ياO غَزالاًgazelle جُمِعَتhave been gathered فيهِin him
يا غَزالاً جُمِعَت فيهِ
مِنَof الحُسنِbeauty فُنونُvaried forms
مِنَ الحُسنِ فُنونُ
O gazelle, in whom are gathered
O gazelle in whom
The manifold forms of beauty,
are gathered perfections manifold
أَنتَyou فيin القُربِnearness وَفيand in البُعدِdistance
أَنتَ في القُربِ وَفي البُعدِ
مِنَin النَفسِthe soul مَكينُfirmly established
مِنَ النَفسِ مَكينُ
You, whether near or far,
Whether close or distant
Are firmly lodged in my soul.
you dwell within my soul
بِهَواكَthrough love for you الدَهرَall my days أَلهوI amuse myself
بِهَواكَ الدَهرَ أَلهو
وَبِحُبَّيكَand through love for you أَدينُI profess faith
وَبِحُبَّيكَ أَدينُ
In love for you I while away my days,
For love of you I while away my days
And love for you is my creed.
And in devotion to you I'm sold
مُنيَةَO desire الصَبِّthe lovesick lover أَغِثنيcome to my aid
مُنيَةَ الصَبِّ أَغِثني
قَدalready دَنَتhas drawn near مِنّيto me المَنونُdeath
قَد دَنَت مِنّي المَنونُ
O desire of the lovesick, come to my aid:
From youth's afflictions save me
Death has already drawn near me.
Death encroaches, I've been told
وَاِحفَظِand keep العَهدَthe pledge فَإِنّيfor indeed I
وَاِحفَظِ العَهدَ فَإِنّي
لَستُI do not وَاللَهِby God أَخونُbetray
لَستُ وَاللَهِ أَخونُ
And keep the pledge, for I
Keep troth with me, for by God
Am not unfaithful, by God.
I shall never renege or turn cold
وَاِرحَمَنand do have mercy صَبّاًa lovesick lover شَجِيّاًsorrowful
وَاِرحَمَن صَبّاً شَجِيّاً
قَدalready أَذابَتهُhave melted him away الشُجونُgriefs
قَد أَذابَتهُ الشُجونُ
And have mercy on a sorrowful, lovesick lover,
Have mercy on a youth consumed by passion
Whom griefs have already melted away.
Whose sorrows have taken their toll
لَيلُهُhis night هَمٌّworry وَغَمٌّand anguish
لَيلُهُ هَمٌّ وَغَمٌّ
وَسَقامٌand sickness وَأَنينُand moaning
وَسَقامٌ وَأَنينُ
His night is worry and anguish,
His nights are anxiety, grief, illness and moaning
And sickness and moaning.
His sickness makes him weak, aged, and old
شَفَّهُwasted him away الحُبُّlove فَأَمسىso he became
شَفَّهُ الحُبُّ فَأَمسى
سَقَماًa sickness لاnot يَستَبينُdiscernible
سَقَماً لا يَستَبينُ
Love has wasted him away, so he became
Love has wasted him till he is but
A sickness that cannot be discerned.
A ghost, a specter vague and untold
صارَhe became لِلأَشواقِto yearnings نَهباًprey
صارَ لِلأَشواقِ نَهباً
فَنَبَتso turned away عَنهُfrom him العُيونُeyes
فَنَبَت عَنهُ العُيونُ
He became prey to yearnings,
He is ravaged by yearning, his eyes
So eyes turned away from him.
Are fountains with tears uncontrolled