أَلا حَيِّ لَيلى إِذ أَلَمَّ لِمامُها

أَلا حَيِّ لَيلى إِذ أَلَمَّ لِمامُها

وَكانَ مَعَ القَومِ الأَعادي كَلامُها

وَكانَ مَعَ القَومِ الأَعادي كَلامُها

Ah, greet Layla for me when her fleeting visit comes.

Ah, greet Layla, now that her fleeting visit has come,

And her speech was a flowing spring for the hostile folk.

And she was conversing with the hostile folk.

تَعَلَّل بِلَيلى إِنَّما أَنتَ هامَةٌ

تَعَلَّل بِلَيلى إِنَّما أَنتَ هامَةٌ

مِنَ الغَدِ يَدنو كُلَّ يَومِ حِمامُها

مِنَ الغَدِ يَدنو كُلَّ يَومِ حِمامُها

Console yourself with Layla; you are only a mortal soul

Take comfort in Layla; you will be but a skull

whose doom, from tomorrow onward, draws nearer day by day.

Come tomorrow—its death draws nearer every day.

وَبادِر بِلَيلى أَو بَةَ الرَكبِ إِنَّهُم

وَبادِر بِلَيلى أَو بَةَ الرَكبِ إِنَّهُم

مِتى يَرجِعوا يَحرُم عَلَيكَ لِمامُها

مِتى يَرجِعوا يَحرُم عَلَيكَ لِمامُها

Hasten to Layla before the riders bed down, for they—

And hasten to Layla before the riders return, for

whenever they turn back—will bar you from her fleeting visit.

When they return, her fleeting visits will be denied you.

وَكَيفَ تُرَجّيها وَقَد حيلَ دونَها

وَكَيفَ تُرَجّيها وَقَد حيلَ دونَها

وَأَقسَمَ أَقوامٌ مَخوفٌ قَسامُها

وَأَقسَمَ أَقوامٌ مَخوفٌ قَسامُها

Let the tremulous cadence of her voice suffice you, now that a barrier stands between you and her,

And how can you hope for her, when the way to her is barred?

and men whose oath concerning her is feared have sworn.

And men whose oaths are feared have sworn:

لَأَجتَنِبَها أَو لَيَبتَدِرُنَّني

لَأَجتَنِبَها أَو لَيَبتَدِرُنَّني

بِبَيضٍ عَلَيها الأَثرُ فُقمٌ كِلامُها

بِبَيضٍ عَلَيها الأَثرُ فُقمٌ كِلامُها

I will surely keep away from her—or they will forestall me

I must shun her, or they will surely rush at me

with gleaming blades, broad with battle-marks, their wounds gaping.

With white, patterned blades that leave grievous wounds.

وَبَيضاءَ مِكسالٍ لَعوبٍ خَريدَةٍ

وَبَيضاءَ مِكسالٍ لَعوبٍ خَريدَةٍ

لَذيذٍ لَدى لَيلٍ التَمامِ شِمامُها

لَذيذٍ لَدى لَيلٍ التَمامِ شِمامُها

A fair-skinned, languorous, playful, secluded maiden;

And a fair-skinned, languorous, playful, bashful maiden—

delightful on the full-moon night is her fragrance.

Sweet is kissing her through the long winter night.

كَأَنَّ وَميضَ البَرقِ بَيني وَبَينَها

كَأَنَّ وَميضَ البَرقِ بَيني وَبَينَها

إِذا حانَ مِن خَلفِ الحِجابِ اِبتسامُها

إِذا حانَ مِن خَلفِ الحِجابِ اِبتسامُها

It is as though lightning’s gleam flashed between me and her

It is as though lightning flashes between me and her,

whenever her smile dawned from behind the veil.

Whenever her smile comes from behind the veil.

وَنُبِّئتُ لَيلى بِالغَرِيَّينِ سَلَّمَت

وَنُبِّئتُ لَيلى بِالغَرِيَّينِ سَلَّمَت

عَلَيَّ وَدوني طَخفَةٌ وَرِجامُها

عَلَيَّ وَدوني طَخفَةٌ وَرِجامُها

I was told that Layla, at al-Ghariyyayn, had sent greetings

And I was told that Layla, at al-Ghariyyayn, sent greetings

to me, though Takhfah and its cairns lie between us.

To me, with Takhfah and its cairns lying between us.

فَإِنَّ الَّتي أَهدَت عَلى نَأيِ دارِها

فَإِنَّ الَّتي أَهدَت عَلى نَأيِ دارِها

سَلاماً لَمَردودٌ عَلَيها سَلامُها

سَلاماً لَمَردودٌ عَلَيها سَلامُها

For she, despite the remoteness of her dwelling, bestowed

For she who sent, despite the remoteness of her home,

a greeting—her greeting shall surely be returned to her—

A greeting—her greeting shall surely be returned to her,

عَديدَ الحَصى وَالأَثَلِ مِن بَطنِ بيشَةٍ

عَديدَ الحَصى وَالأَثَلِ مِن بَطنِ بيشَةٍ

وَطَرفائِها ما دامَ فيها حَمامُها

وَطَرفائِها ما دامَ فيها حَمامُها

as many times as there are pebbles and tamarisks in Bisha’s valley,

As many times as there are pebbles and athel trees in Bishah's valley-bed,

and its ṭarfā tamarisks, so long as doves remain there.

And its tamarisks, as long as its doves remain there.

لَقَد طَرَقَت لَيلى وَرِجلي رَهينَةٌ

لَقَد طَرَقَت لَيلى وَرِجلي رَهينَةٌ

فَما راعَني في السِجنِ إِلّا سَلامُها

فَما راعَني في السِجنِ إِلّا سَلامُها

Layla truly came to me by night while my leg was held in fetters;

Layla indeed visited by night, while my foot was held captive;

nothing in the prison frightened me except her greeting.

And nothing startled me in prison but her greeting.

فَلَمّا اِرتَفَقتُ لِلخَيالِ الَّذي سَرى

فَلَمّا اِرتَفَقتُ لِلخَيالِ الَّذي سَرى

إِذِ الأَرضُ قَفرٌ قَد عَلاها قَتامُها

إِذِ الأَرضُ قَفرٌ قَد عَلاها قَتامُها

When I raised myself on my elbow toward the phantom that had journeyed by night,

And when I propped myself on my elbow toward the vision that traveled by night,

suddenly the land was desolate, its dust-cloud already towering over it.

While the land was barren and its dust had already risen over it,

فَإِلّا تَكُن لَيلى وَرِجلي رَهينَةٌ

فَإِلّا تَكُن لَيلى وَرِجلي رَهينَةٌ

شَبيهٌ بِلَيلى حُسنُها وَقَوامُها

شَبيهٌ بِلَيلى حُسنُها وَقَوامُها

And if it was not Layla, while my leg lay fettered,

Then, if she was not Layla, with my foot held captive,

it was one resembling Layla in beauty and stature.

Her beauty and figure were like Layla's.

أَلا لَيتَنا نَحيا جَميعاً بِغِبطَةٍ

أَلا لَيتَنا نَحيا جَميعاً بِغِبطَةٍ

وَتَبلى عِظامي حينَ تَبلى عِظامُها

وَتَبلى عِظامي حينَ تَبلى عِظامُها

Ah, if only we might live together in happiness,

Ah, would that we might live together in bliss,

and my bones decay when her bones decay.

And that my bones might decay when her bones decay.