بِأَبي ظَبيٌ لعَهد قَد نَبَذ

بِأَبي ظَبيٌ لعَهد قَد نَبَذ

جَبَذَت عَيناهُ قَلبي فَانجَبَذ

جَبَذَت عَيناهُ قَلبي فَانجَبَذ

My father be ransom for a gazelle who has cast his pledge aside;

My father be ransom for a gazelle who has cast his pledge aside.

His eyes drew my heart, and helplessly it followed.

His eyes drew my heart, and it was drawn to him.

كُلُّ ذي حُسنٍ تَرى أَمثالَهُ

كُلُّ ذي حُسنٍ تَرى أَمثالَهُ

غَير مَحبوبي فَهوَ في الحُسنِ فَذ

غَير مَحبوبي فَهوَ في الحُسنِ فَذ

For every possessor of beauty, you will find a peer—

For every beautiful one, you see others like him,

Except my beloved: in beauty he stands alone.

Except my beloved: in beauty he is peerless.

يا غَريبَ الحُسنِ إِنّي سائِلٌ

يا غَريبَ الحُسنِ إِنّي سائِلٌ

وَزَكاةُ الحُسنِ تُعطى من شَحَذ

وَزَكاةُ الحُسنِ تُعطى من شَحَذ

O wondrous beauty, I come to you a beggar,

O you of rare beauty, I am a beggar,

And beauty’s alms are given to whoever begs.

And beauty's alms are given to whoever begs.

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 answered, “A kiss

He said, 'What do you seek?' So I said, 'A kiss

To mend the heart that has been torn to pieces.”

To mend the heart that has broken into pieces.'

قالَ خُذها ثُم لا يَأخُذُها

قالَ خُذها ثُم لا يَأخُذُها

أَحدٌ منّي وَلا كانَ أَخَذ

أَحدٌ منّي وَلا كانَ أَخَذ

He said, “Take it—but afterward let no one

He said, 'Take it; thereafter it shall not be taken

Take one from me; nor has anyone done so before.”

By anyone from me, nor has anyone taken it before.'

فَرَشفتُ مِن لُماهُ سَلسَلاً

فَرَشفتُ مِن لُماهُ سَلسَلاً

وَحَلالي ذَلِكَ الرَشفُ وَلَذ

وَحَلالي ذَلِكَ الرَشفُ وَلَذ

Then from his dusky lips I sipped a limpid sweetness;

So I sipped a sweet, clear draught from his dusky lips,

Lawful to me was that sip—and delicious.

And that sipping was sweet to me and delightful.

فَاختَبَطتُ فَأَتوا يَرقُونَني

فَاختَبَطتُ فَأَتوا يَرقُونَني

حَسِبُوا أَن بِي مِن الجِنِّ الأَخَذ

حَسِبُوا أَن بِي مِن الجِنِّ الأَخَذ

I reeled in delirium, and they came chanting spells over me,

Then I fell into a frenzy, and they came to recite healing charms over me.

Thinking I had been seized by a jinn.

They thought I was possessed by the jinn.

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! There is no madness in him;

It is only that my arrow has pierced him.

It is only my arrow that has pierced him.

إِنَّهُ لَمّا رَمَتهُ مُقلَتي

إِنَّهُ لَمّا رَمَتهُ مُقلَتي

وَصلَ السَهمُ إِلى أَقصى القُذَذ

وَصلَ السَهمُ إِلى أَقصى القُذَذ

For when my eye shot him,

Indeed, when my eye shot at him,

The arrow sank in all the way to its feathers.

The arrow sank in to the very ends of its feathers.

لِيسَ داءُ الحُبِّ يشفى بِالرُقى

لِيسَ داءُ الحُبِّ يشفى بِالرُقى

لا وَلا يَنفَعُ تَعليقُ العوَذ

لا وَلا يَنفَعُ تَعليقُ العوَذ

The malady of love is not healed by incantations—

Love's ailment is not cured by healing charms.

No, nor does the wearing of amulets avail.

No, nor does hanging amulets help.

بل شِفاءُ الحُبِّ وَصلٌ عاجِلٌ

بل شِفاءُ الحُبِّ وَصلٌ عاجِلٌ

وَاعتِناقٌ وَاجتماعٌ مُستَلَذ

وَاعتِناقٌ وَاجتماعٌ مُستَلَذ

Rather, love’s cure is union without delay,

Rather, love's cure is immediate union,

An embrace and a delightful coming together.

And an embrace, and a delightful meeting.'