إِنَّ الظِباءَ الَّتي في الدورِ تُعجِبُني

إِنَّ الظِباءَ الَّتي في الدورِ تُعجِبُني

تِلكَ الظِباءُ الَّتي لا تَأكُلُ الشَجَرا

تِلكَ الظِباءُ الَّتي لا تَأكُلُ الشَجَرا

Indeed, the gazelles within the houses delight me—

The gazelles that are in the houses please me

Those gazelles that do not eat the trees.

Those gazelles that do not eat the trees

لَهُنَّ أَعناقُ غِزلانٍ وَأَعيُنُها

لَهُنَّ أَعناقُ غِزلانٍ وَأَعيُنُها

وَهُنَّ أَحسَنُ مِن أَبدانِها صُوَرا

وَهُنَّ أَحسَنُ مِن أَبدانِها صُوَرا

They have gazelles’ necks and eyes,

They have the necks of baby deer and their eyes

And in form they are lovelier than the gazelles’ bodies.

Are more beautiful than their bodies in form

وَلي فُؤادٌ يَكادُ الشَوقُ يَصدَعُهُ

وَلي فُؤادٌ يَكادُ الشَوقُ يَصدَعُهُ

إِذا تَذَكَّرَ مِن مَكنونِهِ الذِكَرا

إِذا تَذَكَّرَ مِن مَكنونِهِ الذِكَرا

And I have a heart that longing almost splits,

And I have a heart that is about to crack from yearning

When it recalls memories from its hidden depths.

When it remembers the hidden one from its thoughts

كانَت كَدُرَّةِ بَحرٍ غاصَ غائِصُها

كانَت كَدُرَّةِ بَحرٍ غاصَ غائِصُها

فَأَسلَمَتها يَداهُ بَعدَ ما قَدَرا

فَأَسلَمَتها يَداهُ بَعدَ ما قَدَرا

She was like a sea pearl whose diver dived,

They were like pearls from a sea dove by a diver

Then his hands relinquished it after he had it in his power.

So his hands surrendered them after appraising them