أَلا قَد رابَني وَيَريبُ غَيري

أَلا قَد رابَني وَيَريبُ غَيري

عَشِيَّةَ حُكمِها حَيفٌ مُريبُ

عَشِيَّةَ حُكمِها حَيفٌ مُريبُ

Behold, something has troubled me—and would trouble others too:

Ah, I have been troubled, and others are troubled,

that evening, her judgment was a suspicious wrong.

by a disquieting injustice on the evening of her judgment.

وَأَصبَحَتِ المَوَدَّةُ عِندَ لَيلى

وَأَصبَحَتِ المَوَدَّةُ عِندَ لَيلى

مَنازِلَ لَيسَ لي فيها نَسيبُ

مَنازِلَ لَيسَ لي فيها نَسيبُ

Affection, in Layla’s keeping, has now become

And affection with Layla has become

dwellings where I have no kinsman.

dwellings where I have no kinsman.

ذَهَبتُ وَقَد بَدا لي ذاكَ مِنها

ذَهَبتُ وَقَد بَدا لي ذاكَ مِنها

لَأَهجوها فَيَغلِبُني النَسيبُ

لَأَهجوها فَيَغلِبُني النَسيبُ

I went away, once this from her was plain to me,

I set out, once that had become clear to me from her,

intending to lampoon her—but the love-song overcomes me.

to satirize her, but love poetry overcomes me.

وَأَنسى غَيظَ نَفسي إِنَّ قَلبي

وَأَنسى غَيظَ نَفسي إِنَّ قَلبي

لِمَن وادَدتُ فائَتُهُ قَريبُ

لِمَن وادَدتُ فائَتُهُ قَريبُ

And I forget my soul’s resentment: my heart

And I forget my soul's anger; indeed, my heart

keeps one I have loved near, even when that one is lost.

is quick to return to those I have loved.

فَلا قَلبٌ يُبَصَّرُ كُلَّ ذَنبٍ

فَلا قَلبٌ يُبَصَّرُ كُلَّ ذَنبٍ

وَلا راضٍ بَغيرِ رِضاً غَضوبُ

وَلا راضٍ بَغيرِ رِضاً غَضوبُ

No heart can be made to see every fault,

For no heart can be made to see every fault,

nor is one who accepts less than favor quick to wrath.

nor is one content with discontent quick to anger.

فَدَعها لَستَ هاجِيَها وَراجِع

فَدَعها لَستَ هاجِيَها وَراجِع

حَديثَكَ إِنَّ شَأنَكُما عَجيبُ

حَديثَكَ إِنَّ شَأنَكُما عَجيبُ

So leave her—you will not lampoon her—and reconsider

So leave her be—you will not satirize her—and resume

what you have said: the affair between you two is strange.

your tale; indeed, the affair between you two is strange.