يا نخلةً كلما مرَّ النسيم بها

يا نخلةً كلما مرَّ النسيم بها

حنّت اماليدها خفضاً تحييه

حنّت اماليدها خفضاً تحييه

O palm tree that, whenever the breeze passes by it,

O palm tree, whenever the breeze passes by it

Bends its tender boughs low to greet the breeze.

It bends its fronds downwards to greet it

وتحتها رشاء شعري يمرُّ به

وتحتها رشاء شعري يمرُّ به

مسلماً وهو لا يرنو من التيه

مسلماً وهو لا يرنو من التيه

And beneath it is a young gazelle; my verse passes by him,

And beneath it, my poetry passes by

Offering a greeting, while he will not glance, out of pride.

Wandering, not seeking to be led astray

كأنه صنمٌ اقبلتُ اعبده

كأنه صنمٌ اقبلتُ اعبده

فلا تحركه نجوى مناجيه

فلا تحركه نجوى مناجيه

As though he were an idol I had come to worship,

As if it were an idol I came to worship

So his supplicant's intimate whispers do not stir him.

No whispering confidant moves it

ارسلتُ أغلى القوافي في تحيته

ارسلتُ أغلى القوافي في تحيته

فكان كالصخر بالياقوت ارميه

فكان كالصخر بالياقوت ارميه

I sent the most precious rhymes in greeting to him,

I sent the most precious rhymes to greet it

And he was like a rock I pelted with rubies.

But it was like a rock I pelt with ruby

وطفت بالنخلة الشماء اسألها

وطفت بالنخلة الشماء اسألها

هل من سبيل إلى روح فتحييه

هل من سبيل إلى روح فتحييه

And I circled the lofty palm, asking it:

And I circled the palm tree, the splendid, and asked it

"Is there a path to a soul, that you might bring him to life?"

Is there a way to the soul I can revive?

فاسقطت تمرها من فوقه فهوى

فاسقطت تمرها من فوقه فهوى

إلى الحضيض يلم التمر في فيه

إلى الحضيض يلم التمر في فيه

So it dropped its dates from above him, and he fell

So it dropped its dates down from above and he fell

To the lowest ground, gathering the dates into his mouth.

To the low ground, gathering dates in his mouth

يا ليته لم يكن حياً ولا نظرت

يا ليته لم يكن حياً ولا نظرت

عيني جميلاً ببعض التمر تحنيه

عيني جميلاً ببعض التمر تحنيه

Oh, would that he had not been alive, nor had

Oh, would that he weren’t alive nor had my eyes seen

My eye beheld a handsome one it bends with a few dates!

Him beautiful with some dates bending him down

يغرى من الثمر الفاني بساقطة

يغرى من الثمر الفاني بساقطة

وليس اغلى ثمار النفس يغريه

وليس اغلى ثمار النفس يغريه

He is lured by a fallen morsel of perishable fruit,

Tempted by the ephemeral fruit fallen down

Yet the soul's most precious fruits do not entice him.

Not the most precious fruits of the soul tempt him

مضيت ابحث في دنياي عن رشاءٍ

مضيت ابحث في دنياي عن رشاءٍ

من عالم الروحِ قوت الروح يغذيه

من عالم الروحِ قوت الروح يغذيه

I went on searching my world for a young gazelle

I went on searching in my world for a wanderer

From the realm of the spirit, nourished by the spirit's sustenance.

Whom the food of the soul from the world of soul feeds