وا بِأبِي الظّبيُ الذي لو بدا

وا بِأبِي الظّبيُ الذي لو بدا

للبدرِ قال البدرُ واظُلْمَتاهْ

للبدرِ قال البدرُ واظُلْمَتاهْ

Ah, may my father be ransom for the gazelle who, were he to appear

Oh, he whose beauty shames the graceful gazelle

before the full moon, the full moon would cry, “Alas, my darkness!”

If he appeared to the full moon, the moon would say, "I'm eclipsed!"

أثّرتُ بالألحاظ في خدّه

أثّرتُ بالألحاظ في خدّه

فانتصفت منّي له مُقْلتاه

فانتصفت منّي له مُقْلتاه

I left marks with my glances on his cheek,

My glances left their trace upon his cheek

so his two eyes took revenge on me for him.

Till his eyes reproached me for the wrong I did

ثم رمَى قلبي بألحاظِه

ثم رمَى قلبي بألحاظِه

وا بِأبِي ألحاظُه من رمَاه

وا بِأبِي ألحاظُه من رمَاه

Then he shot my heart with his glances.

Then he shot my heart with his glances

Ah, may my father be ransom for his glances—what archers!

Oh, he whose glances pierce the one they aim!

كم سفكت أجفانه من دَمٍ

كم سفكت أجفانه من دَمٍ

نمّت عليهنّ به وَجْنتاه

نمّت عليهنّ به وَجْنتاه

How much blood his eyelids have spilled!

How his eyelids shed tears of blood

His two cheeks betrayed them through that blood.

His cheeks were adorned by the blood's stain

يا قومِ ما بالُ ظُلاماتِنا

يا قومِ ما بالُ ظُلاماتِنا

في الحُبّ لا ينظرُ فيها القُضَاه

في الحُبّ لا ينظرُ فيها القُضَاه

O my people, why are our grievances

Oh people, why is it so dark when we're in love?

in love not examined by the judges,

Judges look not into such darkness

فتَمنعَ المحبوبَ من زَهْوه

فتَمنعَ المحبوبَ من زَهْوه

وتُنْصِف العاشقَ ممّن جَفاه

وتُنْصِف العاشقَ ممّن جَفاه

so that they might curb the beloved’s pride

It prevents the beloved from joy

and give the lover justice against the one who spurned him?

And prevents the lover from getting justice

لا تَطلبوا خَلْقاً بقتلي سوى

لا تَطلبوا خَلْقاً بقتلي سوى

فواتِر اللَّحظ ووَرْدِ الشِّفاه

فواتِر اللَّحظ ووَرْدِ الشِّفاه

Seek no one for my killing except

Seek no creation through killing me but

languid glances and the roses of lips.

The glances and words of his lips

لو قيل لي ما تَشْتهي لم أَقُلْ

لو قيل لي ما تَشْتهي لم أَقُلْ

شيئاً سوى قَلْع عيون الوُشاه

شيئاً سوى قَلْع عيون الوُشاه

If I were asked, “What do you desire?” I would not say

If told, "What do you wish for?" I'd say

anything but the plucking out of the talebearers’ eyes.

Nothing but to pluck out the spy's eyes

يا من بَراني حبُّه وانتهى

يا من بَراني حبُّه وانتهى

بِيَ العَنا في هَجره مُنتْهاه

بِيَ العَنا في هَجره مُنتْهاه

O you whose love has worn me thin, and

Oh you whose love exalted then spurned me

in whose desertion my suffering has reached its utmost limit:

Your estrangement in leaving reached its end

مَنَعْتَنِي الطيفَ بمَنْع الكَرَى

مَنَعْتَنِي الطيفَ بمَنْع الكَرَى

مِنَّى فكدّرتَ عليّ الحياه

مِنَّى فكدّرتَ عليّ الحياه

You denied me the dream-vision by withholding sleep

You denied me your phantom, like denying the wish

from me, and so you clouded my life.

So you ruined my life and made it bitter

والله لا أَنْسَى لها قولَها

والله لا أَنْسَى لها قولَها

من خَلْف سِجْف السِّتْر واضَيْعتاه

من خَلْف سِجْف السِّتْر واضَيْعتاه

By God, I shall never forget her words

By God, I'll ne'er forget her words

from behind the curtain’s fold: “Alas, I am lost!”

Behind the curtain, barely audible

متى استوتْ في الحبّ أقدامُنا

متى استوتْ في الحبّ أقدامُنا

حتى أُواتيه وأَبْغي رِضاه

حتى أُواتيه وأَبْغي رِضاه

“When have our feet stood level in love,

When will our feet be firm in love

that I should yield to him and seek his approval?”

That I might join him and please him?

ثم علَتْها رِقّةٌ فانثنتْ

ثم علَتْها رِقّةٌ فانثنتْ

قائلةً يُجْزَى بمثلَيْ هواه

قائلةً يُجْزَى بمثلَيْ هواه

Then tenderness overcame her, and she relented,

Then gently she bent down saying

saying, “He shall receive twice his love in return.”

"Love is repaid in kind, like his passion"

فوجَّهتْ بالدرّ لي ثغرَها

فوجَّهتْ بالدرّ لي ثغرَها

وأرسلتْ لي وجهَها في المِرَاه

وأرسلتْ لي وجهَها في المِرَاه

So she sent me her mouth in pearls,

She pointed her pearl-like mouth at me

and sent me her face in the mirror.

And sent me her face in the mirror