مِنَ الظِباءِ ظِباءٌ هَمُّها السُخُبُ

مِنَ الظِباءِ ظِباءٌ هَمُّها السُخُبُ

تَرعى القُلوبَ وَفي قَلبي لَها عُشُبُ

تَرعى القُلوبَ وَفي قَلبي لَها عُشُبُ

Among gazelles are gazelles whose concern is scented necklaces.

Among the gazelles is a gazelle, whose only concern is the morning dew,

They graze on hearts, and in my heart is grass for them.

She grazes on hearts, and in my heart for her there is pasture,

أَفدي الظِباءَ اللَواتي لا قُرونَ لَها

أَفدي الظِباءَ اللَواتي لا قُرونَ لَها

وَحَليُها الدُرُّ وَالياقوتُ وَالذَهَبُ

وَحَليُها الدُرُّ وَالياقوتُ وَالذَهَبُ

I would give my life for the gazelles that have no horns,

I would sacrifice myself for the hornless gazelles,

And their jewelry is pearls, rubies, and gold.

Whose adornment is pearls, rubies and gold,

يا حُسنَ ما سَرَقَت عَيني وَما اِنتَهَبَت

يا حُسنَ ما سَرَقَت عَيني وَما اِنتَهَبَت

وَالعَينُ تَسرِقُ أَحياناً وَتَنتَهِبُ

وَالعَينُ تَسرِقُ أَحياناً وَتَنتَهِبُ

How lovely is what my eye has stolen and what it has plundered!

O beauty, how my eyes have stolen from me and plundered!

And the eye sometimes steals and plunders.

Eyes sometimes steal and plunder,

فَتِلكَ مِن حُسنِ عَينَيها وَهَبتُ لَها

فَتِلكَ مِن حُسنِ عَينَيها وَهَبتُ لَها

قَلبي لَو قَبِلَت مِنّي الَّذي أَهَبُ

قَلبي لَو قَبِلَت مِنّي الَّذي أَهَبُ

So, for the beauty of that one's eyes, I gave her

So that stealing of her beautiful eyes I have given to her,

My heart—if only she would accept from me what I give.

My heart, if only she would accept from me what I gift,

وَما أُريدُهُما إِلّا لِرُؤيَتِها

وَما أُريدُهُما إِلّا لِرُؤيَتِها

فَإِن تَأَبَّت فَما لي فيهِما أَرَبُ

فَإِن تَأَبَّت فَما لي فيهِما أَرَبُ

And I want my eyes only to see her.

I want them for nothing but to see her,

So if she refuses, then I have no need of them.

And if she refuses, I have no interest in them,

إِذا يَدٌ سَرَقَت فَالحَدُّ يَقطَعُها

إِذا يَدٌ سَرَقَت فَالحَدُّ يَقطَعُها

وَالحَدُّ في سِرقَةِ العَينَينِ لا يَجِبُ

وَالحَدُّ في سِرقَةِ العَينَينِ لا يَجِبُ

When a hand steals, the prescribed penalty cuts it off,

When a hand steals, it is cut off,

And for theft by the eyes, no prescribed penalty is due.

But for the theft of eyes, no punishment applies.