قلْ لغزلانٍ بِقِيعانِ النَّقا

أَجْهَدوا السَّيْرَ وعزَّ المُلْتَقى

Tell the graceful gazelles grazing the meadows,

"Take pity and rest your weary wanderings."

يا ظِباءَ الحَيِّ قد طال بِكُمْ

وجدُ قلبي فارْحَموا لي الأَرَقَا

My heart is still wounded since you left me

So have mercy and heal my sleepless nights.

أَقلقَ البُعْدُ لَعَمْرِي ساكِني

كيفَ يُلفي راحَةً من قَلِقا

Your absence troubles me, by my life,

How can I find peace so anxious inside?

خاطِري شَتَّتْ به أَيدي سَبَا

لفتاةٍ منكُمُ فانْطَلَقَا

My thoughts were scattered by playful gazelles

As one suddenly bounded away.

وقُيودِ الحُبِّ في دِينِ الهَوَى

والَّذي يوماً بحِبٍّ عَلِقا

I'm bound by the fetters of love and desire

I who once dwelled free of such chains.

ليَ جَفْنٌ من دَواهي هَجْرِكُمْ

طولَ ليلي بالكَرَى ما انْطَبَقَا

My eyes are sick from crying themselves dry

As the long night stretches with no end in sight.

رَحْمَتاهُ لِوَلوهٍ كُلَّما

شربَ الماءَ وُلوعاً شَرِقَا

I pity the lovelorn fool who vainly hopes

Each drink will quench his raging inner fire.

وعَذولي لم يزلْ يَروي بِكُمْ

كَذِباً يا ليتَ يوماً صَدَقَا

My wishful dreams continually promise

Your return though I know they always lie.

عَجَباً من جَفْنِ عينٍ ماطِرٍ

وفُؤادٍ من جَفاكُمْ حُرِقَا

How strange to have wet eyes that never tire

And a heart your coolness has set aflame!

كلَّما فاهَ بِكُمْ مُنْشِدُنا

دمعُ عَيْني النُّطْقَ منهُ سَبَقَا

When our poet sang your praises, his words

Were drowned by the tears that flowed uncontained.

لو تقَطَّعْتُ بوجدي إِرَباً

قَدَمي عن نهجِكُمْ ما زَلَقَا

If my passion should shred me to pieces,

My feet would not stray from the path to your lane.

وذِراعي لو بسيفٍ قُطِعَتْ

كَفُّها بابَ السِّوى ما طَرَقَا

If my arms were severed by a sword,

My hands would still knock at your door just the same.

بنَسيمِ الصُّبْحِ وافى نشرُكُمْ

فشَمَمْنا من شَذاهُ عَبَقَا

The morning breeze carried your sweet scent

As you passed by, and left us all charmed.

ولَعَمْرِي إنَّ غَلْغالَ الدُّجى

بسَناكُمْ للوُجودِ انْفَلَقَا

By your beauty, the dark vale of night itself

Was cleft open to reveal the glorious day.

نظرَةً للوالِهِ العاني الَّذي

غايَةَ السُّلَّمِ في الحُبِّ ارْتَقى

Look kindly on one who is sick with desire,

Who has climbed to love's end without fears.

واعْذُروهُ كَرَماً في حُبِّكُمْ

هكذا في عِلْمِ ربِّي خُلِقا

Forgive him, for he was created by God

To burn with devotion that nothing can tame.

واتْرُكوا لُطْفاً نِفاراً ساءهُ

وصِلوهُ يا ظُبيَّاتِ النَّقا

Grace him gently, let no harshness show.

Draw near and console him, gazelles of the glade!