صَدرَ الحَبيبُ فَهاجَني صَدرُه

صَدرَ الحَبيبُ فَهاجَني صَدرُه

إِنّي كَذاكَ تَشوقُني ذِكرُه

إِنّي كَذاكَ تَشوقُني ذِكرُه

The beloved departed, and his departure stirred me.

The beloved's chest inspired me, his chest,

So it is with me: the memory of him makes me yearn.

Indeed, I yearn for him likewise, his mention,

إِنَّ المُحِبَّ إِذا تَخالَجَهُ

إِنَّ المُحِبَّ إِذا تَخالَجَهُ

شَوقٌ كَذاكَ الهَمُّ يَحتَضِرُه

شَوقٌ كَذاكَ الهَمُّ يَحتَضِرُه

Indeed, when a lover is stirred

When a lover is gripped with longing like that,

by longing, sorrow likewise besets him.

Worry thus takes hold of him,

وَنَظَرتُ نَظرَةَ عاشِقٍ دَنِفٍ

وَنَظَرتُ نَظرَةَ عاشِقٍ دَنِفٍ

بادي الصَبابَةِ عازِمٍ نَظَرُه

بادي الصَبابَةِ عازِمٍ نَظَرُه

And I cast the glance of a lovesick lover,

And I looked with the gaze of a timid lover,

his yearning plain, his gaze intent.

Whose youth is evident, intent is his gaze,

فَرَأَيتُ رِئماً في مَجاسِدِها

فَرَأَيتُ رِئماً في مَجاسِدِها

وَسطَ الحَدائِقِ مُشرِقاً بَشَرُه

وَسطَ الحَدائِقِ مُشرِقاً بَشَرُه

Then I saw a white gazelle in her saffron-dyed robes,

So I saw a herd amidst its resting place,

amid the gardens, its complexion radiant.

And amidst gardens, radiant is their beauty,

أَقبَلتُ أَطمَعُ أَن أَزورَهُمُ

أَقبَلتُ أَطمَعُ أَن أَزورَهُمُ

إِنّي قَديمُ الشَوقِ مُنتَشِرُه

إِنّي قَديمُ الشَوقِ مُنتَشِرُه

I came forward, hoping to visit them;

I approached, hoping to visit them,

indeed, my longing is longstanding and far-reaching.

Long has my longing spread within me,

فَلَقَيتُها وَالعَينُ آمِنَةٌ

فَلَقَيتُها وَالعَينُ آمِنَةٌ

وَاللَيلُ داجٍ مُسفِرٌ قَمَرُه

وَاللَيلُ داجٍ مُسفِرٌ قَمَرُه

Then I met her, the eye unafraid,

And I met them while the eye was at peace,

while the night was dark and its moon shone bright,

And the night was pitch-black, radiant its moon,

في مَوكِبٍ لاقَ الجَمالُ بِهِ

في مَوكِبٍ لاقَ الجَمالُ بِهِ

كَالغَيثِ لاطَ بِنَبتِهِ زَهَرُه

كَالغَيثِ لاطَ بِنَبتِهِ زَهَرُه

in a procession to which beauty clung,

In a procession, beauty met with it,

like rain-fed greenery, its blossoms clinging to its plants.

Like rain which poured on its plants, blossomed its flowers.