لَقَد أَرسَلَت في السِرِّ لَيلى تَلومُني

لَقَد أَرسَلَت في السِرِّ لَيلى تَلومُني

وَتَزعُمُني ذا مَلَّةٍ طَرِفاً جَلدا

وَتَزعُمُني ذا مَلَّةٍ طَرِفاً جَلدا

Layla has indeed sent word in secret to reproach me,

Laila sent me a secret message blaming me,

and claims I am easily bored, fickle, and tough.

And claiming I'm fickle and hasty.

تَقولُ لَقَد أَخلَفتَنا ما وَعَدتَنا

تَقولُ لَقَد أَخلَفتَنا ما وَعَدتَنا

وَبِاللَهِ ما أَخلَفتُها طائِعاً وَعدا

وَبِاللَهِ ما أَخلَفتُها طائِعاً وَعدا

She says, “You have indeed failed to keep what you promised us.”

She says, "You broke your promise to us,

Yet, by God, I did not willingly break a promise to her.

By God I did not break it willingly."

فَقُلتُ مَروعاً لِلرَسولِ الَّذي أَتى

فَقُلتُ مَروعاً لِلرَسولِ الَّذي أَتى

تَراهُ لَكَ الوَيلاتُ مِن أَمرِها جِدّا

تَراهُ لَكَ الوَيلاتُ مِن أَمرِها جِدّا

So, alarmed, I said to the messenger who had come:

I said worried to the messenger who came,

Do you think—woe to you!—this is serious on her part?

"Her threats spell trouble for you, beware!"

إِذا جِئتَها فَاِقرَ السَلامَ وَقُل لَها

إِذا جِئتَها فَاِقرَ السَلامَ وَقُل لَها

ذَرى الجَورَ لَيلى وَاِسلُكي مَنهَجاً قَصدا

ذَرى الجَورَ لَيلى وَاِسلُكي مَنهَجاً قَصدا

When you reach her, convey greetings and say to her:

"When you see her, greet her peacefully and say:

Leave off injustice, Layla, and follow a straight path.

'Laila, cease your tyranny and walk the straight path.'"

تَعُدّينَ ذَنباً أَنتِ لَيلى جَنَيتِهِ

تَعُدّينَ ذَنباً أَنتِ لَيلى جَنَيتِهِ

عَلَيَّ وَلا أُحصي ذُنوبَكُمُ عَدا

عَلَيَّ وَلا أُحصي ذُنوبَكُمُ عَدا

You count as a fault what you yourself, Layla, have committed

"You blame me, Laila, for a sin you committed.

against me; yet I do not count your faults one by one.

But I don't count your sins against you."

أَفي غَيبَتي عَنكُم لَيالٍ مَرَضتُها

أَفي غَيبَتي عَنكُم لَيالٍ مَرَضتُها

تَزيديني لَيلى عَلى مَرَضي جَهدا

تَزيديني لَيلى عَلى مَرَضي جَهدا

Is it while I was away from you, through nights I spent ill,

"Did I fall sick those nights we were apart,

that you, Layla, add hardship to my sickness?

Only for you Laila, to increase my suffering?"

تَجاهَلُ ما قَد كانَ لَيلى كَأَنَّما

تَجاهَلُ ما قَد كانَ لَيلى كَأَنَّما

أُقاسي بِها مِن حَرَّةٍ حَجَراً صَلدا

أُقاسي بِها مِن حَرَّةٍ حَجَراً صَلدا

Layla feigns ignorance of what has happened, as though

"You ignore what happened as if I faced,

in her I were contending with a hard stone from a lava field.

A solid rock that gave me nothing but grief."

فَلا تَحسَبي أَنّي تَمَكَّثتُ عَنكُمُ

فَلا تَحسَبي أَنّي تَمَكَّثتُ عَنكُمُ

وَنَفسي تَرى مِن مَكثِها عَنكُمُ بُدّا

وَنَفسي تَرى مِن مَكثِها عَنكُمُ بُدّا

So do not think I have lingered away from you

"Don't think I stayed away willingly,

while my soul could see any way to end its absence from you;

When my soul yearned to be with you."

وَلا أَنَّ قَلبي الدَهرَ يَسلى حَياتَهُ

وَلا أَنَّ قَلبي الدَهرَ يَسلى حَياتَهُ

وَلا رائِمٌ يَوماً سِوى وُدِّكُم وُدّا

وَلا رائِمٌ يَوماً سِوى وُدِّكُم وُدّا

nor that my heart will ever forget you throughout its life,

"Nor does my heart find solace in life without you,

or ever seek a love other than yours.

I have never loved any but you."

أَلا فَاِعلَمي أَنّي أَشَدُّ صَبابَةً

أَلا فَاِعلَمي أَنّي أَشَدُّ صَبابَةً

وَأَحسَنُ عِندَ البَينِ مِن غَيرِنا عَهدا

وَأَحسَنُ عِندَ البَينِ مِن غَيرِنا عَهدا

Take heed, and know that I am more ardent in longing

"Know that I yearn for you more intensely,

and more faithful to my pledge at parting than others besides us.

And remain truer than others when we're apart."

غَداً يُكثِرُ الباكونَ مِنّا وَمِنكُمُ

غَداً يُكثِرُ الباكونَ مِنّا وَمِنكُمُ

وَتَزدادُ داري مِن دِيارِكُمُ بُعدا

وَتَزدادُ داري مِن دِيارِكُمُ بُعدا

Tomorrow, weepers among us and among you will grow numerous,

"Tomorrow many will cry for us,

and my home will grow farther from your dwellings.

And the distance between us will grow."

فَإِن تَصرِميني لا أَرى الدَهرَ قُرَّةً

فَإِن تَصرِميني لا أَرى الدَهرَ قُرَّةً

لِعَيني وَلا أَلقى سُروراً وَلا سَعدا

لِعَيني وَلا أَلقى سُروراً وَلا سَعدا

So if you forsake me, I shall never find delight

"If you reject me, I'll never know happiness,

for my eye, nor find joy or good fortune.

Nor find joy or bliss."

وَإِن شِئتِ حَرَّمتُ النِساءُ سِواكُمُ

وَإِن شِئتِ حَرَّمتُ النِساءُ سِواكُمُ

وَإِن شِئتِ لَم أَطعَم نُقاخاً وَلا بَردا

وَإِن شِئتِ لَم أَطعَم نُقاخاً وَلا بَردا

And if you wish, I shall forbid myself women other than you;

"If you wish, I'll abstain from all women but you,

and if you wish, I shall taste neither pure water nor sleep.

And if you wish, I'll not eat fruit or cold food."

وَإِن شِئتِ غُرنا نَحوَكُم ثُمَّ لَم نَزَل

وَإِن شِئتِ غُرنا نَحوَكُم ثُمَّ لَم نَزَل

بِمَكَّةَ حَتّى تَجلِسوا قابِلاً نَجدا

بِمَكَّةَ حَتّى تَجلِسوا قابِلاً نَجدا

And if you wish, we shall descend toward you, then remain

"If you wish, we'll return to you, and not stop,

in Mecca until you ascend to Najd next year.

At Mecca, until we sit with you in Nejd."