1. With what gazelle in the foliage are you infatuated,
While the does of Najd have no warmth?

2. They control the reins of the soul when it is rebellious,
And beguile the mind of man though he is wise.

3. So beware lest you secretly visit their abodes,
For near their quarters lurk ferocious lions.

4. The horsemen do not defy the command of their protector,
Nor do they fear calamity however great.

5. They guard a doe behind thick veils,
Her lineage—among the virtues—is pure.

6. As for describing what’s beneath her robes,
Some is slender, some full and plump.

7. She has, by God’s making, a sign of beauty—
To it bows ignoramus and sage.

8. When she walks the intoxication of youth inclines,
As the gentle breeze leans towards a swaying branch.

9. By your life! I know not if the one circulated in Bay’ah
Is a beautiful idol or an unmarried girl.

10. They blame me for being infatuated with her beauty,
Yet which man does not become infatuated with beauty?

11. Can a man defeat passion when it is victorious,
Or hide the agony of his heart though he is determined?

12. If I am bewitched by her, there may come a day
When I restrain my heart though now it is obstinate.

13. I have endured for her what, were part of it
To beset a mountain, would make sturdy rocks tumble.

14. O lady of the impregnable, well-guarded house,
Is there no chink through which I can slip?

15. You denied us your greetings out of miserliness,
While your neighbour's courtyard is open and generous.

16. How could you blame me for what has befallen me,
Of love, O Layla, when you are the cause?

17. I have lived an age enslaved by no tyrant,
No chieftain has ever summoned me before him.

18. You are the one whose eyes aroused my tears
And made this heart—while it was healthy—sick.

19. You sleep heedless of my night though my eyes ache,
And kindle my heart though it is resigned to you.

20. I gave you my soul though it is dear to me
While I have no share in your love.

21. So if my body departs from your abode
The passion of my heart will remain with you.

22. I complained to one who does not pity the weeping,
Not every one complained to is compassionate.

23. So, of necessity, I endure the bitterness of passion
And carry the heavy burden of patience.

24. I am free among my people, though
The sweetness of intimacy has enslaved me.

25. Though I submit to love I can fight adversity,
Repel the blows of fate and subdue them.

26. I make the blades of adversity recoil though attacking,
And terrify the glance of the ailing eye.

27. Curse this passion—how delicious is its taste!
Though bitter it is to the mouth and painful to swallow.

28. I made my soul used to it though it pains her,
And I became friendless, none empathizing with me.

29. I have tasted of it two flavors: one is sweet,
The other—when parted—is gloomy and foul.

30. I tried true friends but did not find
One who shared its blessings and was an equal partner.

31. They have whims, which vary greatly.
Caprice, throughout their friendship, is contemptible.

32. Whom can man trust when betrayal is an attribute
Of every son of womankind, and loyalty fruitless?

33. So depend on God alone for what you desire,
For He is compassionate.

34. Do not grieve at an affliction brought you by fate,
For after misery comes bliss.

35. Trees become verdant after losing their leaves,
And the stem of plants turns green though withered.

36. When God wills to answer a need,
It comes to you in no time though you are staying put.