إذا بُرَيْق الحمى استنارَا

إذا بُرَيْق الحمى استنارَا

أو شمته فاخلع العذَارَا

أو شمته فاخلع العذَارَا

When the sanctuary's little lightning-flash shines,

When the fever's brightness shone,

or you glimpse it, cast off the bridle,

Or when its aroma was sensed, shed restraint!

وقلْ لمنْ شامه فإنيّ

وقلْ لمنْ شامه فإنيّ

آنست لمّا رأيت نارَا

آنست لمّا رأيت نارَا

and tell whoever glimpsed it: 'For I

And say to the one who smelled it, "I

discerned a fire when I looked.'

Sensed when I saw a fire."

لمَّا بَدت في رُبيَ المُصَلَّى

لمَّا بَدت في رُبيَ المُصَلَّى

علمت الصبحَ الاسفرارَا

علمت الصبحَ الاسفرارَا

When it appeared on the hills of al-Musalla,

When it appeared in the prayer niche of the worshipper,

it taught the dawn to brighten.

I knew the dawn was glittering.

ومُدْلِج في الدجى أتاهَا

ومُدْلِج في الدجى أتاهَا

قَد صيرت ليله نهَارا

قَد صيرت ليله نهَارا

And for a night-traveler who reached it in the darkness,

And the one who brought darkness in the gloom,

it turned his night into day.

I made his night into day.

وأشرقت شمَسه بأوج

وأشرقت شمَسه بأوج

الكمالِ من ذاتِه فخارا

الكمالِ من ذاتِه فخارا

And his sun shone at the zenith

And his sun shone with the peaks

of perfection, in glory from his own essence.

Of perfection from his essence, proudly.

يميلَ من سِكر ماتراه

يميلَ من سِكر ماتراه

منْ لطف ساق علِيه دَارا

منْ لطف ساق علِيه دَارا

He sways, drunk on what you see

He sways from the intoxication of what he sees

of the grace of a cupbearer who circled round him.

From the subtlety of a leg set up over him.

سقاهَ من خندريس أنْس

سقاهَ من خندريس أنْس

سلافة تعقر القفارا

سلافة تعقر القفارا

He gave him aged wine of intimacy to drink,

It quenched him from a pure drink of intimacy

a pure wine that lays the wastelands low.

A draft that embitters the brackish.

رنَّحَهُ سُكرهُ فَنادى

رنَّحَهُ سُكرهُ فَنادى

ياصَاح لا تترك الكبَارَا

ياصَاح لا تترك الكبَارَا

His drunkenness made him reel, so he cried:

Its intoxication made him moan and call out,

'O friend, do not forsake the great ones!

"Oh friend! Do not leave the elders!"

وكنْ خليعاً كما ترَاني

وكنْ خليعاً كما ترَاني

لم يُبْقِ لي شربها اِختيارا

لم يُبْقِ لي شربها اِختيارا

And be a libertine, as you see me;

And be debauched as you see me,

drinking it has left me no choice.'

Choice did not leave me to drink it.

بها صَفَاَ الوقت حين دارت

بها صَفَاَ الوقت حين دارت

عَلى الذي قد بنَى الجدارا

عَلى الذي قد بنَى الجدارا

Through it the moment grew clear as it passed round

By it the time was purified when it revolved

to the one who had built the wall.

Around the one who built the wall.

يَا عجبا مَالقيس ليلى

يَا عجبا مَالقيس ليلى

يشكو الذَّي وصْلُه النّفارا

يشكو الذَّي وصْلُه النّفارا

O wonder! What ails Qays of Layla,

Oh wonder! Layla complains to Maqis

that he complains of one whose union is estrangement?

Who laments the one whose union is denial.

لمَّا بدت دونَه تَسمَّى

لمَّا بدت دونَه تَسمَّى

مَجْنَونها ما رآه عَارا

مَجْنَونها ما رآه عَارا

When she appeared before him, he took the name

When she appeared without him, he was named

'her Majnun'; he saw no shame in it.

Her madman, unashamed of what he saw.

لَيلاه مَا باعَدْتُه لكن

لَيلاه مَا باعَدْتُه لكن

أرْخَتْ عَلى وجهِهِا الخمَارا

أرْخَتْ عَلى وجهِهِا الخمَارا

His Layla did not keep him away, but

I did not distance her night from him, but

lowered the veil over her face.

She lowered her veil over her face.