أَتُوصَلُ زَينَبُ أَم تُهجَرُ

وَإِن ظَلَمَتنا أَلا نَغفِرُ

Shall Zainab be connected or abandoned

Even if she wronged us, how could we not forgive

أَدَلَّت وَلَجَّ بِها أَنَّها

تُريدُ العِتابَ وَتَستَكبِرُ

She hinted and insisted that she

Wants reproach and is arrogant

وَتَعلَمُ أَنَّ لَها عِندَنا

ذَخائِرَ مِلحُبِّ لا تَظهَرُ

And she knows that with us

She has precious affection that does not appear

وَوُدّاً وَلَو نَطَقَ الكاشِحو

نَ فيها وَلَو أَكثَرَ المُكثِرُ

And love, even if the slanderers spoke

Ill of her, even if the critic exaggerates

وَلَستُ بِناسٍ مَقالَ الفَتاةِ

غَداةَ المُحَصَّبِ إِذ جَمَّروا

And I'm not like the girl said

The morning after they stirred up the ashes

أَلَستَ مُلِمّاً بِنا يا فَتىً

إِذا نامَ عَنّا الأُلى نَحذَرُ

"Aren't you sheltering us, O youth

When the misfortunes fall asleep, we are cautious?"

فَقُلتُ بَلى أَقعِدي ناصِحاً

يُنَفِّضُ عَنّا الَّذي يَنظُرُ

So I said "Yes, stay advising

To shake off what worries us"

وَآيَةُ ذَلِكَ أَن تَسمَعي

نِداءَ المُصَلّينَ يا مَعمَرُ

And proof of that is you hearing

The call to prayer, O long-lived one

فَأَقبَلتُ وَالناسُ قَد هَجَعوا

إِذا كاعِبانِ وَرَخصُ البَنانِ

So I came while the people were asleep

While two women argued and the date seller lowered his price

أَسيلٌ مُقَلَّدُهُ أَحوَرُ

فَسَلَّمتُ خَفياً فَحيَينَني

A horse with its bridle hanging askew

So I secretly greeted them and she welcomed me

وَقَلبِيَ مِن خَشيَةٍ أَوجَرُ

وَقالَت طَرِبتَ وَطاوَعتَ بي

While my heart quivered with fear

And she said "You were disturbed and obeyed

مَقالَ العَدُوِّ وَمَن يَزجُرُ

فَقُلتُ مَقالَ أَخي فِطنَةٍ

The words of the enemy, who will deter him?"

So I said "The words of my wise brother

سَميعٍ بِمَنطِقِها مُبصِرُ

أَلِلصَرمِ تَطَّلِبينَ الذُنوبَ

Who hears her speech and sees"

"Do you seek sins from the silent

وَلَم أَجنِ ذَنباً لِكَي تَغدِروا

فَإِن كُنتِ حاوَلتِ صَرمَ الحِبالِ

When I have not sinned so that you may betray me

If you have tried to cut the ropes of love

فَإِنَّ وِصالَكِ لا يُبتَرُ

وَإِن كُنتِ أَدلَلتِ كَي تَعتَبي

Then connecting with you cannot be severed

And if you pretended to reproach

فَكَفّي لَكُم بِالرِضا توسِرُ

فَقالَت لَها حُرَّةٌ عِندَها

Then being content with you makes me rich"

A free woman next to her said

لَذيذٌ مُقَبَّلُها مُعصِرُ

دَعي عَنكِ عَذلَ الفَتى وَاِسعِفي

Sweetly, kissing her and squeezing her

"Leave off blaming the youth and favor him

فَإِنَّ الوِدادَ لَهُ أَسوَرُ

فَبِتُّ أُحَكِّمُ فيما أَرَد

For affection has necklaces for him"

So I stayed judging what she wanted

تُ حَتّى بَدا واضِحٌ أَشقَرُ

تَميلُ عَلَيَّ إِذا سُقتُها

Until dawn broke bright and blond

She would lean on me when I gave her to drink

كَما اِنهالَ مُرتَكِمٌ أَعفَرُ

يَفوحُ القَرَنفُلُ مِن جَيبِها

As a stumbling drunk leans, redolent

Carnations wafted from her pocket

وَريحُ اليَلَنجوجِ وَالعَنبَرُ

فَبِتُّ وَلَيلى كَلا أَو بَلى

And the scents of jasmine and amber

So I stayed while my night with Layla, yes or no

لَدَيها وَبَل لَيلَتي أَقصَرُ

وَكَيفَ اِجتِنابُكِ دارَ الحَبي

Was by her, without my night being shorter

And how can I avoid love’s home

بِ أَم كَيفَ عَن ذِكرِهِ تَصبِرُ

رَأَتكَ بِعَينٍ وَأَبصَرتَها

Or how can I abstain from mentioning her

She saw you with one eye and you saw her

وَلَيسَ يُعاتِبُ مَن يَنظُرُ

And the one who sees does not reproach