أَباحَ اللَّه لِلظّبيِ المُفدّى

أَباحَ اللَّه لِلظّبيِ المُفدّى

عَذابَ الصبِّ دَوماً وَالجَفاءا

عَذابَ الصبِّ دَوماً وَالجَفاءا

God has permitted the dearly cherished gazelle

God has permitted the cherished gazelle

to torment me—the ardent lover—forever, and to shun me;

To torment the ardent lover forever and to spurn him.

وَحَرَّمَ سلوةَ الوَلهانِ دَوماً

وَحَرَّمَ سلوةَ الوَلهانِ دَوماً

وَأَوجَب في الغَرامِ لَهُ الفَناءا

وَأَوجَب في الغَرامِ لَهُ الفَناءا

and forever forbidden the lovestruck wanderer to forget,

And has forever forbidden the love-stricken solace,

ordaining annihilation for him in passion.

And decreed that he perish in love.

وَإِنّي قَد قَتَلت سُلوَّ قَلبي

وَإِنّي قَد قَتَلت سُلوَّ قَلبي

وَإِنّي مِنهُ أَجريتُ الدّماءا

وَإِنّي مِنهُ أَجريتُ الدّماءا

Yet I have slain my heart’s power to forget,

And indeed, I have killed my heart's solace,

and made the blood flow from it.

And indeed, I have made blood flow from it.

فَقالَ قَتلت ما أَضحى حَراماً

فَقالَ قَتلت ما أَضحى حَراماً

سَأَجعَلُ عَنهُ قتلتَك الجَزاءا

سَأَجعَلُ عَنهُ قتلتَك الجَزاءا

He said, “You have killed what has become forbidden;

Then he said, “You have killed what had become inviolable;

for that I shall make your death the recompense.”

I shall make your slaying the recompense for it.”

فَقُلت إِذا قَضيتَ عَليَّ قَتلاً

فَقُلت إِذا قَضيتَ عَليَّ قَتلاً

فَبِي لَكَ أَحسَنَ اللَّهُ العَزاءا

فَبِي لَكَ أَحسَنَ اللَّهُ العَزاءا

I said, “If you decree that I be slain,

So I said, “If you sentence me to death,

then may God console you well for losing me.

Then may God grant you good consolation for losing me.

وَفي قَتلي فَأَحسِن في قَضاءٍ

وَفي قَتلي فَأَحسِن في قَضاءٍ

خِيارُ النّاسِ أَحسَنُهم قَضاءا

خِيارُ النّاسِ أَحسَنُهم قَضاءا

And in killing me, carry out the decree well:

And in killing me, be gracious in repayment:

the best of people are those who best discharge what is due.”

The best of people are those who repay best.”