أَيادي سبا يا عَزَّ ما كُنتُ بَعدَكُم

أَيادي سبا يا عَزَّ ما كُنتُ بَعدَكُم

فَلَم يَحلُ لِلعَينَينِ بَعدَكِ منظَرُ

فَلَم يَحلُ لِلعَينَينِ بَعدَكِ منظَرُ

I remain scattered like Saba’s people, O ‘Azz, as long as I live after you.

The hands of Saba, O honored one, after you

So no sight has pleased my eyes since you left.

My eyes found no other view pleasing,

وَقَد زَعَمَت أَني تَغَيَّرتُ بَعدَها

وَقَد زَعَمَت أَني تَغَيَّرتُ بَعدَها

وَمَن ذا الَّذي يا عَزَّ لا يَتَغَيَّرُ

وَمَن ذا الَّذي يا عَزَّ لا يَتَغَيَّرُ

And she has claimed that I have changed since she left.

And she claimed that I changed after her,

And who, O ‘Azz, does not change?

But who, O honored one, does not change?

تَغيّرَ جِسمي وَالخَلِيقَةُ كالَّذي

تَغيّرَ جِسمي وَالخَلِيقَةُ كالَّذي

عَهِدتِ وَلَم يُخبَر بِسرِّكِ مُخبَرُ

عَهِدتِ وَلَم يُخبَر بِسرِّكِ مُخبَرُ

My body has changed, but my nature is as

My body changed, yet selfhood is as you knew it,

you knew it, and no one has been told your secret.

And none aware of your secret informed another,

أَبعِد اِبنِ لَيلى يَأَمَلُ الخُلدَ واحِدٌ

أَبعِد اِبنِ لَيلى يَأَمَلُ الخُلدَ واحِدٌ

مِنَ الناسِ أَو يَرجو الثَراءَ مُثمِرُ

مِنَ الناسِ أَو يَرجو الثَراءَ مُثمِرُ

After Ibn Layla, does anyone hope for immortality

Does the son of Layla hope for eternity, alone

among mankind, or does a prosperous man hope for wealth?

Among mankind, or expect thriving prosperity?