كَأَن لَم تَكُن لَيلى تُزارُ بِذي الأَثلِ

كَأَن لَم تَكُن لَيلى تُزارُ بِذي الأَثلِ

وَبِالجَزعِ مِن أَجزاعِ وَدّانَ فَالنَحلِ

وَبِالجَزعِ مِن أَجزاعِ وَدّانَ فَالنَحلِ

As though Layla had never been visited at Dhu al-Athl,

It was as if Layla was never adorned with bangles,

and at the valley bend among Waddan’s valley bends, then at an-Nahl.

Nor with branches of bending willow and date palm.

صَديقٌ لَنا فيما نَرى غَيرَ أَنَّها

صَديقٌ لَنا فيما نَرى غَيرَ أَنَّها

تَرى أَنَّ حُبّي قَد أَحَلَّ لَها قَتلي

تَرى أَنَّ حُبّي قَد أَحَلَّ لَها قَتلي

She is a friend to us, as we see it—except that she

She was a friend to me in what I saw, except that

believes my love has made it lawful for her to kill me.

She saw that my love had made lawful for her my murder.