بَعَثَ الخَيالُ إِلَيَّ وَاِمتَنَعا

بَعَثَ الخَيالُ إِلَيَّ وَاِمتَنَعا

ريمٌ مَضَت نَفسي لَهُ تَبَعا

ريمٌ مَضَت نَفسي لَهُ تَبَعا

He sent his phantom to me, yet stayed away—

Imagination sent me a vision, though it denied itself to me

a gazelle whom my soul followed.

My soul still chased after that which had passed

ما زالَ طولَ اللَيلِ مُرتَحِلاً

ما زالَ طولَ اللَيلِ مُرتَحِلاً

يَلقى المُتَيَّمَ كُلَّما هَجَعا

يَلقى المُتَيَّمَ كُلَّما هَجَعا

It kept journeying all night long,

All through the night it wandered

meeting the love-stricken one whenever he slept.

Finding the grieving one every time he lay down