إِذا اِبتَدَرَ الناسُ المَكارِمَ بَذَّهُم

إِذا اِبتَدَرَ الناسُ المَكارِمَ بَذَّهُم

عَراضَةُ أَخلاقِ اِبنِ لَيلى وَطولُها

عَراضَةُ أَخلاقِ اِبنِ لَيلى وَطولُها

When people race toward noble deeds, they are outstripped

When people fail at being generous,

By the breadth and reach of Ibn Layla’s character.

The length and slackness of Ibn Layla's manners rebuke them,

وَإِنَّ اِبنَ لَيلى فاهَ لي بِمَقالَةٍ

وَإِنَّ اِبنَ لَيلى فاهَ لي بِمَقالَةٍ

وَلَو سِرتُ فيها كُنتُ مِمَّن يُنيلُها

وَلَو سِرتُ فيها كُنتُ مِمَّن يُنيلُها

And indeed Ibn Layla spoke to me with a proposal;

And Ibn Layla spoke to me with words,

Had I followed it, I would have been among those to whom he granted it.

That had I kept silent, I'd be among those who deserve them.

عَجِبتُ لِتَركي خِطَّةَ الرُشدِ بَعدَما

عَجِبتُ لِتَركي خِطَّةَ الرُشدِ بَعدَما

بَدا لِيَ مِن عَبدِ العَزيزِ قَبولُها

بَدا لِيَ مِن عَبدِ العَزيزِ قَبولُها

I marveled at my abandoning the prudent course after

I'm amazed that after the path of righteousness became clear,

Abd al-Aziz’s acceptance of it had become clear to me,

I abandoned it when Abd al-Aziz accepted it.

وَأَمِّيَ صَعباتِ الأُمورِ أَروضُها

وَأَمِّيَ صَعباتِ الأُمورِ أَروضُها

وَقَد أَمكَنَتني يَومَ ذاكَ ذَلولُها

وَقَد أَمكَنَتني يَومَ ذاكَ ذَلولُها

And at my seeking stubborn affairs to tame them,

I tame the most difficult matters,

Though their docile one had come within my reach that day.

And that day they became submissive to me.

حَلَفتُ بِرَبِّ الراقِصاتِ إِلى مُنىً

حَلَفتُ بِرَبِّ الراقِصاتِ إِلى مُنىً

يَغولُ البِلادَ نَصُّها وَذَميلُها

يَغولُ البِلادَ نَصُّها وَذَميلُها

I swore by the Lord of the swaying camels bound for Mina,

I swore by the Lord of those dancing to Muna,

Whose swiftest pace and easy trot devour the lands:

Whose laws fill the land in its entirety,

لَئِن عادَ لي عَبدُ العَزيزِ بِمِثلِها

لَئِن عادَ لي عَبدُ العَزيزِ بِمِثلِها

وَأَمكَنَني مِنها إِذاً لا أُقيلُها

وَأَمكَنَني مِنها إِذاً لا أُقيلُها

If indeed Abd al-Aziz returns to me with its like,

That if Abd al-Aziz returns to me with the like of it,

And gives me access to it, then I shall not relinquish it.

And I'm able to accept it, I won't reject it.

فَهَل أَنتَ إِن راجَعتُكَ القَولَ مَرَّةً

فَهَل أَنتَ إِن راجَعتُكَ القَولَ مَرَّةً

بِأَحسَنَ مِنها عائِدٌ فَمُنيلُها

بِأَحسَنَ مِنها عائِدٌ فَمُنيلُها

So, if I speak to you once again, will you

So if I come back to you with better speech,

Return with something better than it, and then bestow it?

Will you return the same and accept it?