رأينا بوادي الرِّمثِ ظَبْيَ صريمةٍ

رأينا بوادي الرِّمثِ ظَبْيَ صريمةٍ

فصاد قلوباً لم يصِدْهنَّ صائدُ

فصاد قلوباً لم يصِدْهنَّ صائدُ

We saw in Wadi al-Rimth a gazelle of the thicket;

We saw in the valley of Rimth a roaming gazelle,

He caught hearts no hunter had ever caught.

So it captured hearts that no hunter could capture.

تَقلّد حُسناً زانهُ في قُلوبنا

تَقلّد حُسناً زانهُ في قُلوبنا

وَأَعيننا ما لم تزنهُ القلائدُ

وَأَعيننا ما لم تزنهُ القلائدُ

He wore beauty that adorned him in our hearts

It wore beauty that adorned it in our hearts,

And in our eyes as necklaces never did.

And our eyes never adorned it with necklaces.

وَلمّا طلبنا الوصلَ لم يكُ وصْلهُ

وَلمّا طلبنا الوصلَ لم يكُ وصْلهُ

لطالبهِ إلّا السُّها والفراقدُ

لطالبهِ إلّا السُّها والفراقدُ

And when we sought union, union with him was

And when we sought union with it, its union

Nothing to its seeker but al-Suha and the Farqad stars.

Was not for its seeker, except wakefulness and parting.

وَما ثغرُهُ إلّا حَصىً من غمامةٍ

وَما ثغرُهُ إلّا حَصىً من غمامةٍ

وَما فَرعه في العينِ إلّا أساودُ

وَما فَرعه في العينِ إلّا أساودُ

And his mouth is nothing but pebbles from a cloud;

Its mouth was nothing but pebbles from a cloud,

And his hair, to the eye, is nothing but black snakes.

And its branches in the eye were nothing but darkness.

وَقالوا لِقَلبي خَلِّ عنهُ وَقارَه

وَقالوا لِقَلبي خَلِّ عنهُ وَقارَه

وَما قادَه إلّا الصَّبابةُ قائدُ

وَما قادَه إلّا الصَّبابةُ قائدُ

And they said of my heart, 'Let its composure go';

And they said to my heart, "Stop longing for it and its dignity,"

And no guide led it but passionate longing.

Yet nothing led it except passionate love, its guide.

وَما يَلتَقي سالٍ وَصبٌّ إذا اِستوى

وَما يَلتَقي سالٍ وَصبٌّ إذا اِستوى

فَتىً غيرُ ذِي وَجْدٍ وَمَنْ هو واجدُ

فَتىً غيرُ ذِي وَجْدٍ وَمَنْ هو واجدُ

And the heart-free and the lovesick never meet as equals—

The ardently in love and the indifferent never meet,

A youth without longing and one who yearns.

Except a love-struck lad, and one who is smitten.