إِذاwhen بَعُدَتgrew distant لَيلىLayla وَشَطَّand became remote مَزارُهاthe place where she is visited
إِذا بَعُدَت لَيلى وَشَطَّ مَزارُها
فَلاthen no نارَfire إِلّاexcept زَفرَتيmy sigh وَاِستعارَهاand its blazing
فَلا نارَ إِلّا زَفرَتي وَاِستعارَها
When Layla is far away and the place to visit her is distant,
When Layla is far away and her dwellings are desolate,
Then there is no fire but my sigh and its blaze.
I have no fire but my sighs that kindle it.
وَمَنand who لِيَfor me أَنthat أُمسيI pass the evening وَأَرضيand my land أَرضهاher land
وَمَن لِيَ أَن أُمسي وَأَرضي أَرضها
عِناداًin defiance لِواشيناof our slanderer وَداريand my home دارهاher home
عِناداً لِواشينا وَداري دارها
And who will grant me an evening when my land is hers,
Who can make me spend nights and be pleased with her land,
In defiance of our slanderer, and my home her home?
Stubbornly staying in our dwellings and her house?
وَياand oh لَيتَwould that لاnot جاوَزتُI passed beyond أَرضاًa land تَحِلُّهاshe dwells in it
وَيا لَيتَ لا جاوَزتُ أَرضاً تَحِلُّها
فَأَحظىso I might enjoy بِماwith what يَحظىenjoys مِنَof القُربِnearness جارهاher neighbor
فَأَحظى بِما يَحظى مِنَ القُربِ جارها
And oh, would that I never left a land where she dwells,
Would that I had never crossed the land where she lived,
So I might enjoy the nearness her neighbor enjoys.
So I might enjoy the nearness of being her neighbor!
أُشَبِّهُهاI liken her بِالبَدرto the full moon وَالغُصنِand the bough تارَةًat times
أُشَبِّهُها بِالبَدر وَالغُصنِ تارَةً
وَماand not هِيَshe إِلّاbut ظَبيَةٌa female gazelle وَنِفارُهاand its skittishness
وَما هِيَ إِلّا ظَبيَةٌ وَنِفارُها
At times I liken her to the full moon and a bough,
I compare her with the full moon and the swaying branch at times,
Yet she is only a gazelle, with its skittishness.
Yet she is but a gazelle and the sound of her bells.
وَلَوand even if أَنَّthat ناراًa fire بِالمُحَصَّبِat al-Muhassab أَوfirst fragment of 'was kindled' قدَتsecond fragment of 'was kindled'
وَلَو أَنَّ ناراً بِالمُحَصَّبِ أَو قدَت
وَلَيلىand Layla بِنَجدٍin Najd قُلتُI would say هاتيكَthat over there دارُهاher home
وَلَيلى بِنَجدٍ قُلتُ هاتيكَ دارُها
Even if a fire were kindled at al-Muhassab,
If there were a fire on Muḥaṣṣab or one lit at Najd,
With Layla in Najd, I would say, 'That is her home.'
I would say that is where her house lies.
وَكَيفَand how تَضيقُgrows distressed النَفسُthe soul مِنfrom خَمرةwine الهَوىlove
وَكَيفَ تَضيقُ النَفسُ مِن خَمرة الهَوى
وَأَنتِand you حُمَيّاهاits intoxicating strength وَمِنكِand from you خِمارُهاits hangover
وَأَنتِ حُمَيّاها وَمِنكِ خِمارُها
And how can the soul be troubled by the wine of love,
How can the soul feel narrow with the wine of love,
When you are its intoxicating strength, and its hangover comes from you?
While you are its ferment and from you is its cupbearer?
أَياO لَيلLayla (shortened vocative) قَدalready أَتلَفتyou have destroyed نَفسيmy soul تَرَفَّقيbe gentle
أَيا لَيل قَد أَتلَفت نَفسي تَرَفَّقي
عَلىdespite أَنَّthe fact that قَتلَthe slaying النَفسِof the soul فيكَfor your sake اِفتِخارُهاits pride
عَلى أَنَّ قَتلَ النَفسِ فيكَ اِفتِخارُها
O Layla, you have destroyed my soul; be gentle,
O night that has destroyed my soul, show some tenderness
Though being slain for your sake is the soul's pride.
Since killing the soul in you is its pride.
أَلاah لاmay ... not أَرانيshow me اللَهُGod ياO لَيلُLayla (shortened vocative) ذاone possessing حَشىa heart
أَلا لا أَراني اللَهُ يا لَيلُ ذا حَشى
يَقِرُّfinds rest مِنَfrom البَلوىaffliction عَلَيكِover you قَرارهاits repose
يَقِرُّ مِنَ البَلوى عَلَيكِ قَرارها
Ah, may God never show me, O Layla, one whose heart
May God not let me see a night, O night, with an evening meal,
Finds rest from affliction over you.
Settled from troubles upon you.
Sol 6.1