عَلِقتُهُ شادِناً أَخا صِغَرٍ

عَلِقتُهُ شادِناً أَخا صِغَرٍ

بُنَيَّ عِزٍّ مُدَلَّلاً نَزِقا

بُنَيَّ عِزٍّ مُدَلَّلاً نَزِقا

I fell in love with him, a young gazelle of tender years,

I hung him round my neck, a young brother,

A little son of privilege, pampered and impetuous,

A pampered son of glory, delicate and dainty.

غِرّاً صَغيراً إِذا شَكَوتُ لَهُ

غِرّاً صَغيراً إِذا شَكَوتُ لَهُ

اِحمَرَّ وَجهاً وَرقَّدَ الحَدَقا

اِحمَرَّ وَجهاً وَرقَّدَ الحَدَقا

Innocent and young—when I complain to him,

When I complained to him, while still a child,

His face reddens, and he lets his eyes grow drowsy.

His cheeks grew red, and sleep forsook his eyes.

فَأُبصرُ الشَمسَ كَللت شَفَقاً

فَأُبصرُ الشَمسَ كَللت شَفَقاً

وَانظرُ الظَبيَ مُتلِعاً عُنُقا

وَانظرُ الظَبيَ مُتلِعاً عُنُقا

So I behold the sun crowned with twilight's crimson,

I see the sun has veiled her face in shame,

And gaze at the gazelle with its neck held high.

The oryx glances up with outstretched neck.

ظبيَ كِناسٍ ظباهُ قَد فَتَكَت

ظبيَ كِناسٍ ظباهُ قَد فَتَكَت

شَمسَ ضُحاءٍ عَلى قَضيبِ نَقا

شَمسَ ضُحاءٍ عَلى قَضيبِ نَقا

A gazelle of the thicket, whose blades have slain,

An oryx of Kinas whose lord did slay

A midmorning sun upon a sand dune's bough.

The shining sun, when on his spear she sank.

لَقد رَماني بِسَهم أَعينهِ

لَقد رَماني بِسَهم أَعينهِ

فَعُلِّقَ القَلبُ مِنهُ ما عَلِقا

فَعُلِّقَ القَلبُ مِنهُ ما عَلِقا

Indeed, he has shot me with an arrow from his eyes,

With glances from his eyes he pierced my heart,

So my heart was bound to him with such attachment:

And left it hanging pierced on their points.

وَجداً شَديداً لَو أَنَّ أيسرَهُ

وَجداً شَديداً لَو أَنَّ أيسرَهُ

صادَفَ صَخراً أَصمَّ لانفَلَقا

صادَفَ صَخراً أَصمَّ لانفَلَقا

A fierce longing—if its slightest part

A mighty love, that if his left hand smote

Met solid rock, that rock would split apart.

A deaf rock, that rock would split in twain.

أَظَلُّ طولَ الزَمانِ مفتكراً

أَظَلُّ طولَ الزَمانِ مفتكراً

أَهكذا كُلُّ مُغرَمٍ عشقا

أَهكذا كُلُّ مُغرَمٍ عشقا

I spend all my time pondering:

Long is the time I brood on it, and say

Does every lover love like this?

“Is this how every love-lorn man is tried?"

فَمُهجَتي وَالأَسى قَد اِجتَمَعا

فَمُهجَتي وَالأَسى قَد اِجتَمَعا

وَمُقلَتي وَالكَرى قَد اِفتَرَقا

وَمُقلَتي وَالكَرى قَد اِفتَرَقا

So my soul and sorrow have come together,

My reason and my grief are joined together,

And my eye and sleep have parted.

While my madness and my misery parted.

يا لَيتَ حُبّي وَهجرَه اِختَلَفا

يا لَيتَ حُبّي وَهجرَه اِختَلَفا

وَلَيتَ قَلبي وَوَصلَه اِتَّفَقا

وَلَيتَ قَلبي وَوَصلَه اِتَّفَقا

Ah, would that my love and his estrangement were at odds,

Would that my love and its denial differed,

And would that my heart and union with him were in accord.

And that my heart and its delight were one.

انظُر تُشاهِد ضِدَّينِ قَد جُمِعا

انظُر تُشاهِد ضِدَّينِ قَد جُمِعا

قَلباً حَريقاً وَمَدمَعاً غَرِقا

قَلباً حَريقاً وَمَدمَعاً غَرِقا

Look: you will see two opposites brought together:

Behold this paradox before you: joined

A heart ablaze and an eye drowned in tears.

A burning heart, and eyes that drown in tears.

لا أَنثَني الدهرَ عَن محبَّتِهِ

لا أَنثَني الدهرَ عَن محبَّتِهِ

لَو قُطّعَ القَلبُ في الهَوى فِرقا

لَو قُطّعَ القَلبُ في الهَوى فِرقا

I shall never turn away from loving him,

Time will not turn me from his love, not if

Even if my heart were cut to pieces for love.

My heart is cut to fragments for his sake.