لم تَنَل بالسيوف في الحرب إِلاَّ

لم تَنَل بالسيوف في الحرب إِلاَّ

مثلما نِلتَ باللّواحِظ مِنَّا

مثلما نِلتَ باللّواحِظ مِنَّا

You won with swords in war no more

You have won by your glances as much as you attained with swords in war,

You did not achieve with swords in war,

than you won from us with your glances.

And the eyes of the deer are deer-like, and for this resemblance

More than you achieved from us with glances;

وعيونُ الظِّبا ظُباً وبهذا

وعيونُ الظِّبا ظُباً وبهذا

سُمِّىَ الجَفنُ للتَّشابُهِ جَفنَا

سُمِّىَ الجَفنُ للتَّشابُهِ جَفنَا

And gazelles’ eyes are sword blades; hence

The eyelid was metaphorically termed an eyelid.

For the eyes of gazelles are blades, and thus,

the eyelid was called a sheath, for the resemblance.

The eyelid was named a sheath for the resemblance.