أَصرَمٌ بليلى حادِثٌ أَم تَجنُّبُ

أَصرَمٌ بليلى حادِثٌ أَم تَجنُّبُ

أَم الحَبلُ مِنها واهِنٌ مُتَقَضِّبُ

أَم الحَبلُ مِنها واهِنٌ مُتَقَضِّبُ

Is this a new breach with Layla, or avoidance?

Is it a mishap with Layla, or avoidance?

Or is her cord weak and snapping?

Or is it that affection for Layla remains as it was,

أَم الوِدُّ مِن لَيلى كَعَهدي مَكانَه

أَم الوِدُّ مِن لَيلى كَعَهدي مَكانَه

وَلَكِنَّ لَيلى تَستَزيدُ وَتَعتِبُ

وَلَكِنَّ لَيلى تَستَزيدُ وَتَعتِبُ

Or is Layla's affection still in its place, as I knew it,

Yet Layla demands and complains more?

but Layla asks for more and reproaches me?

Don’t you know, O Layla, I can be submissive

أَلَم تَعلَمي يا لَيلَ أَنّيَ لَيِّن

أَلَم تَعلَمي يا لَيلَ أَنّيَ لَيِّن

هَضومٌ وَأَنّي عَنبَسٌ حينَ أَغضَبُ

هَضومٌ وَأَنّي عَنبَسٌ حينَ أَغضَبُ

Did you not know, O Layla, that I am gentle,

And gentle when angered?

forbearing of wrong, yet a lion when I grow angry,

When I spend lavishly, hoping for repayment,

وَأَنّي مَتى أُنفِق مِن المالِ طارِفا

وَأَنّي مَتى أُنفِق مِن المالِ طارِفا

فَإِنّي أَرجو أَن يَثوبَ المُثَوَّبُ

فَإِنّي أَرجو أَن يَثوبَ المُثَوَّبُ

and that whenever I spend newly acquired wealth,

Should wealth be lost unjustly?

then I hope that recompense will return?

Layla ignores my words and frowns.

أَأَن تَلِفَ المالُ التِلادُ بِحَقِّهِ

أَأَن تَلِفَ المالُ التِلادُ بِحَقِّهِ

تَشَمَّسُ لَيلى عَن كَلامي وَتٌقطِبُ

تَشَمَّسُ لَيلى عَن كَلامي وَتٌقطِبُ

Is it because the inherited wealth was used up on its rightful dues

At night she said, when the riding beasts were ready,

that Layla shies away from my words and frowns?

“Where are you going with your packed belongings?”

عَشيَّةَ قالَت وَالرِكابُ مُناخَةٌ

عَشيَّةَ قالَت وَالرِكابُ مُناخَةٌ

بِأَكوارِها مَشدودة أَينَ تَذهَبُ

بِأَكوارِها مَشدودة أَينَ تَذهَبُ

One evening she said, while the riding-camels knelt,

Do you have some purpose in every place you migrate to?

with their saddles fastened: Where are you going?

Such is the way of a scattered man.

أَفي كُلِّ مِصرٍ نازِحٍ لَك حاجَةٌ

أَفي كُلِّ مِصرٍ نازِحٍ لَك حاجَةٌ

كَذَلِكَ ما أَمرُ الفَتى المُتَشَعِّبُ

كَذَلِكَ ما أَمرُ الفَتى المُتَشَعِّبُ

Have you some business in every distant town?

By God, her camel kept pleading with me

Such, indeed, is a young man's far-ranging business.

Until the sun nearly set.

فَوَ اللَه ما زالَت تُلَبِّتُ ناقَتي

فَوَ اللَه ما زالَت تُلَبِّتُ ناقَتي

وَتُقسِمُ حَتّى كادتِ الشَمسُ تَغرُبُ

وَتُقسِمُ حَتّى كادتِ الشَمسُ تَغرُبُ

So, by God, she kept holding back my she-camel,

Let me be! Death has no defense against me,

and swearing oaths, until the sun was about to set.

Nor does he who has lost interest in life seek more.

دعينيَ ما المَوتِ عَنيَ دافِعٌ

دعينيَ ما المَوتِ عَنيَ دافِعٌ

وَلا لِلَّذي وَلّى مِن العَيشِ مَطلَبُ

وَلا لِلَّذي وَلّى مِن العَيشِ مَطلَبُ

Leave me be: none can ward death away from me,

To you, Obedullah, our riding beasts incline.

nor can the life that has passed be reclaimed.

They roam the unknown desert and persist.

