لا كانَ أَحسَنَ مِمَّن قالَ مُلتَفِتاً

لا كانَ أَحسَنَ مِمَّن قالَ مُلتَفِتاً

وَقَد تَغَضَّبَ ما مَشّاكَ في أَثَري

وَقَد تَغَضَّبَ ما مَشّاكَ في أَثَري

May none be lovelier than the one who said, turning back,

None was better than he who turned to me and said,

None was fairer than he who turned and spoke, feigning anger: "What drives you to follow my tracks?"

and putting on an angry air, 'What made you follow in my tracks?'

Though he was angry, "What business have you following me?"

As if the high morning sun addressed me when he spoke those words, or the radiant crescent of the moon.

كَأَنَّما كَلَّمَتني الشَمسُ ضاحِيَةً

كَأَنَّما كَلَّمَتني الشَمسُ ضاحِيَةً

إِذ قالَ ما قالَ لي أَو شِقَّةُ القَمَرِ

إِذ قالَ ما قالَ لي أَو شِقَّةُ القَمَرِ

It was as though the sun, shining openly, spoke to me,

As if the radiant sun had addressed me,

A gazelle who tends a seedling in the hearts of people, an affection from which the sweetest fruit is reaped.

when he said what he said to me—or half the moon.

Or the slender crescent moon had spoken those words.

When he appears, all eyes cast their gaze toward him as one; in this vision, no two eyes disagree.

ظَبيٌ لَهُ مِن قُلوبِ الناسِ نابِتَةٌ

ظَبيٌ لَهُ مِن قُلوبِ الناسِ نابِتَةٌ

مِنَ المَوَدَّةِ تُجني أَطيَبَ الثَمَرِ

مِنَ المَوَدَّةِ تُجني أَطيَبَ الثَمَرِ

A gazelle, for whom a plant springs from people's hearts,

A gazelle whose hearts sprout in the souls of people

of affection, yielding the sweetest fruit.

From affection, plucking the sweetest fruit.

إِذا بَدا رَمَتِ الأَبصارُ جانِبَهُ

إِذا بَدا رَمَتِ الأَبصارُ جانِبَهُ

مَعاً فَلَم تَختَلِف عَينانِ في النَظَرِ

مَعاً فَلَم تَختَلِف عَينانِ في النَظَرِ

When he appears, eyes cast their glances his way,

When he appeared, eyes cast their glances towards him together

all at once; no two eyes differ in their gaze.

Yet no two eyes differed in their gaze.