كَأَنَّ الرَّبابَ الدُّهمَ في سَرَعانِهِ

كَأَنَّ الرَّبابَ الدُّهمَ في سَرَعانِهِ

عِشارٌ مِن الكَلبيةِ الجونِ ظُلَّعُ

عِشارٌ مِن الكَلبيةِ الجونِ ظُلَّعُ

The dark clouds at its fore are like

The rabab's melancholy is like a swift she-camel,

Limping, dark Kalbite she-camels ten months pregnant.

A tenth of the dark fox's song prowling at night,

أدانيهِ للأَمواهِ مِن بَطنِ بيشَةٍ

أدانيهِ للأَمواهِ مِن بَطنِ بيشَةٍ

ولِلأَوقِ والسيدانِ والمَينِ يَضجَعُ

ولِلأَوقِ والسيدانِ والمَينِ يَضجَعُ

Its nearer reaches lie toward the waters of Bisha's valley,

I brought it near to the watering places from the belly of a sandy valley,

And toward al-Awq, al-Sidan, and al-Mayn it leans.

And for the gazelle, the wolf, and the goat it lies down.

كَأَنَّ اشتِعالَ البَرق في حجَراتِهِ

كَأَنَّ اشتِعالَ البَرق في حجَراتِهِ

ضِرامٌ شَرى في أَيكَةٍ يَتَشَيَّعُ

ضِرامٌ شَرى في أَيكَةٍ يَتَشَيَّعُ

The lightning blazing in its flanks is like

It is as if the flashing of lightning in its chambers

A fire flaring in a thicket and spreading outward.

Is a battle-fire kindled in a bending tent-pole,

خَفا كاقتِذاءِ الطَّيرِ واللَّيلُ مُدبِرٌ

خَفا كاقتِذاءِ الطَّيرِ واللَّيلُ مُدبِرٌ

بجثمانِهِ والصّبحُ قَد كادَ يَسطَعُ

بجثمانِهِ والصّبحُ قَد كادَ يَسطَعُ

It flickered like birds blinking, while night withdrew

It faded like the swooping of birds and the night was departing

With all its bulk, and dawn was almost shining forth.

With its body, and dawn had just begun to shine,

دَجا اللَّيلُ واستَنَّ استناناً زَفيفُهُ

دَجا اللَّيلُ واستَنَّ استناناً زَفيفُهُ

كَما استَنَّ في الغابِ الحَريقُ المُشَعشِعُ

كَما استَنَّ في الغابِ الحَريقُ المُشَعشِعُ

Night darkened, and its rushing swept swiftly onward,

The night grew dark and its darkness intensified

As a radiant blaze races through the reeds.

As the blazing fire intensified in the forest,

تَروّى مِنَ البَحرينِ عوذَ رَمِيَّةٍ

تَروّى مِنَ البَحرينِ عوذَ رَمِيَّةٍ

كَما استربعَ البَزَّ القِطارُ المُطَبَّعُ

كَما استربعَ البَزَّ القِطارُ المُطَبَّعُ

It drank deep from al-Bahrayn, a raincloud's fresh-calved herd,

It was sated with fresh water from two seas

As a heavily laden camel train shoulders cloth.

As the young gazelle settled in the meadow,

أَلا ما لِعَيني لا أَبا لأبيكُما

أَلا ما لِعَيني لا أَبا لأبيكُما

إِذا ذُكِرَت لَيلى تُرِبُّ فَتَدمَعُ

إِذا ذُكِرَت لَيلى تُرِبُّ فَتَدمَعُ

Ah, what ails my two eyes—may your father be fatherless—

Oh, what is wrong with my eyes - no, your father's -

When Layla is mentioned, they well up and weep?

When Layla is remembered, they begin to tear,

وَما لِفؤادي كُلَّما خَطَرَ الهَوى

وَما لِفؤادي كُلَّما خَطَرَ الهَوى

عَلى ذاكَ فيما لا يواتيهِ يَطمَعُ

عَلى ذاكَ فيما لا يواتيهِ يَطمَعُ

And what ails my heart, whenever love stirs,

And what is wrong with my heart - whenever passion

That, despite all this, it covets what will not yield to it?

Stirs for her though she is beyond its reach - it aspires,

أجد بِلَيلى مِدحَةً عَرَبيَةً

أجد بِلَيلى مِدحَةً عَرَبيَةً

كَما حُبِّر البردُ اليَماني المُسَبَّعُ

كَما حُبِّر البردُ اليَماني المُسَبَّعُ

Compose for Layla a fine Arabic song of praise,

I find in Layla eloquent Arab poetry

As the sevenfold Yemeni mantle is richly adorned.

