غَزالٌ تَدَلُّلُهُ دَلَّهُ

غَزالٌ تَدَلُّلُهُ دَلَّهُ

عَلى قَتلِ مَن هُوَ عَبدٌ لَهُ

عَلى قَتلِ مَن هُوَ عَبدٌ لَهُ

A gazelle—his coyness led him

A gazelle whose charm led him

to slay one who is his slave.

To kill one who was his loyal servant

وَذَلِكَ أَنِّيَ مَلَّكتُهُ

وَذَلِكَ أَنِّيَ مَلَّكتُهُ

وِدادي وَمَلَّكَني وَصلَهُ

وِدادي وَمَلَّكَني وَصلَهُ

And that was because I made him master of

That is because I gave him

my love, and he granted me union with him.

My love, and he gave me his bond

وَكُنّا نَروحُ وَنَغدو إِلى

وَكُنّا نَروحُ وَنَغدو إِلى

هَوىً لا يُحَمِّلُنا ثِقلَهُ

هَوىً لا يُحَمِّلُنا ثِقلَهُ

We would go, evening and morning, toward

We would go and return to

a love that did not burden us with its weight,

A passion that did not burden us

كَغُصنَينِ في دَوحَةٍ بَعضُنا

كَغُصنَينِ في دَوحَةٍ بَعضُنا

يَمُدُّ عَلى بَعضِنا ظِلَّهُ

يَمُدُّ عَلى بَعضِنا ظِلَّهُ

like two branches in a spreading tree, each of us

Like two branches in an orchard, each

extending his shade over the other,

Extending its shade over the other

إِلى أَن أَمَرَّتهُ أَفعالَهُ

إِلى أَن أَمَرَّتهُ أَفعالَهُ

وَوَعَّرَ إِعجابُهُ سَهلَهُ

وَوَعَّرَ إِعجابُهُ سَهلَهُ

until his deeds made it bitter,

Until his actions commanded him

and his conceit made its level ground rough.

And his conceit marred his smoothness

فَخَلَّصتُ حَبلِيَ مِن حَبلِهِ

فَخَلَّصتُ حَبلِيَ مِن حَبلِهِ

وَمَن مَلَّ صاحِبَهُ مَلَّهُ

وَمَن مَلَّ صاحِبَهُ مَلَّهُ

So I freed my cord from his cord,

So I freed my rope from his rope

and whoever tires of his companion, his companion tires of him.

For he who possesses his companion is possessed by him