مرَّ بنا ظبيٌّ حريريّ

مرَّ بنا ظبيٌّ حريريّ

عَذْب اللَمى في عِطْفِه لَيُّ

عَذْب اللَمى في عِطْفِه لَيُّ

A silken gazelle passed us by,

A gazelle passed by us, silk-soft,

With sweet, dusky lips and a sway in his flank.

Sweet of glance, gentle of shoulder.

يا ما أُحيلاه إِذا ما شدا

يا ما أُحيلاه إِذا ما شدا

نقول قد جاء السريجيُّ

نقول قد جاء السريجيُّ

Oh, how sweet he is whenever he sings!

How lovely when it raced!

We say, “Al-Surayji has indeed come!”

We said, “The Syrian has come.”

ما أغنج الألحاظ في طَرْفهِ

ما أغنج الألحاظ في طَرْفهِ

وخدُّه باللحظِ مجنيُّ

وخدُّه باللحظِ مجنيُّ

How coquettish the glances in his eyes!

How languid were the eyes from its glance,

And his cheek is plucked by a glance.

Its cheek from the gaze, inclining.

فظرفه للفرسِ إِمّا بدا

فظرفه للفرسِ إِمّا بدا

ونطْقُهُ نطقٌ حجازيُّ

ونطْقُهُ نطقٌ حجازيُّ

So his elegance is Persian whenever he appears,

Its leg for the horse as though it started to run,

And his speech is the speech of the Hijaz.

Its speech, speech of the Hejaz.