رُبَّ غَزالٍ كَأَنَّهُ قَمَرٌ

رُبَّ غَزالٍ كَأَنَّهُ قَمَرٌ

لاحَ فَجَلّى الدُجونَ في البَلَدِ

لاحَ فَجَلّى الدُجونَ في البَلَدِ

Many a gazelle, as though he were a moon,

Many a gazelle is like the moon

Many a gazelle, radiant as the moon,

Shone forth and dispelled the gloom in the town.

Shining and illuminating the lands

Appeared, and banished darkness from the land.

سَأَلتُهُ الوَصلَ كَي يَجودَ بِهِ

سَأَلتُهُ الوَصلَ كَي يَجودَ بِهِ

فَضَنَّ عَنّي بِهِ وَلَم يَجُدِ

فَضَنَّ عَنّي بِهِ وَلَم يَجُدِ

I asked him for union, that he might grant it,

I asked him for union to be generous with it

I asked him for union, that he might grant it,

But he withheld it from me and would not grant it.

But he was stingy with it and did not give

But he withheld himself and would not yield.

فَقُلتُ لِلظَبيِ في صُعوبَتِهِ

فَقُلتُ لِلظَبيِ في صُعوبَتِهِ

يا طَيِّبَ الروحِ طَيِّبَ الجَسَدِ

يا طَيِّبَ الروحِ طَيِّبَ الجَسَدِ

So I said to the gazelle as he resisted:

So I said to the shy gazelle

So I said to the fawn, in his obstinacy:

“O sweet of spirit, sweet of body!

Of sweet spirit and sweet body

"O sweet of spirit, O sweet of form!"

كَم مِن أَخٍ جادَ بِالوِصالِ فَما

كَم مِن أَخٍ جادَ بِالوِصالِ فَما

أُحبِلَ مِن وَصلِنا وَلَم يَلِدِ

أُحبِلَ مِن وَصلِنا وَلَم يَلِدِ

How many a friend has freely granted union, yet none

How many a brother was generous with union but

"How many a friend has granted us his favor,"

Was made pregnant by our union or gave birth!”

No child was conceived from our union

"Who neither conceived from our touch nor bore a child."

فَقالَ هَيهاتَ ذا تُرَقِّقُني

فَقالَ هَيهاتَ ذا تُرَقِّقُني

وَلَن يَرِقَّ الغَزالُ لِلأَسَدِ

وَلَن يَرِقَّ الغَزالُ لِلأَسَدِ

Then he said, “Far from it! Would you soften me with this?

He said alas, this would make me gentle

He replied: "Away! Do you seek to soften me with this?"

The gazelle will never soften toward the lion.”

And the gazelle will never be gentle to the lion

"For the gazelle shall never soften to the lion."

فَقُلتُ دَعنا وَقُم لِنَأخُذَها

فَقُلتُ دَعنا وَقُم لِنَأخُذَها

مِمّا تُزِفُّ العُلوجُ بِالعُمُدِ

مِمّا تُزِفُّ العُلوجُ بِالعُمُدِ

So I said, “Let us drop this; rise, and let us take some

So I said leave it and let's take it

I said: "Let us leave this talk, and rise to take"

Of what the foreign men bear on poles—

From the daughter of a generous man, when you clap for her

"That which the foreigners bear forth upon their poles—"

مِن بِنتِ كَرمٍ إِذا تُصَفِّقَها

مِن بِنتِ كَرمٍ إِذا تُصَفِّقَها

بِماءِ مُزنٍ رَمَتكَ بِالزَبَدِ

بِماءِ مُزنٍ رَمَتكَ بِالزَبَدِ

The vine’s daughter, which, when you mix it

With Muzn's water she throws you white foam

"A daughter of the vine; when you mingle her"

With rain-cloud water, flings foam at you.”

Until when I was confident with it

"With water of the clouds, she casts her foam at you."

حَتّى إِذا ما أَتى صَدَرتُ بِهِ

حَتّى إِذا ما أَتى صَدَرتُ بِهِ

عَن كُلِّ واشٍ وَعَن ذَوي الحَسَدِ

عَن كُلِّ واشٍ وَعَن ذَوي الحَسَدِ

When at last he came, I withdrew with him

From all whisperers and those envious

And when he came near, I withdrew with him,

Away from every tale-bearer and from the envious.

I made him enter the large saddlebags but I did not stop

Far from every slanderer and envious eye.

أَوجَرتُهُ القَرقَفَ العُقارَ فَما اِن

أَوجَرتُهُ القَرقَفَ العُقارَ فَما اِن

تَهَيتُ حَتّى اِتَّكى عَلى العَضُدِ

تَهَيتُ حَتّى اِتَّكى عَلى العَضُدِ

I poured the shiver-inducing wine down his throat; scarcely had I

Until he leaned on the shoulder

I plied him with strong vintage, stopping not

Finished when he reclined on his upper arm.

So I got up until I removed his loincloth

Until he swooned and leaned upon my arm.

فَقُمتُ حَتّى حَلَلتُ مِئزَرَهُ

فَقُمتُ حَتّى حَلَلتُ مِئزَرَهُ

مِنهُ وَسَوَّيتُ فَخذَهُ بِيَدي

مِنهُ وَسَوَّيتُ فَخذَهُ بِيَدي

So I rose and untied his waistcloth

From him and straightened his thigh with my hand

Then I arose to loose his waist-wrapper,

From him, and straightened his thigh with my hand.

Then we embraced and I kept kissing him

And with my hand, I smoothed his thigh.

ثُمَّ اِعتَنَقنا وَظَلتُ أَلثُمُهُ

ثُمَّ اِعتَنَقنا وَظَلتُ أَلثُمُهُ

وَثَغرُهُ مِثلُ ساقِطِ البَرَدِ

وَثَغرُهُ مِثلُ ساقِطِ البَرَدِ

Then we embraced, and I kept kissing him,

His mouth like falling hail

We embraced, and I continued kissing him,

And his mouth was like falling hail.

So he got up when his intoxication dispersed

His mouth cool and sweet as fallen hail.

فَقامَ لَمّا اِنجَلَت عَمايَتُهُ

فَقامَ لَمّا اِنجَلَت عَمايَتُهُ

حَليفَ حُزنٍ مُوَلَّعَ الكَمَدِ

حَليفَ حُزنٍ مُوَلَّعَ الكَمَدِ

Then he rose when his stupor cleared,

A confidante of sorrow, sparkling coals

He rose, when his stupor had unveiled itself,

An ally of sorrow, consumed by anguish.

Wedded to sadness, consumed by deep regret.