هَلْ حَاكِمٌ يُعْدِي عَلَى ظَبْيَةٍ

ظَالِمَةٍ فِي كُلِّ أَحْوَالِهَا

Does an unjust ruler have power over a gazelle

Who is unjust in all her ways

دَائِمَةُ الإِعْرَاضِ عَنِّي فَمَا

يَخْطِرُ لِي ذِكْرٌ عَلَى بَالِهَا

Always turning away from me, so she doesn't

Remember me at all

صَغِيْرَةٌ عَظَّمَهَا حُبُّهَا

عِنْدِي وَأَغْرَانِي بِإِجْلاَلِهَا

She is small but my love for her

Grew, and I respected her greatly

تَسْتَدْفِعُ الأَعْيُنَ عَنْ حُسْنِهَا

بِعُوذَةٍ مِنْ سُوءِ أَفْعَالِهَا

Her beauty averts all eyes

With an amulet against her evil deeds

جَارِيَةٌ تَفْخَرُ أَعْمَامُهَا

بِالفُرْسِ والرُّومُ بِأَخْوَالِهَا

A maiden who prides herself on her ancestors

The Persians and the Romans and their clans

لَمْ أُطِعِ العُذَّالَ فِيْهَا وَقَدْ

أَصْغَتْ إِلَى أَقْوَالِ عُذَّالِهَا

I did not obey the slanderers about her though

She listened to the words of her slanderers

تَمْضِي بِلَيْلٍ فَإِذَا أَقْبَلَتْ

أَقْبَلَتْ الشَّمْسُ بِإِقْبَالِهَا

She comes at night, and when dawn breaks

The sun comes with her coming

قُلْتُ وَقَدْ أَبْصَرْتُهَا حَاسِرَاً

عَنْ سَاقِهَا فَاضِلَ أَذْيَالِهَا

I saw her leg bared

Of the trailing hems of her gowns

لَوْ لَمْ يَكُنْ مِنْ بِرَدٍ سَاقُهَا

لاَحْتَرَقَتْ مِنْ نَارِ خَلْخَالِهَا

If not for the cold on her leg

It would have burned from the fire of her anklets