لَقَد أَرسَلَت في السِرِّ لَيلى تَلُومُني

وَتَزعُمُني ذامَلَّةٍ طَرِفاً جَلدا

Indeed Layla sent secretly blaming me,

And claiming I'm fickle and fleet of glance.

تَقُولُ لَقَد أَخلَفتَنا ما وَعَدتَنا

وَوَاللَهِ ما أَخلَفتُها طائِعاً وَعدا

She says, "You have broken your promise to us,

By God I did not willingly break my vow."

فَقُلتُ مَرُوعاً لِلرَسُولِ الَّذي أَتى

تُراهُ لَكَ الوَيلاتُ مِن نَفسِها جِدّا

So frightened, I said to the messenger who came,

"Do you see disasters for yourself from her earnestly?"

إِذا جِئتَها فَاقرى السَلام وَقُل لَها

دَعي الجَورَ لَيلى وَاِنهِجي مِنهجاً قَصدا

"When you come to her, convey greetings and say:

Spare me injustice, Layla, and take the middle path."

تعُدّينَ ذَنباً أَنتِ قَبلي جَنَيتِهِ

عَلَيَّ وَلا أُحصِي ذُنُوبَكُمُ عَدّا

You blame me for a sin you committed before me

Against me, though I do not count your sins.

أَفي غَيبَتي عَنكُم لَيالي مَرَضتُها

تَزِيدينَني لَيلى عَلى مَرَضي جَهدا

While I was absent from you those sickly nights,

Do you add, Layla, to my sickness exhaustion?

تَجاهَلُ ما قَد كانَ لَيلى كَأَنَّما

أُقاسي بِهِ مِن حَرَّةٍ حَجَراً صَلدا

She ignores what Layla had done as if

I suffer it like a solid rock.

غَداً يَكثُرُ الباكُونَ مِنّا وَمِنكُمُ

وَتَزدادُ داري مِن دِيارِكُمُ بُعدا

Tomorrow the crying will increase between us

And my homes will grow further from your homes.

فَإِن شِئتِ أَحرَمتُ النِساءَ سِواكُمُ

وَإِن شِئتِ لَم أَطعَم نُقاخاً وَلا بَردا

If you wish, I will abstain from women but you,

And if you wish, I will not eat dates or snow.

وَإِن تَغفِري مازَلَّ مِنّي وَتَصفَحي

فَقَد هَدَّ عَظمي قَبلَها حُبُّكُم هَدّا

If you forgive my missteps and overlook them

For your love has already guided my bones.

وَإِن تَصرِمِيني لا أرَى الدَهرَ لَذَّةً

لِشَيءٍ وَلَن أَلقى سُروراً وَلا سَعدا

But if you cut me off, I will not see in life

Pleasure or meet happiness or bliss again.

وَإن شِئتِ غُرنا مَعكُمُ حَيثُ غُرتُمُ

بِمَكَّةَ حَتّى تَجلِسُوا قابِلاً نَجدا

And if you wish, we will emigrate with you

To Mecca until you settle facing Najd,

لِكَي تَعلَمي أَنّي أَشَدُّ صَبابَةً

وَأَحسَنُ عِندَ البَينِ مِن غَيرِنا عَهدا

So you may know I am firmer in passion

And better in steadfast loyalty than others.

تَقَطَّعَ إِلّا بِالكِتابِ عِتابُكُم

سِوى ذِكرٍ لا أَستَطيعُ لَها رَدّا

Except by letter, your blame cannot be cut off

Beyond mention, which I cannot refute.

فَقالَت وَأَذرَت دَمعَها لا بَعِدتُمُ

فَعَزَّ عَلَينا أَن نَرى لَكُمُ بُعدا

She said as she shed tears, “How distant you are,

It saddens us that you are so far."