لم أنسَهُ والقوسُ في يدِهِ

لم أنسَهُ والقوسُ في يدِهِ

يرمي غَزالاً مثلَهُ فَرِقَا

يرمي غَزالاً مثلَهُ فَرِقَا

I have not forgotten him, the bow in his hand,

I did not forget him with his bow in hand

Shooting at a frightened gazelle like himself.

Shooting a gazelle the same as him completely infatuated

والركضُ يفتحُ فوقَ وجنتِهِ

والركضُ يفتحُ فوقَ وجنتِهِ

ورْداً ويملأُ وردَهُ عَرَقَا

ورْداً ويملأُ وردَهُ عَرَقَا

And running brings into bloom upon his cheek

And running opens above his cheeks

A rose, and fills his rose with sweat.

A rose filling its pink with sweat

ورمَى بسهمَيْ مقلةٍ ويَدٍ

ورمَى بسهمَيْ مقلةٍ ويَدٍ

نحرَ الغزالِ وقلبَ من عَشِقَا

نحرَ الغزالِ وقلبَ من عَشِقَا

And with two arrows—of eye and hand—he struck

And he shot with two eyelids and a hand

The gazelle’s throat and the heart of one who loved.

Slaughtering the gazelle and a heart from passion

باللّهِ ما أدري وقد نَفَذا

باللّهِ ما أدري وقد نَفَذا

أأصابَ عمداً أو كما اتَّفقَا

أأصابَ عمداً أو كما اتَّفقَا

By God, I do not know, though both pierced through,

By Allah, I do not know, and after they pierced

Whether he struck deliberately or merely by chance.

Whether he hit deliberately or as coincidence willed