إِلَيكَ عُبيدَ اللَهِ تَهوي رِكابُنا

إِلَيكَ عُبيدَ اللَهِ تَهوي رِكابُنا

تَعسَّفُ مَجهولَ الفَلاةِ وَتَدأَبُ

تَعسَّفُ مَجهولَ الفَلاةِ وَتَدأَبُ

Toward you, Ubayd Allah, our riding-camels hasten,

Her eyes have smoldered as if they were

crossing unknown desert without a path, and toiling on.

The pools of a desert whose water flows gently.

وَقَد ضمرت حَتّى كأَنَّ عُيونَها

وَقَد ضمرت حَتّى كأَنَّ عُيونَها

نِطافُ فَلاةٍ ماؤُها مُتَصَبِّبُ

نِطافُ فَلاةٍ ماؤُها مُتَصَبِّبُ

And they have grown so lean that their eyes seem

So I said to her, “Do not complain of the where.

like desert pools whose water is trickling away.

Before you is a coin from Umayyah ibn Shabib.”

فَقُلتُ لَها لا تَشتَكي الأينَ أَنَّهُ

فَقُلتُ لَها لا تَشتَكي الأينَ أَنَّهُ

أَمامَكِ قَرمٌ مِن أُميَّةَ مُصعَبُ

أَمامَكِ قَرمٌ مِن أُميَّةَ مُصعَبُ

So I said to her: Do not complain of weariness, for

When others mention the superiority of some man of the past,

before you stands a noble camel-sire of Umayya, hard to tame.

The superiority of Obedullah is fresher and sweeter.

إِذ ذَكَروا فَضلَ امرىءٍ كانَ قَبلُهُ

إِذ ذَكَروا فَضلَ امرىءٍ كانَ قَبلُهُ

فَفَضلُ عُبَيدِ اللَهِ أَثرى وَأَطيَبُ

فَفَضلُ عُبَيدِ اللَهِ أَثرى وَأَطيَبُ

When they recall the bounty of a man who came before him,

Were a wound to be healed by you, it would not return,

then Ubayd Allah's bounty is richer and sweeter.

For you are a claw and fang against enemies.

وَأَنَكَ لَو يُشفى بك القَرحُ لَم يَعُد

وَأَنَكَ لَو يُشفى بك القَرحُ لَم يَعُد

وَأَنتَ عَلى الأَعداءِ نابٌ وَمِخلَبُ

وَأَنتَ عَلى الأَعداءِ نابٌ وَمِخلَبُ

And if a wound were healed through you, it would not return;

Obedullah and glory are the choicest

and against enemies you are fang and claw.

Allies—neither Hibr nor Yathrib equal them.

تَصافى عُبيدُ اللَهِ وَالمَجدُ صَفوَةَ ال

تَصافى عُبيدُ اللَهِ وَالمَجدُ صَفوَةَ ال

حليفين ما أَرسى ثَبِرٌ وَيَثرِبُ

حليفين ما أَرسى ثَبِرٌ وَيَثرِبُ

Ubayd Allah and glory share the pure loyalty of

And you are foremost in pursuing good.

two allies, as long as Thabir and Yathrib stand firm.

So rejoice! You have attained what you sought.

وَأَنتَ إِلى الخَيراتِ أَوَلُ سابِقٍ

وَأَنتَ إِلى الخَيراتِ أَوَلُ سابِقٍ

فَأَبشِر فَقَد أَدرَكتَ ما كُنتَ تَطلُبُ

فَأَبشِر فَقَد أَدرَكتَ ما كُنتَ تَطلُبُ

And you are the first to race toward good deeds,

Help me with a useful register of your registers,

so rejoice, for you have attained what you were seeking.

For each day has brought you ample provision.

أَعِنّي بسَجلٍ مِن سِجالكَ نافِعٍ

أَعِنّي بسَجلٍ مِن سِجالكَ نافِعٍ

فَفي كُلِّ يَومٍ قَد سَرى لَكَ مِحلَبُ

فَفي كُلِّ يَومٍ قَد سَرى لَكَ مِحلَبُ

Aid me with a useful bucketful from your buckets,

If you were to seek something of me,

for each day a milk-pail has journeyed through the night to you.

A family and welcome would come to you in speech.

فانكَ لَو ايايَ تَطلُبُ حاجَةً

فانكَ لَو ايايَ تَطلُبُ حاجَةً

جَرى لَك أَهلٌ في المَقالِ وَمَرحَبُ

جَرى لَك أَهلٌ في المَقالِ وَمَرحَبُ

For if you were to ask me a favor,

my words to you would flow with: Welcome, and well met!