يَلُومُونَنِي في حبِّ لَيلى وإنَّنِي

يَلُومُونَنِي في حبِّ لَيلى وإنَّنِي

لأُكْرِمُها عن عُرضَةِ اللّوْمِ والعَذْلِ

لأُكْرِمُها عن عُرضَةِ اللّوْمِ والعَذْلِ

They blame me for loving Layla, yet I

They blame me for loving Layla, but I

indeed hold her above being a target of blame and reproach.

Will honor her above their blame and censure.

وقالُوا هَواها خابِلٌ لَكَ فاسلُها

وقالُوا هَواها خابِلٌ لَكَ فاسلُها

ومن لومِهم لا مِنْ هَوايَ لها خَبَلي

ومن لومِهم لا مِنْ هَوايَ لها خَبَلي

They said, “Love of her is driving you mad, so forget her.”

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

But my madness comes from their blame, not from my love for her.

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

هي الشمسُ تَبدُوا في رداءٍ من الدُّجَى

هي الشمسُ تَبدُوا في رداءٍ من الدُّجَى

على خُوطِ بانٍ في كَثيبٍ من الرّملِ

على خُوطِ بانٍ في كَثيبٍ من الرّملِ

She is the sun, appearing in a cloak of darkness,

She is the sun appearing in a cloak of mist

upon a slender bough of a bān tree, in a dune of sand.

Above sandy hills on the horizon.

تَهادَى تهادي الظّلِّ هَوناً كأَنَّما

تَهادَى تهادي الظّلِّ هَوناً كأَنَّما

تَخَافُ عِثارَ الحَزْنِ في الدّهَسِ السّهلِ

تَخَافُ عِثارَ الحَزْنِ في الدّهَسِ السّهلِ

She glides as a shadow glides, gently, as though

She sways gently like swaying shadows, as though

she fears stumbling on rough ground even on soft, level earth.

She fears to stumble into sorrow on easy ground.

وتنظُر من عَيْنَيْ مَهاةٍ كفَاهُما

وتنظُر من عَيْنَيْ مَهاةٍ كفَاهُما

وأغناهُما كُحُلُ المَلاحَةِ عن كُحلِ

وأغناهُما كُحُلُ المَلاحَةِ عن كُحلِ

And she gazes with an oryx’s eyes, needing only

And she looks with the eyes of a gazelle whose kohl

beauty’s kohl, which spares them any other kohl.

Is enough, needing no other makeup.