وَلَيلى حَبيب في بَغيضٍ مُجاذِبٍ

وَلَيلى حَبيب في بَغيضٍ مُجاذِبٍ

فَلا أَنتَ نائِيَهُ وَلا أَنتَ نائِلُه

فَلا أَنتَ نائِيَهُ وَلا أَنتَ نائِلُه

And Layla is a beloved entangled with a hated rival;

And Layla, a hated lover quarrelling,

so you can neither keep away from her nor attain her.

You are neither her confidant nor her attainer.

فَدَع عَنكَ لَيلى قَد تَوَّلَت بِنَفعِها

فَدَع عَنكَ لَيلى قَد تَوَّلَت بِنَفعِها

وَمِن أَينَ مَعروفٌ لِمَن أَنتَ قائِلُه

وَمِن أَينَ مَعروفٌ لِمَن أَنتَ قائِلُه

So leave Layla aside: she has turned away with her favors.

So leave Layla be, she has turned to her own benefit,

And whence comes kindness for one to whom you would speak of it?

And how could kindness come from one like you?

لِآَلِ الشَريدِ إِذ اَصابوا لِقاحَنا

لِآَلِ الشَريدِ إِذ اَصابوا لِقاحَنا

بِبَيضانَ وَالمَعروف يحمَدُ فاعِلُه

بِبَيضانَ وَالمَعروف يحمَدُ فاعِلُه

For the clan of al-Sharid, when they came upon our milch-camels

To the outcast family when they took our meadows

at Baydan—and the doer of kindness is praised.

At Baydan, though kindness is praised in its doer.

تَجُرُّ بِرَوضاتٍ الاشاءَةِ أَرحُلاً

تَجُرُّ بِرَوضاتٍ الاشاءَةِ أَرحُلاً

رَمَتها أَنابيشُ السَفا وَنُواصِلُه

رَمَتها أَنابيشُ السَفا وَنُواصِلُه

They drag saddles through the meadows of al-Asha'ah,

Pulling my camels across the meadows,

cast upon them by the roots of awned grass and its shoots.

Cast by the pouring rain and its joiner.

أَبَت إِبلي ماءَ الحِياضِ بِأَرضِها

أَبَت إِبلي ماءَ الحِياضِ بِأَرضِها

وَما شَنَّها مِن جارِ سَوءٍ تُزايلُه

وَما شَنَّها مِن جارِ سَوءٍ تُزايلُه

My camels refused the water of the troughs in their own land;

My camels refused the water of the ponds in their land,

nor had any bad neighbor they were leaving driven them away.

And what evil neighbor provoked their separation?

لَها مَورِدٌ بِالقَريَتَينِ وَمَصدَرٌ

لَها مَورِدٌ بِالقَريَتَينِ وَمَصدَرٌ

لِفَوتِ فَلاةٍ لا تَزالُ تَنازلُه

لِفَوتِ فَلاةٍ لا تَزالُ تَنازلُه

They have a watering-place at al-Qaryatayn, and a way back

For them are springs in both valleys and a source

to the far reach of a desert they never cease to confront.

To pass the arid expanse that continues to diminish.

عَلَيهِ شَريبٌ ليِّنٌ وَادِعُ العَصا

عَلَيهِ شَريبٌ ليِّنٌ وَادِعُ العَصا

يُساجِلُها جُمّاتِهِ وَتُساجِلُه

يُساجِلُها جُمّاتِهِ وَتُساجِلُه

At it is a gentle sharer of water, his staff at rest;

Upon it a soft drink, call the staff that

he takes turns with them at his brimming pools, and they take turns with him.

Quarrels with its knots and quarrels with it.