ما لليلى تبدَّلتْ

ما لليلى تبدَّلتْ

بعدَنا ودَّ غيرنا

بعدَنا ودَّ غيرنا

What has come over Layla? She has turned

How Laila has changed

after us, to the love of another.

After us, loving another

أرهَقَتْنا ملامةً

أرهَقَتْنا ملامةً

بعدَ إيضاحِ عُذْرِنا

بعدَ إيضاحِ عُذْرِنا

She burdened us with reproach,

She wearied us with blame

after we had made our excuse clear.

After our excuse was made clear

فسلوْنَا عن ذكرِها

فسلوْنَا عن ذكرِها

وتسلَّتْ عن ذكرِنا

وتسلَّتْ عن ذكرِنا

So we put thoughts of her behind us,

So we asked about her

and she put thoughts of us behind her.

And she was distracted from us

لم نقُلْ إذ تحرَّمتْ

لم نقُلْ إذ تحرَّمتْ

واسْتهلَّتْ بهجرِنا

واسْتهلَّتْ بهجرِنا

We did not say, when she made herself inaccessible

When she became forbidden

and began by forsaking us,

And began with estrangement

ليتَ شِعري ماذا تَرى

ليتَ شِعري ماذا تَرى

أمُّ عمرٍو في أَمرنا

أمُّ عمرٍو في أَمرنا

“If only I knew what she thinks—

I wish I knew what she sees

Umm Amr—about our affair.”

In our matter, mother of Amr