جَلَّexalted is مَنْwho أَنْشَأَcreated ظَبْياًa gazelle أَهْيَفَاslender-waisted
جَلَّ مَنْ أَنْشَأَ ظَبْياً أَهْيَفَا
زَادَincreased قَلْبِيmy heart فِيin هَوَاهُlove for him شَغَفَاardor
زَادَ قَلْبِي فِي هَوَاهُ شَغَفَا
Exalted is He who created a slender-waisted gazelle.
Glorious is He who created a gazelle so graceful,
Exalted is He who created a slender gazelle,
My heart grew more ardent in its love for him.
Increasing the passion in my heart for him.
My heart has grown ever more infatuated with his love.
اِصْطَفَاهُchose him الْحُسْنُbeauty مِنْfrom أَهْلِpeople of الصَّفَاpurity
اِصْطَفَاهُ الْحُسْنُ مِنْ أَهْلِ الصَّفَا
مَنْwho عَذِيرِيmy defender مِنْagainst غَزَالٍa gazelle مُصْطَفَىchosen
مَنْ عَذِيرِي مِنْ غَزَالٍ مُصْطَفَى
Beauty chose him from among the pure.
Beauty itself chose him from among the elite,
Beauty has chosen him from the people of purity,
Who will defend me against a chosen gazelle?
He is my beloved from among the choice gazelles.
Who will excuse me regarding this chosen gazelle?
قَدْindeed جَفَاforsook عَيْنِيmy eye الْكَرَىsleep لَمَّاwhen جَفَاhe turned away
قَدْ جَفَا عَيْنِي الْكَرَى لَمَّا جَفَا
قَدَّtore جِسْمِيmy body وَبَرَانِيand wore me thin حُبُّهُlove for him
قَدَّ جِسْمِي وَبَرَانِي حُبُّهُ
Sleep forsook my eye when he turned away.
My eyes have dried from crying since he abandoned me,
Slumber abandoned my eyes when he abandoned me.
Love for him has torn my body and worn me thin.
His love has wasted me and made me gaunt.
His love has torn my body and worn me down,
وَرَمَتْand shot at قَلْبِيmy heart الْمُعَنَّىtormented هُدْبُهُhis lashes
وَرَمَتْ قَلْبِي الْمُعَنَّى هُدْبُهُ
بُعْدُهُhis distance دَائِيmy ailment وَطِبِّيand my cure قُرْبُهُhis nearness
بُعْدُهُ دَائِي وَطِبِّي قُرْبُهُ
And his lashes shot at my tormented heart.
My anguished heart is pierced by his separation,
And his eyelashes have pierced my tormented heart.
His distance is my ailment, and his nearness my cure.
His distance is my affliction, his nearness my remedy.
His distance is my illness, and his nearness is my cure.
لَيِّنُsupple الْعَطْفِthe flank وَلَكِنْand yet قَلْبُهُhis heart
لَيِّنُ الْعَطْفِ وَلَكِنْ قَلْبُهُ
قَدْindeed قَسَاhardened حَتَّىuntil حَكَىresembled صَلْدَsolid الصَّفَاsmooth rock
قَدْ قَسَا حَتَّى حَكَى صَلْدَ الصَّفَا
His flank is supple, and yet his heart
Gentle of manner yet his heart is hard,
Supple in stature, yet his heart
has hardened until it resembles solid rock.
Grown so harsh it rivals the solid mountain rock.
Has hardened until it resembles solid rock.