بِأَبي ظَبيٌ لعَهد قَد نَبَذ

بِأَبي ظَبيٌ لعَهد قَد نَبَذ

جَبَذَت عَيناهُ قَلبي فَانجَبَذ

جَبَذَت عَيناهُ قَلبي فَانجَبَذ

May my father be ransom for a gazelle who has cast a pledge aside.

By the gazelle whose covenant feet defied,

His eyes tugged at my heart, and it yielded to their pull.

My heart was caught and with it fled.

كُلُّ ذي حُسنٍ تَرى أَمثالَهُ

كُلُّ ذي حُسنٍ تَرى أَمثالَهُ

غَير مَحبوبي فَهوَ في الحُسنِ فَذ

غَير مَحبوبي فَهوَ في الحُسنِ فَذ

You see the like of everyone endowed with beauty,

All beauty you see of like ilk,

Except my beloved, for he is peerless in beauty.

None but my beloved in beauty excels.

يا غَريبَ الحُسنِ إِنّي سائِلٌ

يا غَريبَ الحُسنِ إِنّي سائِلٌ

وَزَكاةُ الحُسنِ تُعطى من شَحَذ

وَزَكاةُ الحُسنِ تُعطى من شَحَذ

O you of rare beauty, I am a beggar,

O you rare in beauty, hear my plea

And beauty's alms are given to whoever begs.

For beauty's alms are for those who implore.

قالَ ما تَبغِي فَقُلتُ قُبلَةً

قالَ ما تَبغِي فَقُلتُ قُبلَةً

تَشعَبُ القَلبَ الَّذي صارَ فِلَذ

تَشعَبُ القَلبَ الَّذي صارَ فِلَذ

He said, “What do you seek?” I said, “A kiss

Said he, what do you wish? I said, a kiss

To mend the heart that has fallen to pieces.”

That would sew up the heart torn to shreds.

قالَ خُذها ثُم لا يَأخُذُها

قالَ خُذها ثُم لا يَأخُذُها

أَحدٌ منّي وَلا كانَ أَخَذ

أَحدٌ منّي وَلا كانَ أَخَذ

He said, “Take it; then it shall not be taken

He said take it, let none else

From me by anyone, nor has anyone taken it before.”

Take from me what you have seized.

فَرَشفتُ مِن لُماهُ سَلسَلاً

فَرَشفتُ مِن لُماهُ سَلسَلاً

وَحَلالي ذَلِكَ الرَشفُ وَلَذ

وَحَلالي ذَلِكَ الرَشفُ وَلَذ

So from his dusky lips I sipped sweet, clear water,

I sipped from his sweet lips

And that sipping was sweet to me and delicious.

Lawful that draught and how sweet the taste!

فَاختَبَطتُ فَأَتوا يَرقُونَني

فَاختَبَطتُ فَأَتوا يَرقُونَني

حَسِبُوا أَن بِي مِن الجِنِّ الأَخَذ

حَسِبُوا أَن بِي مِن الجِنِّ الأَخَذ

Then I fell into a frenzy, so they came reciting charms over me.

Then dazed was I, they rushed to revive me,

They thought I was possessed by the jinn.

Thinking some jinn had brought me low.

قال كُفُّوا ما بِهِ مِن جُنَّةٍ

قال كُفُّوا ما بِهِ مِن جُنَّةٍ

إِنَّما سَهمِيَ فيهِ قَد نَفذ

إِنَّما سَهمِيَ فيهِ قَد نَفذ

He said, “Stop! There is no madness in him;

He said, stop! In him no madness lies,

It is only that my arrow has pierced him.

My arrow it was that struck its mark.

إِنَّهُ لَمّا رَمَتهُ مُقلَتي

إِنَّهُ لَمّا رَمَتهُ مُقلَتي

وَصلَ السَهمُ إِلى أَقصى القُذَذ

وَصلَ السَهمُ إِلى أَقصى القُذَذ

For when my eye shot at him,

When my glances assailed and laid him low

The arrow sank in to the very end of its fletching.

The shaft reached its destination true.

لِيسَ داءُ الحُبِّ يشفى بِالرُقى

لِيسَ داءُ الحُبِّ يشفى بِالرُقى

لا وَلا يَنفَعُ تَعليقُ العوَذ

لا وَلا يَنفَعُ تَعليقُ العوَذ

Love's sickness is not cured by incantations,

No incantations can cure love's ache

No, nor does hanging amulets help.

No talismans ward off love's strike.

بل شِفاءُ الحُبِّ وَصلٌ عاجِلٌ

بل شِفاءُ الحُبِّ وَصلٌ عاجِلٌ

وَاعتِناقٌ وَاجتماعٌ مُستَلَذ

وَاعتِناقٌ وَاجتماعٌ مُستَلَذ

Rather, love's cure is union without delay,

Nay, love's cure is a swift embrace,

And an embrace, and a delightful coming together.”

A clasp and union of delight.