ألا سُقيتْ أَطلالُ ليلى وإنْ عَفَتْ

ألا سُقيتْ أَطلالُ ليلى وإنْ عَفَتْ

مَغاني غَوانيها وولّى زَمانُها

مَغاني غَوانيها وولّى زَمانُها

Ah, may Layla's ruins be watered, though effaced

Alas! The ruins of Layla's abode are now watered though her lovely singers are gone and her time has passed.

are her beauties' haunts, and her time has passed.

The pleasures in her courtyards are no more, and so her mourners weep and are downcast.

تُوفيتِ اللذاتُ في عَرَصاتِها

تُوفيتِ اللذاتُ في عَرَصاتِها

لذاك بكتْ نوَّاحةً ورشانُها

لذاك بكتْ نوَّاحةً ورشانُها

Pleasures have died in her courtyards.

My promise to her was once of the redness of her beauty, the greenness of her pastures, and the whiteness of her smile.

For that, her wood pigeons wept in lamentation.

At times, with the playing of the flute, her braids would sway,

وعهدي بها من قبلُ حُمراً جِمالُها

وعهدي بها من قبلُ حُمراً جِمالُها

وخُضراً مَراعيها وبيضاً حسانُها

وخُضراً مَراعيها وبيضاً حسانُها

And I remember her of old: her camels red,

And at others, with the strumming of the lute, her gap-toothed grin would appear.

and her pastures green, and her beauties fair-skinned.

The boughs of her sand-dunes would sip the torrent's juice and sway drunkenly while her birds sang.

فَطوراً بلَثْمِ النايِ يُعْني زِنامُها

فَطوراً بلَثْمِ النايِ يُعْني زِنامُها

وطوراً بضربِ العودِ يُغرى بَنانُها

وطوراً بضربِ العودِ يُغرى بَنانُها

Then at times her Zinām is absorbed in kissing the flute,

and at times her Banān is enticed to play the lute.

وتَحسو عصيرَ السيل أَغصانُ دَوْحها

وتَحسو عصيرَ السيل أَغصانُ دَوْحها

فتهتزُّ سكراً والطيورُ قيانُها

فتهتزُّ سكراً والطيورُ قيانُها

And the branches of her spreading trees sip the torrent's juice,

so they sway in drunkenness, and the birds are her singing girls.