أَلا قاتَلَ اللَهُ الهَوى حَيثُ أَخلَقا

أَلا قاتَلَ اللَهُ الهَوى حَيثُ أَخلَقا

فَما إِن تَرى إِلّا مَشوباً مُمَذَّقا

فَما إِن تَرى إِلّا مَشوباً مُمَذَّقا

Lo, may God confound love wherever it has worn thin;

Alas, may God destroy love, wherever it was created

For you see it only adulterated and watered down.

For you see naught but trouble and bitterness from it

فَما مِن مُحِبٍّ يَستَزيدُ حَبيبَهُ

فَما مِن مُحِبٍّ يَستَزيدُ حَبيبَهُ

يُعاتِبُهُ في الوَدِّ إِلّا تَفَرَّقا

يُعاتِبُهُ في الوَدِّ إِلّا تَفَرَّقا

For no lover asks his beloved for more,

No lover seeks to increase his love for his beloved

Reproaching him over affection, without the two parting.

Reproaching him for intimacy, but they separate

تَعَلَّقَ هَذا القَلبُ لِلحُبِّ مَعلَقا

تَعَلَّقَ هَذا القَلبُ لِلحُبِّ مَعلَقا

غَزالاً تَحَلّى عِقدَ دُرٍّ وَبارَقا

غَزالاً تَحَلّى عِقدَ دُرٍّ وَبارَقا

This heart has formed an attachment in love

This heart clung to love, hanging

To a gazelle wearing a pearl necklace and flashing glances,

A gazelle adorned with a pearl necklace and earrings

مِنَ الأُدمِ تَعطو بِالعَشِيِّ وَبِالضُحى

مِنَ الأُدمِ تَعطو بِالعَشِيِّ وَبِالضُحى

مِنَ الضالِ غَضّاً ناعِمَ النَبتِ مورِقا

مِنَ الضالِ غَضّاً ناعِمَ النَبتِ مورِقا

One of the white gazelles, reaching up at evening and midmorning

With dark lips it gives in the evening and at dawn

For fresh, tender, leafy shoots of wild lote trees,

Fresh, delicate vegetation from the lost one sprouting

أَلوفٌ لِأَظلالِ الكِناسِ وَلِلثِرى

أَلوفٌ لِأَظلالِ الكِناسِ وَلِلثِرى

إِذا ما لُعابُ الشَمسِ بِالصَيفِ أَشرَقا

إِذا ما لُعابُ الشَمسِ بِالصَيفِ أَشرَقا

Fond of the shade of its lair and of the moist earth,

Thousands for the shadows of temples and for the soil

When the sun's spittle gleams in summer.

When the radiance of summer sun glows on them