سألتُ غزالا شفَّ قلبي عن اسمه

سألتُ غزالا شفَّ قلبي عن اسمه

فدافعَ عنه ثمَّ قال وعمَّاهُ

فدافعَ عنه ثمَّ قال وعمَّاهُ

I asked a gazelle who had worn my heart away about his name.

I asked a gazelle who captured my heart about his name

So he evaded it, then spoke and kept it veiled:

He defended it, then said and concealed it

هو اسمٌ يَعاف الصاحلون استماعَه

هو اسمٌ يَعاف الصاحلون استماعَه

لأن الذي يهواه يبغضُهُ اللهُ

لأن الذي يهواه يبغضُهُ اللهُ

It is a name the righteous loathe to hear,

It is a name the righteous dislike hearing

for God hates whoever loves it.

Because the one who loves it, Allah hates him

وتصحيفُه مُرٌّ على المرء طعمهُ

وتصحيفُه مُرٌّ على المرء طعمهُ

يمُرُّ على سمع الكريم فيأباهُ

يمُرُّ على سمع الكريم فيأباهُ

And its mispointed form tastes bitter to a man;

And mispronouncing it is bitter to one's taste

it reaches a noble man's ear, and he rejects it.

Bitter to the hearing of the generous, so he refuses it

ولو قيلَ لي ثلثاه من فعلِ صاحب

ولو قيلَ لي ثلثاه من فعلِ صاحب

تجافيتُه من بعد ما كنت أهواهُ

تجافيتُه من بعد ما كنت أهواهُ

And were I told two-thirds of it were a friend's deed,

And if I was told a third of the deeds of its companion

I would shun him, after having loved him.

I would shun him after what I used to love him

ولو قيل في أخرَى سمعتَ بصيحةٍ

ولو قيل في أخرَى سمعتَ بصيحةٍ

لساهرِ ليلٍ بالهموم تغشَّاهُ

لساهرِ ليلٍ بالهموم تغشَّاهُ

And were it said another way, you would hear a cry

And if it was said in another I heard a scream

from one awake through a night that cloaked him in cares.

Of a sleepless night's vigil, overwhelmed by worries

ولكن إذا شبّهتَه باسم غادةٍ

ولكن إذا شبّهتَه باسم غادةٍ

فذلك مما تشتهيهِ وترضاهُ

فذلك مما تشتهيهِ وترضاهُ

But if you liken it to a maiden's name,

But if you likened it to the name of a returning one

then that is something you desire and approve of.

That is what you desire and approve of