وَغُصنِ بانٍ قُلوبُ الناسِ قاطِبَةً

مِنهُ عَلى خَطَرٍ إِن ماسَ أَو خَطَرا

The hearts of all people are captivated

By this alluring branch, if it touches or comes near.

بَدا وَأَبدى بِرُؤياهُ لَنا قَمَراً

فيهِ مِنَ الحُسنِ ما لِلعَقلِ قَد قَمَرا

It revealed and made evident to us a moon,

In it is beauty beyond what the mind can grasp.

هُوَ الغَزالُ وَلَكِنِّي عَجِبتُ لَهُ

مِنَ الغَزالَةِ إِذ زارَتهُ أَن نَفَرا

It is a gazelle, but what amazed me

Is that when the she-gazelle visited, it was alarmed

وَظَلَّ مُستَتِراً مِنها وَمُحتَجِباً

عَنها وَنورُهُما في الناسِ قَد ظَهَرا

And remained concealed from her and hidden,

While their light among the people had appeared.

فَقُلتُ حَسبُكَ لا تَخشَ اِجتِماعَكُما

فَالشَمسُ لا يَنبَغي أَن تُدرِكَ القَمَرا

So I said, “It suffices you, do not fear your meeting,

For it is not fitting that the sun should overtake the moon.”