أَلا يا غزالاً أَعارَ الغَزالا

أَلا يا غزالاً أَعارَ الغَزالا

جَمالاً وَأَعطى القَضيب اِعتِدالا

جَمالاً وَأَعطى القَضيب اِعتِدالا

Ah, O gazelle who lent the gazelle

Alas, O gazelle who lent beauty to the gazelles

Beauty, and gave the bough its straightness!

And gave the branch uprightness

وَمِن فَرطِ شَوقي إِلى مُقلتيه

وَمِن فَرطِ شَوقي إِلى مُقلتيه

لِقَلبي أَنّي قطعت الحِبالا

لِقَلبي أَنّي قطعت الحِبالا

And so intense is my longing for his eyes

And from my extreme longing for his glances

That I have severed my heart's cords.

My heart - I cut the ropes

يَسُرُّكَ يا مُنَيتي أَن تَرى

يَسُرُّكَ يا مُنَيتي أَن تَرى

مُحِبُّكَ من أَسوأ الناس حالا

مُحِبُّكَ من أَسوأ الناس حالا

It pleases you, O my heart's desire, to see

It pleases you, my demise, to see

Your lover among the most wretched of people.

Your lover among the worst of people

فَلِلَّهِ دهر مَضى بِالوِصالِ

فَلِلَّهِ دهر مَضى بِالوِصالِ

فَما كانَ أَحسَن ذاكَ الوِصالا

فَما كانَ أَحسَن ذاكَ الوِصالا

So, God be praised for the time spent in union!

So by God a past time with union

And how lovely that union was!

How good that union was

وَلَمّا تَرَحَّلَت عَنّي بَكَيتُ

وَلَمّا تَرَحَّلَت عَنّي بَكَيتُ

بِدَمعٍ سَكوبٍ يَفيض اِنهِمالا

بِدَمعٍ سَكوبٍ يَفيض اِنهِمالا

And when she departed from me, I wept

And when she went away from me I cried

With streaming tears, overflowing in torrents.

With pouring tears flooding out

وقلت كما قال من نارِهِ

وقلت كما قال من نارِهِ

لِوَشكِ الفراق تزيد اِشتِعالا

لِوَشكِ الفراق تزيد اِشتِعالا

And I said, as did one whose fire

And said like one who from his fire

Burns fiercer as parting draws near:

To the verge of parting, increases inflammation

أَناخوا جِمالاً وَحازوا جَمالاً

أَناخوا جِمالاً وَحازوا جَمالاً

أَظُنُّ الأَحِبَّةَ راموا اِرتِحالا

أَظُنُّ الأَحِبَّةَ راموا اِرتِحالا

They made camels kneel and took possession of beauty;

They rested beauty and seized beauty

I think the loved ones intended to depart.

I think the lovers intended departure