وغزالٍ ترى على وَجْنتيهِ

وغزالٍ ترى على وَجْنتيهِ

قَطْرَ سَهْمَيْهِ من دماء القلوبِ

قَطْرَ سَهْمَيْهِ من دماء القلوبِ

And a gazelle, upon whose cheeks you see

With a gazelle I see upon his cheeks

drops of hearts' blood from his two arrows.

The drops of his arrows from the blood of hearts

لهفَ نفسي لتلك من وَجَنَاتٍ

لهفَ نفسي لتلك من وَجَنَاتٍ

وردُها وردُ شارقٍ مَهْضوبِ

وردُها وردُ شارقٍ مَهْضوبِ

How my soul yearns for those cheeks,

My soul yearns for those of tender cheeks

whose roses are those of a rain-drenched rising sun.

Whose roses are brightly blushing buds

أنهلَتْ صِبْغَ نفسها ثم عُلَّتْ

أنهلَتْ صِبْغَ نفسها ثم عُلَّتْ

من دماءِ القتلى بغير ذنوبِ

من دماءِ القتلى بغير ذنوبِ

They were first given their own dye to drink, then a second draught

They were dyed with the soul’s own hue and then heightened

of the blood of those slain without guilt.

With the blood of the slain without any guilt

بل أتى ما أتى إليهمْ من الأمـ

بل أتى ما أتى إليهمْ من الأمـ

ـر بوِترٍ لديهمُ مطلوبِ

ـر بوِترٍ لديهمُ مطلوبِ

Nay, what befell them in this matter

Rather what came to them of commands

was for a blood-debt demanded of them.

Was with a bowstring for which they were sought

جرحتْهُ العيونُ فاقتصَّ منها

جرحتْهُ العيونُ فاقتصَّ منها

بجوىً في القلوب دامي النُّدوب

بجوىً في القلوب دامي النُّدوب

The eyes wounded him, so he exacted retribution from them

The eyes wounded him so he took revenge on them

with burning anguish in their hearts, its scars bleeding.

With an ardour in the hearts of persistent sorrows

لم يُعادِلْهُ في كمالِ المعاني

لم يُعادِلْهُ في كمالِ المعاني

توأمُ الحُسنِ من بني يعقوبِ

توأمُ الحُسنِ من بني يعقوبِ

He was not equaled in the perfection of his qualities

None has equalled him in the perfection of meanings

by beauty's twin among the sons of Jacob.

The twin of beauty among the sons of Jacob