مَرَّ بي في فَلَك من ربرَب

مَرَّ بي في فَلَك من ربرَب

قَمَرٌ مُبْتَسمٌ عن شَنَبِ

قَمَرٌ مُبْتَسمٌ عن شَنَبِ

There passed by me, in a sphere of gazelles,

A crescent moon passed me by, smiling from behind a cloud

a moon, smiling to reveal cool, white teeth.

They adorned its top with pearls and weighed down its bottom with mist

زَيَّنُوا أَعْلاه بالدُّرِّ كما

زَيَّنُوا أَعْلاه بالدُّرِّ كما

ثقَّلُوا أَسْفَلَهُ بِالكُثُبِ

ثقَّلُوا أَسْفَلَهُ بِالكُثُبِ

They adorned his upper part with pearls, just as

The morning breezes made me reckless and roused my desire

they weighed down his lower part with sand dunes.

I offered it my surrender, but the lost one paid me no heed

فازْدَهَتْنى أَرْيَحِيّاتُ الصِّبا

فازْدَهَتْنى أَرْيَحِيّاتُ الصِّبا

واسْتَخَفَّتْنِي دواعِي طَرَبي

واسْتَخَفَّتْنِي دواعِي طَرَبي

Then the buoyant impulses of youth captivated me,

This servant said, "He who pampered me, what has spared Him my anger?"

and the stirrings of my rapture swept me away.

O gazelle eyes, take for me His head, for He's surely of the suspect

فَتَعَرَّضْتُ لتَسْلِيمٍ له

فَتَعَرَّضْتُ لتَسْلِيمٍ له

فإِذا التَيَّاهُ لا يَعْبأُ بي

فإِذا التَيَّاهُ لا يَعْبأُ بي

So I approached to greet him,

Its glances sprang out seeking me while I fled from them

but behold, the haughty one paid me no heed.

If you could see me teasing and humoring Him like a child

قالَ هذا العَبْدُ مَن دَلَّلَهُ

قالَ هذا العَبْدُ مَن دَلَّلَهُ

ما الَّذِي أَمَّنَهُ مِن غَضَبي

ما الَّذِي أَمَّنَهُ مِن غَضَبي

He said, “This slave—who has pampered him?

You left Him a tyrant of a defiant people, while I preach gently

What has made him feel safe from my wrath?

يا ظُبَا لَحظِي خُذِي لي رأْسَهُ

يا ظُبَا لَحظِي خُذِي لي رأْسَهُ

فَهْوَ لا شَكَّ مِن أهلِ الرِّيبِ

فَهْوَ لا شَكَّ مِن أهلِ الرِّيبِ

O blades of my gaze, take his head for me!

For he is surely among those under suspicion.”

فانْبَرَتْ أَلْحاظُهُ تَطْلُبُني

فانْبَرَتْ أَلْحاظُهُ تَطْلُبُني

وأَنا قُدَّامَها في الهَرَبِ

وأَنا قُدَّامَها في الهَرَبِ

Then his glances sprang forth in pursuit of me,

while I fled before them.

لَوْ تَراني وأَنا أُلْطِفُهُ

لَوْ تَراني وأَنا أُلْطِفُهُ

وأُدارِيهِ مُدَارَاةَ الصَّبي

وأُدارِيهِ مُدَارَاةَ الصَّبي

If you could see me treating him gently,

and humoring him as one humors a child,

خِلْتَهُ جَبَّارَ قَوْمٍ مَرَدُوا

خِلْتَهُ جَبَّارَ قَوْمٍ مَرَدُوا

وأَنا في لُطُف الوَعْظِ نَبي

وأَنا في لُطُف الوَعْظِ نَبي

you would think him the tyrant of a rebellious people,

and me, in gentle admonition, a prophet.