شادِنٌa young gazelle لَوif جَرىraced مَعَwith الthe
شادِنٌ لَو جَرى مَعَ ال
شَمسِsun فيin حَلبَةٍa racecourse سَبَقoutstripped
شَمسِ في حَلبَةٍ سَبَق
A young gazelle—if he raced with the
Gliding as the sun in its orbit
sun on a racecourse, he would win.
He outran the bough he embraced
عانَقَembraced الغُصنَthe bough فَاِحتَذىthen imitated
عانَقَ الغُصنَ فَاِحتَذى
لينَsuppleness عِطفَيهِhis two flanks وَاِستَرَقand stole it
لينَ عِطفَيهِ وَاِستَرَق
He embraced the bough, which copied
Molded to the softness of his arms
the suppleness of his flanks and stole it.
Plucked the flower, inhaled its fragrance
نَشَقَinhaled الزَهرَthe flowers فَاِستَفاthen gained (continued)
نَشَقَ الزَهرَ فَاِستَفا
دَcompletion of 'gained' بِأَنفاسِهِthrough his breaths عَبَقfragrance
دَ بِأَنفاسِهِ عَبَق
He inhaled the flowers, and they gained
The dew of bashfulness on his cheek flowed
fragrance through his breaths.
Say to Moses "You split my heart open like the sea"
وَجَرىand passed باسِمُsmiling النَسيthe breeze (continued)
وَجَرى باسِمُ النَسي
مِcompletion of 'breeze' عَلىover خَدِّهِhis cheek فَرَقthen grew tender
مِ عَلى خَدِّهِ فَرَق
And the smiling breeze passed
Oh inferno of hearts, oh paradise of the horizon
over his cheek and grew tender.
I see no moles on your cheek nights on the full moon
قُلsay لِموسىto Musa صَدَعتَyou split قَلheart (continued)
قُل لِموسى صَدَعتَ قَل
بِيَcompletion of 'my heart' كَاليَمِّlike the sea فاِنفَلَقso it split apart
بِيَ كَاليَمِّ فاِنفَلَق
Tell Musa: you have split my heart
It was but a planet facing the sun, set ablaze
like the sea, and it split apart.
ياO جَحيماًa hellfire عَلىupon القُلوthe hearts (continued)
يا جَحيماً عَلى القُلو
بِcompletion of 'hearts' وَياand O جَنَّةَa paradise of الحَدَقthe pupils of the eyes
بِ وَيا جَنَّةَ الحَدَق
O hellfire upon the hearts,
and O paradise of the eyes!
ماnot أَرىI see الخالَthe mole فَوقَabove خَدَّcheek (continued)
ما أَرى الخالَ فَوقَ خَدَّ
يكَcompletion of 'your two cheeks' لَيلاًnight عَلىupon فَلَقdaybreak
يكَ لَيلاً عَلى فَلَق
I do not see the mole on your cheeks
as night upon daybreak.
إِنَّماonly كانَit was كَوكَباًa star
إِنَّما كانَ كَوكَباً
قابَلَfaced الشَمسَthe sun فاِحتَرَقthen was scorched
قابَلَ الشَمسَ فاِحتَرَق
It was only a star
that faced the sun and was scorched.
Partial English translation: 9 of 16 Arabic lines translated.