وغزالة لغزالة خضعت ول

وغزالة لغزالة خضعت ول

كن وجهها متلفت لغزالتي

كن وجهها متلفت لغزالتي

And a gazelle bowed to a gazelle, but

A doe has bowed to a doe though her face was turned to my doe,

her face is turned toward my gazelle.

And both have bent their necks to my doe.

وكلاهما قد لقرن غزالة

وكلاهما قد لقرن غزالة

وجميع ذا عبد لعبد غزالتي

وجميع ذا عبد لعبد غزالتي

And both have indeed [bowed] to a gazelle’s horn;

All this is but a slave to the slave of my doe!

And all this is a slave to the slave of my gazelle.

A glance is magic and the eyelids a barrier,

اللحظ سحر والدياجي عقيصة

اللحظ سحر والدياجي عقيصة

وبنانها قضب الورق لفاقتي

وبنانها قضب الورق لفاقتي

The glance is magic, and the dark nights are a braid.

And her teeth are strips of paper outdoing my pages.

And her fingertips are silver rods for my need,

Like captives dyed with their blood,

كأسارى مخضوبة بدمائها

كأسارى مخضوبة بدمائها

رقمت بجوهر لؤلؤ فتاتي

رقمت بجوهر لؤلؤ فتاتي

Like captives stained with her blood,

Traced with the gems of my pearl debris.

Patterned with my maiden’s pearly gems.

The morning breeze wounds the parks of her cheek,

وريح الصبا تدمي مسارح خدها

وريح الصبا تدمي مسارح خدها

فحريرة جرحت بنان فتاتي

فحريرة جرحت بنان فتاتي

And the east wind makes the meadows of her cheek bleed;

So it has torn the strips of my pages.

So a piece of silk wounded my maiden’s fingertips.

The night is darker than her hair's cascades,

الليل أظلم من سوالق شعرها

الليل أظلم من سوالق شعرها

وبلوج صبح الصبح من لحظاتي

وبلوج صبح الصبح من لحظاتي

The night is darker than the [locks] of her hair,

And the dawn of dawn has swum from my glances.

And the breaking of morning’s dawn comes from my glances.

Wondrous that a thing has comprised two opposites in,

فاعجب لشيء قد حوى ضدين في

فاعجب لشيء قد حوى ضدين في

عنج عجيب أصله لمعاتي

عنج عجيب أصله لمعاتي

So marvel at a thing that has encompassed two opposites in

A strange knot whose origin is my flashes.

a wondrous coquetry whose source is my gleams.

Three tresses have appeared in her night,

برزت ثلاث ذوائب في ليلها

برزت ثلاث ذوائب في ليلها

فاعجب لليل رايع بذواتي

فاعجب لليل رايع بذواتي

Three tresses emerged in her night;

Wondrous the agreeable night with my selves.

So marvel at a night wondrous with my selves.

The trinkets called to the tresses from the sky,

وخلاخل دعت الذوائب من سما

وخلاخل دعت الذوائب من سما

فدنت إليها مجيبة كظباتي

فدنت إليها مجيبة كظباتي

And anklets called the tresses from the sky;

So they drew near responding like my gazelles.

So they drew near to them, answering like my blade-points.

The moon of her mouth turned into unrelenting,

ثغر المها أضحى كبرق لامق

ثغر المها أضحى كبرق لامق

من ذا يقبل برق برد سقاتي

من ذا يقبل برق برد سقاتي

The oryx’s mouth has become like glancing lightning;

Lightning, who would kiss the cool lightning of my drink?

Who is it that kisses the lightning of my cupbearers’ hail?

She mixed the wine of her mouth with amiability,

مزجت رضاب مدامها بسلافة

مزجت رضاب مدامها بسلافة

نحو الحدائق وصلها جناتي

نحو الحدائق وصلها جناتي

She mingled her wine’s sweet saliva with choice wine;

Towards the gardens, joined by my heavens.

Toward the gardens—union with her is my paradises.

And the arrows of a glancing eye along with her temples’ scorpions -

وسهام لحظ مع عقارب صدغها

وسهام لحظ مع عقارب صدغها

من ذا يطيق وصالها ونجاتي

من ذا يطيق وصالها ونجاتي

And arrows of a glance, with the scorpions of her temple—

Who could endure her union and salvation?

Who can bear union with her and my deliverance?