سَلْ بِذي الضَّالِ والسَّمُرْ

ظَبْيَةَ البانِ

Ask the one with loss and vigil

The antelope of the desert

هَلْ رأتْ مثلَ ذي المُقَلْ

لِرَشاً ثانِ

Has she seen one with twisted locks

To a second loosened hair

مَنْ لِظَبْيٍ بأعيُنِ

كُحِّلَتْ سِحْرا

Who would resist eyes of a gazelle

Lined heavily with kohl

لَوْ حَواها لم يَنْثَنِ

يأْلَفُ القَفْرا

Were she to look his way, he would not recoil

He'd befriend the barren land

بَلْ غَدا في تَوَطُّنِ

قَلْبِيَ المُغْرَى

But it settled in my passionate heart

The only home, the beloved lands

قَدْ أبي الغُنْجُ والحَوَرُ

غَيْرَ أشجاني

I shun revelry and damsels’ play

But my sorrows and longing remain

فاصْرِفا عَنِّيَ العَذَلْ

لا تَلُوماني

So turn from me blame and rebuke

Do not reproach or punish me

من عَذِيري إذا رَنا

مِنْ هَوَى خِشْفِ

When I cry aloud, drunk with love

And longing fists my heart

أشْرَعَ اللَّحْظَ كالقَنا

قاصِداً حَتفي

My glances like arrows sped

To strike my fate and doom

ودَعا القلبُ مؤذنا ل

منه بالزَّحْفِ

My heart called, rallying me

To march and not to flee

أين لا أينَ لا وَزَهْ

لِشَجٍ عان

Where, oh where, can I find rest

From agony, from pain?

أعْزلٍ عَنْ ظُبا أسَلْ

غُنجِ أجفانِ

Parted from a lovely gazelle

Of heavy-lidded eyes

هَلْ إلى الوَصْلِ مَسْلَكُ

أو إلى الصَّبرِ

Is there a path to union

Or must I only brace?

طالَ هذا التَّهتُّكُ

وفَشا سِرّي

Long has this misery endured

My secret's widely known

سهمُ عينيكِ أفْتَكُ

مِنْ شَبا السُّمْرِ

Your eyes' arrows mortal are

Of Indian aloes’ poison

ما عَلى مُهجتي أضَرّْ

يَوْمَ عُدوانِ

No blade has ever pained my soul

On the day we faced each other

مِنْ عُيونٍ بِها كَحَلْ

حِيْنَ تَلْقاني

Like eyes whose kohl and color

Stab me when I see them

ما لِلاحٍ مُعَنِّفِ

في الهَوى يَسْطُو

No reproachful glance of his

In passion's fury hurled

بِشَجا القَلْبِ مُدْنَفِ

دَمْعُهُ سَبْطُ

With the heart's blood dripping red

Could overcome my soul

هَلْ رَأى مِثْلَ أهْيَفي

شادِناً قطُّ

Has he seen a fool so crazed

So drunk with love as I?

راعَهُ اللهُ والقَدَرْ

كَيْفَ يَلْحاني

God and fate have sorely tried me

With flames which daily sky

ما أرى طبعَهُ عَدَلْ

طَبْعَ إنسانِ

I see his nature isn't fair

Or human in its mould

وغَزالٍ ما أجْمَلَهْ

في تَحَلِّيهِ

A gazelle cannot help but charm

When graced in beauty's robe

أخَذَ الطِّرسَ فَصَّلَهْ

وَوَشَى فِيهِ

He captured my heart and ensnared

Imprisoned it close by

بِمِدادٍ فَقُلْتُ لَهْ

قَصْدَ تَنْبِيْهِ

In my tears, I said "Beware

Lest ink betrays you too"

ثَوْبَكْ احْرزْ مِنَ الحبَرْ

فَقدْ أمْلاني

Guard your cloak from staining brush

For it has conquered me