أقولُI say ياoh ليتَwould that ليلَىLayla فيin يَدَيْthe two hands of حَنِقٍan enraged man
أقولُ يا ليتَ ليلَى في يَدَيْ حَنِقٍ
منfrom العداوةhatred منamong أعدىthe most hostile of أعاديهاher enemies
من العداوة من أعدى أعاديها
I say: would that Layla were in the hands of one enraged
I say: oh, would that Layla were in the hands of a man enraged
by hatred—one of the bitterest of her enemies—
by hatred, one of her bitterest enemies,
يَعلوhe climbs بهاwith her فوقَabove رَعنٍa mountain crag ثمthen يُحدرُهاhe casts her down
يَعلو بها فوقَ رَعنٍ ثم يُحدرُها
فيinto هُوَّةِa chasm فَتَدهدىso she tumbles يومَهاher whole day فيهاin it
في هُوَّةِ فَتَدهدى يومَها فيها
who would climb with her to the top of a jutting crag, then send her hurtling down
who would carry her up onto a mountain crag, then cast her down
into an abyss, to tumble through it all that day.
into a chasm, to tumble there all day.
أوor ليتهاwould that she فيin غِمارthe depths of البحرthe sea قدhad عَصَفتْblown violently
أو ليتها في غِمار البحر قد عَصَفتْ
فيهin it الرياحُthe winds فهاجتْso she grew agitated منby أواذيهاtheir mighty waves
فيه الرياحُ فهاجتْ من أواذيها
Or would that she were amid the depths of the sea, when winds had raged
Or would that she were in the sea's depths, where there had raged
through it, stirring up its towering waves.
the winds, so she grew agitated by their mighty waves;
أوor ليتهاwould that she قُرنتwas tied يوماًone day إلىto فرسيmy horse
أو ليتها قُرنت يوماً إلى فرسي
قدalready شدَّhe bound fast منهاof her إلىto هاديهits neck هاديهاher neck
قد شدَّ منها إلى هاديه هاديها
Or would that she were tethered one day to my horse,
or would that she were tied one day to my horse,
her neck bound tightly to its neck,
her neck already bound fast to its neck,
حتىuntil يُرىis seen لحمُهاher flesh منfrom حُضْرِهits galloping زِيماًin scattered pieces
حتى يُرى لحمُها من حُضْرِه زِيماً
وقدand already أتىcame to القومَthe people بعدafter الموتِdeath ناعيهاthe announcer of her death
وقد أتى القومَ بعد الموتِ ناعيها
until her flesh, from its headlong gallop, could be seen in shreds,
until her flesh could be seen in scattered shreds from its galloping,
and the herald of her death had reached the people after she died.
and after her death, its herald had come to the people.
فمنْso whoever بكاهاweeps for her فلاthen may not جفَّتdry up مدامِعُهhis tear ducts
فمنْ بكاها فلا جفَّت مدامِعُه
لاmay not أسخنmake hot with sorrow اللهُGod إلاّexcept عينَthe eye of باكيهاthe one weeping for her
لا أسخن اللهُ إلاّ عينَ باكيها
Then whoever weeps for her—may his tears never dry;
So whoever weeps for her—may his eyes never dry;
may God set no eye burning but the eye of one who mourns her.
may God make no eye burn with grief but her mourner's.
Sol 6.1