تَرَكتُ الرَبعَ لا أَبكي

هِ وَالأَطلالَ وَالرَسما

I forsook the campsite, shedding no tears

Over it, nor over the ruins, nor the fading traces.

وَلا أَبكي عَلى لَيلى

وَلا سَعدى وَلا سَلمى

Neither do I weep for Layla,

Nor for Sa'da, nor for Salma.

وَذاكَ لِأَنَّني رَجُلٌ

عَلِمتُ مِنَ الهَوى عِلما

And that is because I am a man

Who has learned a true lesson from love:

كَما ما أَحسَنَ الوَصلَ

كَذا ما أَقبَحَ الصَرما

Just as union is most beautiful,

So too is desertion most ugly.

فَنَلزَمُ حَيثُ ذا حَمداً

وَنَلزَمُ حَيثُ ذا ذَمّا

Thus, we adhere to praise where the former exists,

And we adhere to blame where the latter exists.

أَميري إِنَّما جُرتَ

لِأَن وَلَّيتُكَ الحُكما

My prince, you have only turned tyrant

Because I granted you the power to rule.

أَما تَستَحسِنُ العَدلَ

كَما تَستَحسِنُ الظُلما

Do you not find justice beautiful,

Just as you find tyranny so?