رُبَّ غَزالٍ كَأَنَّهُ قَمَرٌ

لاحَ فَجَلّى الدُجونَ في البَلَدِ

Many a gazelle is like the moon

Many a gazelle, radiant as the moon,

Shining and illuminating the lands

Appeared, and banished darkness from the land.

سَأَلتُهُ الوَصلَ كَي يَجودَ بِهِ

فَضَنَّ عَنّي بِهِ وَلَم يَجُدِ

I asked him for union to be generous with it

I asked him for union, that he might grant it,

But he was stingy with it and did not give

But he withheld himself and would not yield.

فَقُلتُ لِلظَبيِ في صُعوبَتِهِ

يا طَيِّبَ الروحِ طَيِّبَ الجَسَدِ

So I said to the shy gazelle

So I said to the fawn, in his obstinacy:

Of sweet spirit and sweet body

"O sweet of spirit, O sweet of form!"

كَم مِن أَخٍ جادَ بِالوِصالِ فَما

أُحبِلَ مِن وَصلِنا وَلَم يَلِدِ

How many a brother was generous with union but

"How many a friend has granted us his favor,"

No child was conceived from our union

"Who neither conceived from our touch nor bore a child."

فَقالَ هَيهاتَ ذا تُرَقِّقُني

وَلَن يَرِقَّ الغَزالُ لِلأَسَدِ

He said alas, this would make me gentle

He replied: "Away! Do you seek to soften me with this?"

And the gazelle will never be gentle to the lion

"For the gazelle shall never soften to the lion."

فَقُلتُ دَعنا وَقُم لِنَأخُذَها

مِمّا تُزِفُّ العُلوجُ بِالعُمُدِ

So I said leave it and let's take it

I said: "Let us leave this talk, and rise to take"

From the daughter of a generous man, when you clap for her

"That which the foreigners bear forth upon their poles—"

مِن بِنتِ كَرمٍ إِذا تُصَفِّقَها

بِماءِ مُزنٍ رَمَتكَ بِالزَبَدِ

With Muzn's water she throws you white foam

"A daughter of the vine; when you mingle her"

Until when I was confident with it

"With water of the clouds, she casts her foam at you."

حَتّى إِذا ما أَتى صَدَرتُ بِهِ

عَن كُلِّ واشٍ وَعَن ذَوي الحَسَدِ

From all whisperers and those envious

And when he came near, I withdrew with him,

I made him enter the large saddlebags but I did not stop

Far from every slanderer and envious eye.

أَوجَرتُهُ القَرقَفَ العُقارَ فَما اِن

تَهَيتُ حَتّى اِتَّكى عَلى العَضُدِ

Until he leaned on the shoulder

I plied him with strong vintage, stopping not

So I got up until I removed his loincloth

Until he swooned and leaned upon my arm.

فَقُمتُ حَتّى حَلَلتُ مِئزَرَهُ

مِنهُ وَسَوَّيتُ فَخذَهُ بِيَدي

From him and straightened his thigh with my hand

Then I arose to loose his waist-wrapper,

Then we embraced and I kept kissing him

And with my hand, I smoothed his thigh.

ثُمَّ اِعتَنَقنا وَظَلتُ أَلثُمُهُ

وَثَغرُهُ مِثلُ ساقِطِ البَرَدِ

His mouth like falling hail

We embraced, and I continued kissing him,

So he got up when his intoxication dispersed

His mouth cool and sweet as fallen hail.

فَقامَ لَمّا اِنجَلَت عَمايَتُهُ

حَليفَ حُزنٍ مُوَلَّعَ الكَمَدِ

A confidante of sorrow, sparkling coals

He rose, when his stupor had unveiled itself,

Wedded to sadness, consumed by deep regret.