وَبِنَفسي مَن لا أُسَمّيهِ إِلّا

وَبِنَفسي مَن لا أُسَمّيهِ إِلّا

بَعضَ إِلمامَةٍ وَبَعضَ إِشارَه

بَعضَ إِلمامَةٍ وَبَعضَ إِشارَه

And my soul be ransom for him whom I name only

With my soul, whom I name naught but

by a passing allusion and a slight hint.

A part of a turban and part of a gesture

هُوَ وَالظَبيُ في الجَمالِ سَواءٌ

هُوَ وَالظَبيُ في الجَمالِ سَواءٌ

ما اِستَعارَ الغَزالُ مِنهُ اِستَعارَه

ما اِستَعارَ الغَزالُ مِنهُ اِستَعارَه

He and the gazelle are equal in beauty;

He and the gazelle are equal in beauty

whatever the gazelle borrowed, it borrowed from him.

What the gazelle borrowed of him were borrowings

أَغيَدٌ يُمسِكُ الحَريرَ بِفِيهِ

أَغيَدٌ يُمسِكُ الحَريرَ بِفِيهِ

مِثلَما يُمسِكُ الغَزالُ العَرارَه

مِثلَما يُمسِكُ الغَزالُ العَرارَه

A supple youth holds silk in his mouth,

A bud that holds silk in its mouth

as the gazelle holds the arār blossom.

As the gazelle holds the meadows

ما بِقَلبي حَوَتهُ مِنهُ ضُلوعي

ما بِقَلبي حَوَتهُ مِنهُ ضُلوعي

كَالرَجاءِ اِنطَوى وَفيهِ شَرارَه

كَالرَجاءِ اِنطَوى وَفيهِ شَرارَه

What my ribs have enclosed of him within my heart

My ribs contain not what my heart held of him

lies folded like hope, with a spark within.

Like hope that folded and in it were embers

دارُهُ القَلبُ وَهوَ يَحتَلُّ أُخرى

دارُهُ القَلبُ وَهوَ يَحتَلُّ أُخرى

قَدَّسَ اللَهُ حَيثُما حَلَّ دارَه

قَدَّسَ اللَهُ حَيثُما حَلَّ دارَه

His home is the heart, though he inhabits another;

His abode is the heart yet he settles another

may God sanctify his home wherever he dwells.

God sanctified wherever his abode settled