مليحٌ له المرآة أختٌ حبيبةٌ

مليحٌ له المرآة أختٌ حبيبةٌ

يقول لها ما يشتهى وتقولُ

يقول لها ما يشتهى وتقولُ

A handsome one, to whom the mirror is a beloved sister,

The mirror is beautiful to him, a beloved sister

He tells her what he desires, and she replies.

He tells her what he desires and she says

أساريره فيها أسارير شادن

أساريره فيها أسارير شادن

له في الظباء النافرات أصول

له في الظباء النافرات أصول

His features in her are those of a young gazelle,

His secrets in her are cheerful secrets

Whose roots lie among the skittish gazelles.

For him in the shy gazelles are origins

رأى وجهه فيها جميلاً ورائعاً

رأى وجهه فيها جميلاً ورائعاً

فأمسى وفي الأحشاء منه غليلُ

فأمسى وفي الأحشاء منه غليلُ

He saw his face in her, beautiful and splendid,

He saw his face in it beautiful and wonderful

So by evening it had left a burning thirst deep within him.

So he spent the night and in his insides is sickness

فأصبحت المرآة شهوة وروحه

فأصبحت المرآة شهوة وروحه

يميلُ عليها حانياً فتميل

يميلُ عليها حانياً فتميل

So the mirror became an object of desire, and his soul

So the mirror became a desire and his soul

Leans tenderly over her, and she leans in turn.

Inclines to it gently so it inclines

تقول له المرآة إنك ساحرٌ

تقول له المرآة إنك ساحرٌ

وإنك بالروح الجميل جميل

وإنك بالروح الجميل جميل

The mirror says to him: “You are enchanting,

The mirror tells him you are a sorcerer

And you are beautiful through your beautiful soul:

And you are beautiful with the beautiful spirit

عيونٌ كما شاء الفتون فواتك

عيونٌ كما شاء الفتون فواتك

وخدٌّ كما رام الغرام أسيل

وخدٌّ كما رام الغرام أسيل

Eyes—deadly, as allure wished,

Eyes as the flirtation wanted your weakness

And a cheek—smooth, as passion desired.”

And a cheek as the love wanted, flowing

ولم تقل المرآة ما طعم ريقهِ

ولم تقل المرآة ما طعم ريقهِ

إذا طاب عند الصبح وهو شمول

إذا طاب عند الصبح وهو شمول

Yet the mirror did not say what his saliva tastes like

And the mirror did not say what the taste of his saliva is

When it is sweet at dawn—and it is wine.

When it is good at dawn and he is tasting

رأى وجهه رأى الخيال فشاقه

رأى وجهه رأى الخيال فشاقه

وأمسى بأحلام الخيال يصول

وأمسى بأحلام الخيال يصول

He saw his face, saw the image, and it stirred his longing,

He saw his face he saw the imagination so it split him

And by evening he swaggered with dreams of that image.

And he spent the night with the dreams of imagination raging

فما رأيه إن قلت إني هصرتُه

فما رأيه إن قلت إني هصرتُه

وهصّرته والهاصرون قليلُ

وهصّرته والهاصرون قليلُ

What, then, would he think if I said I had clasped him,

So what did he see if I said I teased him

And clasped him tightly—though few are those who clasp?

And I teased him while the teasers are few

مليحٌ تحاماه العيون مهابةً

مليحٌ تحاماه العيون مهابةً

وكل مليح لا يرام جليل

وكل مليح لا يرام جليل

A handsome one whom eyes avoided in awe,

Beautiful he is protected by shy eyes

And every unattainable beauty is majestic.

And every beautiful one who is not sought is majestic

فقبّلت ثغريه وقبّلت خدَّهُ

فقبّلت ثغريه وقبّلت خدَّهُ

فأضحى قتيلاً والمحب قتول

فأضحى قتيلاً والمحب قتول

So I kissed his lips and kissed his cheek,

So I kissed his mouth and I kissed his cheek

So he fell slain, and the lover is a slayer.

And so he became slain and the lover is lethal

إذا قيل من هذا القتيل ذكرتهُ

إذا قيل من هذا القتيل ذكرتهُ

بخيرٍ وبعض القاتلين ختول

بخيرٍ وبعض القاتلين ختول

When asked, “Who is this slain man?” I speak of him

If it is said who is this slain one I remembered him

With praise—though some killers are deceitful.

With good and some of the killers are vile

سأنسى سانسى أنني قد عرفتهُ

سأنسى سانسى أنني قد عرفتهُ

لأني بجهر الحب فيه بخيل

لأني بجهر الحب فيه بخيل

I shall forget, I shall forget that I knew him,

I will forget, forget that I knew him

For I am miserly in openly professing my love for him.

Because I am stingy with public love for him