أحل دمي الظبي الغرير تعمّدا

أحل دمي الظبي الغرير تعمّدا

وقد حظر الله الدماء وحرّما

وقد حظر الله الدماء وحرّما

The guileless gazelle deliberately made my blood lawful to shed,

I shed the noble gazelle's blood deliberately

though God has forbidden bloodshed and made it unlawful.

Though God has forbidden bloodshed and deemed it unlawful

وضعت له خدّي فتاه تجبّرا

وضعت له خدّي فتاه تجبّرا

وما ضرّه أفديه أن لو تكرّما

وما ضرّه أفديه أن لو تكرّما

I laid my cheek down for him, and he grew haughty and overbearing.

I offered my cheeks to him as he insisted arrogantly

And what harm would it have done him—may I be his ransom—had he been gracious?

It did him no harm if only he had shown some mercy

خلافا على حكم الهوى وتمرّدا

خلافا على حكم الهوى وتمرّدا

على الله شيء ما أشدّ وأعظما

على الله شيء ما أشدّ وأعظما

In defiance of love's decree, and in rebellion

Going against the rule of passion and rebelling

against God—how terrible and grave a thing!

Against God, nothing more severe and momentous

أريه انحرافا عنه والقلب عنده

أريه انحرافا عنه والقلب عنده

يراعيه إشفاقا إلى حيث يمّما

يراعيه إشفاقا إلى حيث يمّما

I make a show of turning away from him, while my heart is with him,

I show him deviation from it while my heart

watching over him with tender concern, wherever he turns.

Tends to it compassionately wherever it inclines