أَلا إِنَّ عَلواً أَفسَدَتني عَلى أَهلي

أَلا إِنَّ عَلواً أَفسَدَتني عَلى أَهلي

وَقَد صِرتُ مِن عَلوٍ عَنِ الناسِ في شُغلِ

وَقَد صِرتُ مِن عَلوٍ عَنِ الناسِ في شُغلِ

Lo, ʿAlw has indeed turned me against my family.

Alas! Arrogance has made me alienate my family

And because of ʿAlw, I have become too preoccupied for other people.

And I have become so arrogant I care not for people

وَإِنّي وَكِتماني هَواها وَقَد فَشا

وَإِنّي وَكِتماني هَواها وَقَد فَشا

كَذي الجَهلِ تَحتَ الشَوبِ يَضرِبُ بِالطَبلِ

كَذي الجَهلِ تَحتَ الشَوبِ يَضرِبُ بِالطَبلِ

And I, concealing my love for her though it has spread abroad,

And yet I conceal my love for her though it is known

Am like a fool beating a drum beneath the 'mixture' [possibly a misreading of 'garment'].

Like a foolish drummer beating his drum under the balcony

وَإِنّي أَرى أَهلي جَميعاً وَأَهلُها

وَإِنّي أَرى أَهلي جَميعاً وَأَهلُها

يَسُرُّهُمُ لَو بانَ مِن حَبلِها حَبلي

يَسُرُّهُمُ لَو بانَ مِن حَبلِها حَبلي

And I see that all my family, and hers,

I see both her family and mine would be glad

Would be pleased if my cord parted from hers.

If the rope that binds us could be unbound

وَما بَينَنا مِن ريبَةٍ في مَوَدَّةِ

وَما بَينَنا مِن ريبَةٍ في مَوَدَّةِ

وَلا مِثلُها يُرمى بِسوءٍ وَلا مِثلي

وَلا مِثلُها يُرمى بِسوءٍ وَلا مِثلي

And there is nothing suspect in the affection between us,

There is no suspicion between us regarding affection

Nor is anyone like her accused of wrongdoing, nor anyone like me.

Neither she nor I would be accused or maligned