لثمت الظبيَ من غيرِ اختيارِهْ

لثمت الظبيَ من غيرِ اختيارِهْ

فمرَّ وليس يُمْلَكُ من نِفَارِهْ

فمرَّ وليس يُمْلَكُ من نِفَارِهْ

I kissed the gazelle against his will.

I kissed the gazelle without her consent

So he passed on, and could not be restrained in his skittishness.

So she fled, and could not be restrained from bolting

أبا الفَرَجِ اجتنيتُ ثمارَ حُسْنٍ

أبا الفَرَجِ اجتنيتُ ثمارَ حُسْنٍ

يسوءنيَ اجتناؤك من ثماره

يسوءنيَ اجتناؤك من ثماره

O Abu al-Faraj, I gathered fruits of beauty;

Abu al-Faraj, I plucked the fruits of beauty

it pains me that you gather from its fruits.

You resent my plucking of its fruits

نعم من حُسْنِ فيكَ لثمتُ خدّاً

نعم من حُسْنِ فيكَ لثمتُ خدّاً

يُصلِّي الجلّنارُ لجلَّنارِه

يُصلِّي الجلّنارُ لجلَّنارِه

Yes, for the beauty of your mouth I kissed a cheek

Indeed, from your beauty I kissed a cheek

to whose pomegranate bloom the pomegranate blossom prays.

For which monks would pray to their crucifix

لئنْ ولَّى وقد لبسَ ازوراراً

لئنْ ولَّى وقد لبسَ ازوراراً

فليس يُلامُ في لبسِ ازورارِه

فليس يُلامُ في لبسِ ازورارِه

If indeed he turned away, having donned aversion,

If she turned away, wearing a blue dress

then he is not to blame for wearing his aversion.

She cannot be blamed for wearing her blue dress