صَلَّى إِلى جانِبِي غَزالٌ

صَلَّى إِلى جانِبِي غَزالٌ

يَجرَحُ بِاللَّحظِ ثُمَّ ياسُو

يَجرَحُ بِاللَّحظِ ثُمَّ ياسُو

A gazelle prayed beside me.

A gazelle prayed beside me,

He wounds with a glance, then heals.

Wounding with a glance, then despairing.

إِن قِيسَ بِالبَدرِ وَهوَ ظُلمٌ

إِن قِيسَ بِالبَدرِ وَهوَ ظُلمٌ

فَسِحرُ عَينَيهِ لا يُقاسُ

فَسِحرُ عَينَيهِ لا يُقاسُ

If he is compared with the full moon—and that is unjust—

If the full moon is obscured by darkness,

For the magic of his eyes is beyond compare.

The magic of his eyes cannot be measured.

تَرتَدُّ عَنهُ العُيونُ نُوراً

تَرتَدُّ عَنهُ العُيونُ نُوراً

فَكُلُّ لَمحٍ لَهُ اِختِلاسُ

فَكُلُّ لَمحٍ لَهُ اِختِلاسُ

Eyes recoil from him, dazzled by his light,

Eyes turn from him, radiant with light,

So every glimpse of him is stolen.

So each glance of his is a theft.

لِلخَلقِ في حُسنِهِ اِفتِتانٌ

لِلخَلقِ في حُسنِهِ اِفتِتانٌ

فَهامَ ناسٌ وَهَمَّ ناسُ

فَهامَ ناسٌ وَهَمَّ ناسُ

People are bewitched by his beauty:

In his beauty people are infatuated,

So some fell madly in love, and others felt desire.

Some became passionate, some pensive.

إِن نالَ مِن قَلبِيَ اِفتِراساً

إِن نالَ مِن قَلبِيَ اِفتِراساً

فَلي عَلى خَدِّهِ اِفتِراسُ

فَلي عَلى خَدِّهِ اِفتِراسُ

If he has preyed upon my heart,

If he takes my heart by storm,

Then I have his cheek to prey upon.

Then my cheek has its requital on his.

غِرٌّ وَلَكِنَّ صَعبٌ فَاِعجَب

غِرٌّ وَلَكِنَّ صَعبٌ فَاِعجَب

لِغِرَّةٍ تَحتَها شِماسُ

لِغِرَّةٍ تَحتَها شِماسُ

Innocent, yet hard to tame—so marvel

A flirt, but difficult - so I was amazed

At innocence with unruliness beneath it.

By a coquetry with pride underneath.

فَكُلُّ وَصلٍ لَدَيهِ وَعدٌ

فَكُلُّ وَصلٍ لَدَيهِ وَعدٌ

وَكُلُّ وَعدٍ لَدَيهِ ياسُ

وَكُلُّ وَعدٍ لَدَيهِ ياسُ

So every union with him is a promise,

Each union with him is a promise,

And every promise from him is despair.

And each promise from him is despair.

يا سِحرَ طَرفٍ وَحُسنَ وَجهٍ

يا سِحرَ طَرفٍ وَحُسنَ وَجهٍ

لِلبَدرِ مِن نُورِهِ اِقتِباسُ

لِلبَدرِ مِن نُورِهِ اِقتِباسُ

O magic of a glance and beauty of a face,

O magic of a glance, beauty of face,

The full moon borrows from his light.

The moon borrows from his light.

قَد حُفَّ مِن ذا بِاللَّحظِ مَوتٌ

قَد حُفَّ مِن ذا بِاللَّحظِ مَوتٌ

وَحُفَّ مِن ذا بِالوَردِ آسُ

وَحُفَّ مِن ذا بِالوَردِ آسُ

Here death has been wreathed in glances,

By that look some died,

And there myrtle has been wreathed in roses.

By those roses others picked.

وَلَستُ أَنسَى صَلاةَ يَومٍ

وَلَستُ أَنسَى صَلاةَ يَومٍ

يَحسُدُ في كَونِها أُناسُ

يَحسُدُ في كَونِها أُناسُ

And I do not forget that day's prayer,

I won't forget the prayer of a day

Whose occurrence some people envy.

When people envied its intimacy.

غازَلَ طَرفِي غَزالُ أُنسٍ

غازَلَ طَرفِي غَزالُ أُنسٍ

في نَفلِها هَل عَلَيَّ باسُ

في نَفلِها هَل عَلَيَّ باسُ

A friendly gazelle flirted with my gaze

My eyes were seduced by a gazelle of company

During its voluntary part—am I to blame?

In its voluntary prayer - was I heedless of me?

فَلَستُ أَدرِي وَكُنتُ أَدرِي

فَلَستُ أَدرِي وَكُنتُ أَدرِي

أَجامِعٌ ذاكَ أَم كِناسُ

أَجامِعٌ ذاكَ أَم كِناسُ

So I do not know, though once I knew:

I don't know, though I did know,

Is that a mosque or a gazelle's lair?

Was that gathering or solitude?