1. فَإِن تَكُ لَيلى قَد جَفَتني وَطاوَعَت

    عَلى صَرمِ حُبلي مَن وَشى وَتَكَذَّبا

    For if Layla has spurned me and obeyed

    the slanderer and liar in severing my cord,

  2. لَقَد باعَدَت نَفساً عَلَيها شَفيقَةً

    وَقَلباً عَصى فيها الحَبيبَ المُقَرَّبا

    she has indeed estranged a soul tender toward her,

    and a heart that, for her sake, defied a dear, close friend.

  3. فَلَستُ وَإِن لَيلى تَوَلَّت بِوُدِّها

    وَأَصبَحَ باقي الوَصلُ مِنها تَقَضَّبا

    Yet I am not—even if Layla has withdrawn her affection

    and what remained of my bond with her has been severed—

  4. بِمُثنٍ سِوى عُرفٍ عَلَيها وَمُشمِتٍ

    وُشاةٌ بِها كانوا شُهوداً وَغُيَّبا

    one to speak anything but good of her, nor to let

    slanderers gloat over her, whether present or absent.

  5. وَلَكِنَّني لا بُدَّ أَنِّيَ قائِلٌ

    وَذو اللُبِّ قَوّالٌ إِذا ما تَعَتَّبا

    But I have no choice but to say—

    and a man of sense has much to say when he voices reproach—

  6. فَلا مَرحَباً بِالشامِتينَ بِهَجرِنا

    وَلا زَمَنٍ أَمسى بِنا قَد تَقَلَّبا

    so no welcome to those who gloat over our estrangement,

    nor to a time that has turned against us.