لَقَد أَرسَلَت في السِرِّ لَيلى بِأَن أَقِم

لَقَد أَرسَلَت في السِرِّ لَيلى بِأَن أَقِم

وَلا تَنأَنا إِنَّ التَجَنُّبَ أَمثَلُ

وَلا تَنأَنا إِنَّ التَجَنُّبَ أَمثَلُ

Indeed, Layla sent word in secret: Stay,

Layla secretly bid that I stay,

and do not go far from us; keeping apart is better.

And not keep away, for avoidance is best.

لَعَلَّ العُيونَ الرامِقاتِ لِوُدِّنا

لَعَلَّ العُيونَ الرامِقاتِ لِوُدِّنا

تُكَذَّبُ عَنّا أَو تَنامُ فَتَغفُلُ

تُكَذَّبُ عَنّا أَو تَنامُ فَتَغفُلُ

Perhaps the eyes watching our love

Perhaps spying eyes watching our love

will be disbelieved about us, or sleep and grow heedless.

Will be proven wrong, or sleep and forget.

أُناسٌ أَمِنّاهُم فَبَثّوا حَديثَنا

أُناسٌ أَمِنّاهُم فَبَثّوا حَديثَنا

فَلَمّا قَصَرنا السَيرَ عَنهُم تَقَوَّلوا

فَلَمّا قَصَرنا السَيرَ عَنهُم تَقَوَّلوا

People we trusted then spread our story;

We trusted people who spread our secret.

so when we held back from visiting them, they made up tales.

When we walked away they turned disloyal.

فَقُلتُ وَقَد ضاقَت عَلَيَّ بِرُحبِها

فَقُلتُ وَقَد ضاقَت عَلَيَّ بِرُحبِها

بِلادي بِما قَد قيلَ فَالعَينُ تَهمِلُ

بِلادي بِما قَد قيلَ فَالعَينُ تَهمِلُ

So I said—despite its breadth, it had grown cramped for me,

I said, my land feels confined

my homeland, because of what had been said, and my eye streamed with tears—

By what's been said, though the eye wanders.

سَأَجتَنِبُ الدارَ الَّتي أَنتُمُ بِها

سَأَجتَنِبُ الدارَ الَّتي أَنتُمُ بِها

وَلَكِنَّ طَرفي نَحوَكُم سَوفَ يَعدِلُ

وَلَكِنَّ طَرفي نَحوَكُم سَوفَ يَعدِلُ

I shall avoid the dwelling where you are,

I'll avoid the house where you live,

but my gaze will turn toward you.

Yet my gaze turns your way, bending.

أَلَم تَعلَمي أَنّي فَهَل ذاكَ نافِعٌ

أَلَم تَعلَمي أَنّي فَهَل ذاكَ نافِعٌ

لَدَيكِ وَما أُخفي مِنَ الوَجدِ أَفضَلُ

لَدَيكِ وَما أُخفي مِنَ الوَجدِ أَفضَلُ

Do you not know that I—is that of any use

Don't you know, is that useful for you?

to you? And what I hide of longing is greater—

What's concealed of my love is greater.

أَرى مُستَقيمَ الطَرفِ ما أَمَّ نَحوَكُم

أَرى مُستَقيمَ الطَرفِ ما أَمَّ نَحوَكُم

فَإِن أَمَّ طَرفي غَيرَكُم فَهوَ أَحوَلُ

فَإِن أَمَّ طَرفي غَيرَكُم فَهوَ أَحوَلُ

see straight so long as my gaze turns toward you?

I see my straight-looking eyes, if to others,

But if my gaze turns toward anyone but you, then it is cross-eyed.

Are squinting; when to you, clear and true.