جاءت فغبت ومذ غابت حضرت وقد

جاءت فغبت ومذ غابت حضرت وقد

شاهدت منها عيون الظبي في البشر

شاهدت منها عيون الظبي في البشر

She came, and I vanished; since she vanished, I have been present, and I have

She came and when she left she returned, and I

seen in her the gazelle’s eyes in human form.

Saw in her the eyes of a gazelle among mankind

وشمت في ذاتها سراً عجبت له

وشمت في ذاتها سراً عجبت له

غصن على رأسه شطر من القمر

غصن على رأسه شطر من القمر

And I discerned in her being a secret that amazed me:

And I sensed in her essence a wondrous secret -

A bough with half the moon upon its head.

A branch on her head like half a moon

والليل يسبح في ديوان طرتها السو

والليل يسبح في ديوان طرتها السو

دا وفي طرفها سهم من القدر

دا وفي طرفها سهم من القدر

And night swims in the book of verse of her black forelock,

And the night swims in the register of her blackness

and in her gaze is an arrow of fate.

And in her glance is an arrow of fate