1. I yearn for Layla though Layla has turned away from me,
My heart pines with a burning love none can comprehend.

2. If those who blame me say my heart has melted like dew,
They speak the truth, for it dissolves for her as ice in sun.

3. I loved her as a child, as a youth, and now in old age,
I lived for her, pouring out passion however it would flow.

4. I'm content with the love and melting I feel within,
And content for my heart to ache so fiercely for Layla.

5. When travelers leave for pilgrimage to Mecca's holy shores,
I wish to join them, for my spirit longs to make that trek.

6. I say to friends, "Guide me to the mountain pass, my friends,"
And, "Wind with me through the valley, my companions."

7. But they say, "Layla of noble birth is far beyond your reach,
As far as riders over the dunes stretching to the horizon."

8. You may wish for union with her, but without her consent,
You'll wander endless desert, drifting like the sands.

9. I say to them, "To God I look for guidance and for grace,
I ask that He allow me to lift the veils that hide her face."