Embroidered like a Yemeni cloak interwoven with patterns,

تُثِبكَ بِما أَسديتَ أَو تَرجُ وَعدَها

تُثِبكَ بِما أَسديتَ أَو تَرجُ وَعدَها

وَما وعدُها فيما خلا مِنكَ يَنفَعُ

وَما وعدُها فيما خلا مِنكَ يَنفَعُ

She will repay what you have bestowed, or you may hope for her promise;

It consoles you for what you have given or promises you its return,

But her promise avails nothing for what has already passed from you.

Though its promise, apart from you, is of no use,

وَلَيلى أَروجُ الجَيبَ ميّاعَة الصِّبا

وَلَيلى أَروجُ الجَيبَ ميّاعَة الصِّبا

أَبِيٌّ لما يأبى الكَريمُ وَتَرفَعُ

أَبِيٌّ لما يأبى الكَريمُ وَتَرفَعُ

And Layla is fragrant at the neckline, swaying with youthful grace,

Layla's buttocks sway like the bending of the north wind,

Rejecting what the noble reject, and holding herself high.

Disdainful of what the generous one disdains and scorns,

مُشرّفَةُ الأَعطافِ مَهضومَةُ الحَشا

مُشرّفَةُ الأَعطافِ مَهضومَةُ الحَشا

بِها القَلبُ لَو تَجزيهِ بِالقرضِ مولَعُ

بِها القَلبُ لَو تَجزيهِ بِالقرضِ مولَعُ

High-shouldered and slender-waisted,

Her shoulders are plump and her breasts slight,

The heart is enthralled by her—if only she would repay its loan.

The heart, though nearly bankrupt from desire, aspires,

وَما لي بِها عِلمٌ سوى الظنِ والَّذي

وَما لي بِها عِلمٌ سوى الظنِ والَّذي

إِلى بَيتهِ تُزجى حَوافٍ وَظُلَّعُ

إِلى بَيتهِ تُزجى حَوافٍ وَظُلَّعُ

And I know nothing of her beyond conjecture—by Him

I know nothing of her apart from guesswork, and that

To whose House the hoof-worn and the lame are driven—

To her home are led spotted camels with striped necks,

سوى أَنَني قَد كُنتُ أَعلَمُ أَنَها

سوى أَنَني قَد كُنتُ أَعلَمُ أَنَها

هيَ العَذبُ والماءُ البَضاعُ المُنَقِّعُ

هيَ العَذبُ والماءُ البَضاعُ المُنَقِّعُ

Except that I once knew that she

Except that I knew she is the sweet water, the merchandise

Was sweet water, abundant water that quenches thirst.

Fresh and gushing,

وَكائن لَقينا مِن نَعيمٍ وَلَذّةٍ

وَكائن لَقينا مِن نَعيمٍ وَلَذّةٍ

وأَعجَبَنا المصطافُ والمتربعُ

وأَعجَبَنا المصطافُ والمتربعُ

And how much ease and delight we have known,

However much pleasure and bliss we found,

And our summer and spring camps delighted us.

And we admired the holiday resort and the meadow,

وَقُلنا لَعلَّ الماءَ يَربو فَنَقتَني

وَقُلنا لَعلَّ الماءَ يَربو فَنَقتَني

وَعَلَّ غُلاماً ناشِئاً يَتَرَعرَعُ

وَعَلَّ غُلاماً ناشِئاً يَتَرَعرَعُ

And we said, 'Perhaps the water will grow abundant, and we shall acquire wealth,

We said: perhaps the water will increase, so we will buy,

And perhaps a growing boy will flourish.'

And raise a youth who will grow and be nurtured,

أَمانيُّ عامٍ بَعدَ عامٍ تَعلَّلَت

أَمانيُّ عامٍ بَعدَ عامٍ تَعلَّلَت

بأَمثالِها بِالناسِ عادٌ وَتبَّعُ

بأَمثالِها بِالناسِ عادٌ وَتبَّعُ

Hopes, year after year; solace was sought

Vain hopes upon vain hopes in people

In their like, among men, by ʿAd and Tubbaʿ.

Follow one another and are pursued,

وَلَكِنَّما الدُّنيا غَرورٌ وَلا تَرى

وَلَكِنَّما الدُّنيا غَرورٌ وَلا تَرى

لَها لَذةً إِلا تَبيدُ وَتُنزَعُ

لَها لَذةً إِلا تَبيدُ وَتُنزَعُ

Yet this world is deception, and you see

But the world is an illusion, and you will not see

No pleasure in it that does not perish and get taken away.

In it pleasure but that it perishes and is stripped away,

فَلِلَّهِ ما فَوقَ السَّماءِ وَتَحتَها

فَلِلَّهِ ما فَوقَ السَّماءِ وَتَحتَها

لَهُ المالُ يُعطي مَن يَشاءُ وَيَمنَعُ

لَهُ المالُ يُعطي مَن يَشاءُ وَيَمنَعُ

So to God belongs what is above the sky and beneath it;

To God belongs what is above the sky and beneath it,

Wealth is His: He gives to whom He wills, and withholds.

To Him belongs wealth, He gives it to whom He wills and denies.