مَلَكٌ هذا حبيبي أمْ ملكْ

مَلَكٌ هذا حبيبي أمْ ملكْ

أيُّ مَنْ هامَ بهذينِ هلكْ

أيُّ مَنْ هامَ بهذينِ هلكْ

Is this beloved of mine an angel or a king?

Is this beloved of mine an angel or a king?

Whoever falls madly in love with these two perishes.

Whoever is enraptured by these two is doomed

إنْ سألتَ الوصلَ منه صاغراً

إنْ سألتَ الوصلَ منه صاغراً

قالَ لِمْ تسألُني ما ليسَ لكْ

قالَ لِمْ تسألُني ما ليسَ لكْ

If, abased, you ask him for union,

If you ask him for affection humbly

He says, “Why do you ask me for what is not yours?”

He will say: Why do you ask for what isn't yours?

أسبَلَ الشعرَ على أكتافِهِ

أسبَلَ الشعرَ على أكتافِهِ

قلتُ يا ليلي بهِ ما أطولَكْ

قلتُ يا ليلي بهِ ما أطولَكْ

He let his hair fall over his shoulders.

His hair falls onto his shoulders

I said, “O my night, how long you are in him!”

I said: Oh Layla, how lengthy you are!

وتشكَّى خصرُهُ مِنْ ردفِهِ

وتشكَّى خصرُهُ مِنْ ردفِهِ

قلتُ قَدْ أتعبنَهُ ما أثقلَكْ

قلتُ قَدْ أتعبنَهُ ما أثقلَكْ

And his waist complained of his rump.

And he complained of the slenderness of his waist.

I said, “They have wearied it—how heavy you are!”

I said: how heavy you made it and how tired it became!