بَينَbetween لَيلىLayla وَسُعادand Suad وَمُنىand Muna
بَينَ لَيلى وَسُعاد وَمُنى
حارَwas bewildered إِلياسElias كَماjust as حرتI was bewildered أَناI
حارَ إِلياس كَما حرت أَنا
Between Layla, Suad, and Muna,
Between Layla, Suad and Muna
Elias was bewildered, just as I was.
Ilias was confused as I was
غَيرbut أَنيthat I لاnot أَرىI see مِنany عَجبsurprise
غَير أَني لا أَرى مِن عَجب
أَنthat يَكونbe الاسمthe name قَدhas (perfect marker) حيرناbewildered us
أَن يَكون الاسم قَد حيرنا
Yet I see nothing strange
Except I don’t find it strange
In the name having bewildered us.
That the name confused us
تَكثرbecome numerous الأَسماءthe names فيin شَيءa thing إِذاwhen
تَكثر الأَسماء في شَيء إِذا
كَثُرَabounded المَعنىthe meaning بِهِin it أَوor حسناwas beautiful
كَثُرَ المَعنى بِهِ أَو حسنا
A thing has many names when
Names multiply for something
Its meaning is abundant or beautiful.
When its meaning multiplies or is beautiful
طفلةa little girl عَنfrom والديهاher parents نسخةa copy
طفلة عَن والديها نسخة
كرمتwas noble أَصلاًin lineage وَطابَتand was pure مَعدَناin nature
كرمت أَصلاً وَطابَت مَعدَنا
A little girl, a copy of her parents,
A girl is a copy of her parents
Noble in lineage and pure in nature.
Noble origin and good traits
قُلsay لِوَجهto the face of البَدرthe full moon إِنif قابلَتهاyou meet her
قُل لِوَجه البَدر إِن قابلَتها
جاءَكَcame to you الحُسنbeauty اِنعِكاساًas a reflection مِنfrom هُناhere
جاءَكَ الحُسن اِنعِكاساً مِن هُنا
Tell the face of the full moon, if you meet her:
Tell the full moon face if you meet her
“Beauty came to you reflected from here.”
Beauty came to you reflected from here
لَكنbut البُشرىthe glad tidings بِلَيلىof Layla إِنَّهاindeed she
لَكن البُشرى بِلَيلى إِنَّها
أَولthe first of الأَزهارthe flowers فيin رَوضthe garden of الهَناjoy
أَول الأَزهار في رَوض الهَنا
But the glad tidings are of Layla: she is
But the good news is that Layla
The first of the flowers in the garden of joy.
Is the first flower in the garden of delight
أَطعمgrant العزّابbachelors رَبّيmy Lord مثلهاone like her
أَطعم العزّاب رَبّي مثلها
رَبِّO my Lord ماwhat ضَركwould harm you لَوif أَطعَمتناyou granted us
رَبِّ ما ضَرك لَو أَطعَمتنا
May my Lord grant bachelors one like her.
Oh Lord, feed the single men one like her
My Lord, what harm would it do you if you granted us one?
My Lord, how could it harm you to feed us
ربِّO my Lord أطعمنيgrant me غَلاماًa boy شاعِراًa poet
ربِّ أطعمني غَلاماً شاعِراً
لِدَواعيto the calls of الحُسنbeauty مثليlike me مذعناyielding
لِدَواعي الحُسن مثلي مذعنا
My Lord, grant me a boy who is a poet,
Oh Lord, feed me a young poet
Yielding, like me, to beauty’s calls.
Who surrenders like me to the reasons of beauty
وَليَكُنand let him be مَجنونMajnun (mad lover) لَيلىLayla وَليَكُنand let him be
وَليَكُن مَجنون لَيلى وَليَكُن
طيّبkind القَلبthe heart ظَريفاًwitty لَسِناeloquent
طيّب القَلب ظَريفاً لَسِنا
And let him be Layla’s Majnun, and let him be
And let him be madly in love with Layla
Kindhearted, witty, and eloquent.
And let him be kind-hearted and eloquent
وَليَكُنand let him be مثلlike أَبيهhis father إِنَّناindeed we
وَليَكُن مثل أَبيه إِنَّنا
لَمdid not نوفِّرwe spare غادةa maiden فيin شعرِناour poetry
لَم نوفِّر غادة في شعرِنا
And let him be like his father: indeed, we
And let him be like his father, we
Have spared no maiden in our poetry.
Did not spare compliments in our poetry
Sol 6.1