شِبلٌa lion cub وَإِنand though سَمَّتهُcalled him ظَبgazelle (first fragment)
شِبلٌ وَإِن سَمَّتهُ ظَب
ياًgazelle (remaining fragment) مُقلَتاهُhis two eyes وَليتُهُI loved him
ياً مُقلَتاهُ وَليتُهُ
A lion cub, though called a gazelle
A lion cub, even if named a ga-
by his two eyes, was the one I loved.
-zelle by his eyes and his neck,
وَكَأَنَّهُand as though he were مُلكٌa kingdom نَمىgrew
وَكَأَنَّهُ مُلكٌ نَمى
فَعُزِلتُso I was deposed حينَwhen وَليتُهُI ruled it
فَعُزِلتُ حينَ وَليتُهُ
And he was like a kingdom that had grown:
And as if he were a dominion on the rise,
so I was deposed when I became its ruler.
I was dismissed the moment I came to govern it.