يَلُومُونَنِي في حبِّ لَيلى وإنَّنِي

لأُكْرِمُها عن عُرضَةِ اللّوْمِ والعَذْلِ

They blame me for loving Layla, but I

Will honor her above their blame and censure.

وقالُوا هَواها خابِلٌ لَكَ فاسلُها

ومن لومِهم لا مِنْ هَوايَ لها خَبَلي

They said her love has weakened you, so leave her!

But it is not from their blaming, only her love, that I falter.

هي الشمسُ تَبدُوا في رداءٍ من الدُّجَى

على خُوطِ بانٍ في كَثيبٍ من الرّملِ

She is the sun appearing in a cloak of mist

Above sandy hills on the horizon.

تَهادَى تهادي الظّلِّ هَوناً كأَنَّما

تَخَافُ عِثارَ الحَزْنِ في الدّهَسِ السّهلِ

She sways gently like swaying shadows, as though

She fears to stumble into sorrow on easy ground.

وتنظُر من عَيْنَيْ مَهاةٍ كفَاهُما

وأغناهُما كُحُلُ المَلاحَةِ عن كُحلِ

And she looks with the eyes of a gazelle whose kohl

Is enough, needing no other makeup.