نُبّئتُ عَن ظبيٍ غريرٍ أغيدا

نُبّئتُ عَن ظبيٍ غريرٍ أغيدا

في حسنهِ الفتّانِ أضحى مُفردا

في حسنهِ الفتّانِ أضحى مُفردا

I was told of a guileless, lithe gazelle,

I was told of a charming gazelle

Who became peerless in his bewitching beauty.

Whose beauty made him peerless and alone

مِن قومِ عيسى زيّه وقبيلهُ

مِن قومِ عيسى زيّه وقبيلهُ

مِن قومِ موسى كالقضيبِ تأوّدا

مِن قومِ موسى كالقضيبِ تأوّدا

His garb is that of Jesus’s people, and his tribe

A Christian in garb and clan

Is of Moses’s people; he swayed like a branch.

A Jew like a wand crooked with flame

جَعَل التطبُّبَ حرفةً فخشيتُ من

جَعَل التطبُّبَ حرفةً فخشيتُ من

مُتمارضٍ يَهواه أَن يتهوّدا

مُتمارضٍ يَهواه أَن يتهوّدا

He made medicine his profession, so I feared

Who took up medicine as his trade so I feared

That a man feigning illness who loves him might embrace Judaism.

A malingerer whose love might turn to scorn

لا سيّما إِن كان شيخاً فاجراً

لا سيّما إِن كان شيخاً فاجراً

ثوبَ المدامةِ والفسوقِ قدِ اِرتدى

ثوبَ المدامةِ والفسوقِ قدِ اِرتدى

Especially if he is a depraved old man,

Especially if he be a lecherous elder

Who has donned the robe of wine and vice,

Clad in the raiment of riot and vice

وَيَرى اللِّواطَ شريعةً في دينهِ

وَيَرى اللِّواطَ شريعةً في دينهِ

وَإذا سَألتهُ قال ذاكَ تعبُّدا

وَإذا سَألتهُ قال ذاكَ تعبُّدا

And regards sodomy as a law of his religion;

Who sees sodomy as law in his faith

And when you ask him, he says, ‘That is worship.’

And if asked, claims that is worship