Hundreds of coins of your youthful beauty are stamped upon hearts, and thousands of arrows of your sidelong glance are struck deep in the breasts.
In this couplet, the poet marvels at the absolute reign of the beloved's beauty over admirers. First, blooming youth is imagined like an imperial coin that stamps its undisputed authority across countless hearts, establishing total dominion. Then, that teasing, sidelong glance is pictured as a volley of sharp arrows striking right into lovers' chests. It captures that classic romantic paradox: beauty that effortlessly conquers like royalty, and glances that wound so exquisitely that the lover surrenders with delight.
Interpretation note: meanings and explanations may be AI-assisted and should not replace a primary text or scholarly edition. See the editorial policy.
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