بهِ الهائمُ المدنفُ

يفيقُ بهِ الهائمُ المدنفُ

They delight in a spray of its dew,

They enjoy its dripping with sprinkling

Through which the lovesick, wasted man revives.

Waking the drowsy wanderer

ويُبطىءُ كالطّائر المستديرِ

ويُبطىءُ كالطّائر المستديرِ

عليهم ولكنّهُ يكنفُ

عليهم ولكنّهُ يكنفُ

And it drifts slowly, like a circling bird

And it hovers slowly like a circling bird

Above them, yet it shelters them.

Over them, but shields them

فليسَ يشكّونَ من لينهِ

فليسَ يشكّونَ من لينهِ

بأنّ نثائرهُ تندفُ

بأنّ نثائرهُ تندفُ

So, because of its softness, they have no doubt

So they don't complain of its softness

That its scattered droplets are being carded.

That its ripples drift away