باعَدَت بِالبِعادِ بَيني وَبَينى

باعَدَت بِالبِعادِ بَيني وَبَينى

ظَبيَةٌ بابِلِيَّةُ المُقلَتَينِ

ظَبيَةٌ بابِلِيَّةُ المُقلَتَينِ

Through separation, she set me apart from myself—

She traveled far, far away from me

A gazelle with Babylonian eyes.

A gazelle with beautiful eyes

سَفَرَت عَن بَنَفسَجٍ فَوقَ وَردٍ

سَفَرَت عَن بَنَفسَجٍ فَوقَ وَردٍ

وَرَنَت في خِمارِها في لُجَينِ

وَرَنَت في خِمارِها في لُجَينِ

She unveiled a violet above a rose,

Beyond violets over roses

And gazed within her veil, amid silver.

She sang gracefully, rhythmically

وَاِنثَنَت فَاِنثَنى إِلى الحُبِّ قَلبي

وَاِنثَنَت فَاِنثَنى إِلى الحُبِّ قَلبي

وَتَيَقَّنتُ أَنَّهُ حانَ حَيني

وَتَيَقَّنتُ أَنَّهُ حانَ حَيني

And she swayed, so my heart inclined toward love,

And so my heart bent towards love

And I knew for certain that my hour of death had come.

I knew it was my time

وَالَّذي كُنتَ نِلتَهُ مِن رِضاها

وَالَّذي كُنتَ نِلتَهُ مِن رِضاها

صِرتَ عَن نَيلِهِ قَصيرَ اليَدَينِ

صِرتَ عَن نَيلِهِ قَصيرَ اليَدَينِ

And what you had won of her favor—

What I once easily attained of her pleasure

Your two hands became too short to reach it.

I now cannot grasp in vain