قد طالَ يا ليلى علىَّ نواكِ

قد طالَ يا ليلى علىَّ نواكِ

حتى غدا قلبي قتيلَ هواكِ

حتى غدا قلبي قتيلَ هواكِ

Your absence has grown long for me, O Layla.

Long has your abandonment been for me, O Layla

Until my heart became the slain victim of love for you.

Until my heart became a victim of your love

والجسمُ منى ذائبٌ في حر نا

والجسمُ منى ذائبٌ في حر نا

ر الشوقِ هل لي مأملٌ بلقاكِ

ر الشوقِ هل لي مأملٌ بلقاكِ

And my body melts in the heat of the fire—

And my body melted in the heat of passionate longing

Of longing; have I any hope of meeting you?

Is there any hope of meeting you?

هلاّ علمتِ بأنني بكِ هائمٌ

هلاّ علمتِ بأنني بكِ هائمٌ

ودواءُ داءِ العاشقين هَوَاكِ

ودواءُ داءِ العاشقين هَوَاكِ

Do you not know that I am madly in love with you?

If only you knew I was infatuated with you

And your love is the cure for lovers' sickness.

And that the cure for lovers' woes is to be with you

لا تبخلي بالوصْلِ إني عاشِقٌ

لا تبخلي بالوصْلِ إني عاشِقٌ

مَا لِي طبيبٌ في الأنامِ سِوَاكِ

مَا لِي طبيبٌ في الأنامِ سِوَاكِ

Do not withhold union; indeed, I am a lover.

Do not be stingy with union, I am a lover

I have no physician among humankind but you.

I have no healer among people but you

وَصِلِى فإن لا أطيقُ تصبُّراً

وَصِلِى فإن لا أطيقُ تصبُّراً

لا تهجُرِى مَن في الهوَى يَهْواكِ

لا تهجُرِى مَن في الهوَى يَهْواكِ

And grant me union, for I cannot force myself to be patient.

So join me, for I cannot endure separation

Do not forsake one who, in his passion, loves you.

Do not abandon one passionately in love with you

ومن الذي ينهاكَ عن وصلِ الهوَى

ومن الذي ينهاكَ عن وصلِ الهوَى

أأخوك عن وَصْلِ الحبيب نَهَاكِ

أأخوك عن وَصْلِ الحبيب نَهَاكِ

And who is it that forbids you love's union?

And who can prevent you from joining with your beloved?

Was it your brother who forbade you union with your beloved?

Did your brother prevent you from joining your beloved?

ماذا يضيرُك إنْ وَصلْتِ معذّباً

ماذا يضيرُك إنْ وَصلْتِ معذّباً

دنِفاً كئيبَ القلبِ لا يَنساكِ

دنِفاً كئيبَ القلبِ لا يَنساكِ

What harm would it do you to grant union to a tormented man,

What harm is there if you join with one tortured

Ailing, sorrowful at heart, who never forgets you?

Sick at heart, not forgetting you?

فاللّهُ يَرْعَى مَنْ يواصِلُ حبَّه

فاللّهُ يَرْعَى مَنْ يواصِلُ حبَّه

ورَعَى الذي يَرْعَى الهوَى وَرَعَاكِ

ورَعَى الذي يَرْعَى الهوَى وَرَعَاكِ

For God guards whoever keeps his love unbroken,

God looks after those who maintain their love

And may He guard whoever cherishes love, and guard you.

And looked after those who looked after love and you

فعساكِ يا نشوانَة الألحاظِ أن

فعساكِ يا نشوانَة الألحاظِ أن

تَصِلى عَميداً في هواكِ عَسَاكِ

تَصِلى عَميداً في هواكِ عَسَاكِ

So may you, O you of drunken glances,

May you, O fawn-eyed one, join willingly

Unite with one stricken by love for you—may you!

With one passionately in love with you

فاقْضى بما شئتِ على مرّ الفَضَا

فاقْضى بما شئتِ على مرّ الفَضَا

فأنَا جُعِلتُ وَمَن بَراكِ فداكِ

فأنَا جُعِلتُ وَمَن بَراكِ فداكِ

So decree as you wish over the passage of the expanse [unclear wording].

Do as you wish, I am yours to command

For I have been made your ransom, by Him who created you.

As are those who love and cherish you

لولاكِ ما أبلى الهوَى جسمى وَلا

لولاكِ ما أبلى الهوَى جسمى وَلا

أَمْسيتُ صبَّا في الهوَى لولاكِ

أَمْسيتُ صبَّا في الهوَى لولاكِ

Were it not for you, love would not have worn out my body, nor

If not for you, passion would not have wasted my body

Would I have become love-stricken, were it not for you.

Nor would I become infatuated with love but for you

أفْنَي الأسَى صبْرى وقلَّ تجلدى

أفْنَي الأسَى صبْرى وقلَّ تجلدى

وازدَادَ شَوقي ثم طالَ عَناكِ

وازدَادَ شَوقي ثم طالَ عَناكِ

Grief has exhausted my patience, and my fortitude has waned.

Sorrow has destroyed my patience and lessened my composure

And my longing increased; then your torment grew long.

And my longing intensified, then you became inaccessible

لا غروَ إنْ باعَ المتيمُ نفسهُ

لا غروَ إنْ باعَ المتيمُ نفسهُ

إن كان يا ليلاىَ يلْثم فاك

إن كان يا ليلاىَ يلْثم فاك

No wonder if the love-enslaved man sells himself,

No wonder the enamored sells himself

If, O my Layla, he kisses your mouth.

If he, O Layla, kisses your mouth

قد بعتُ نفسي فيكِ بيعاً قاطعاً

قد بعتُ نفسي فيكِ بيعاً قاطعاً

عجباً لمَنْ قد بَاعَها وشَرَاكِ

عجباً لمَنْ قد بَاعَها وشَرَاكِ

I have sold myself for you in an irrevocable sale.

I have sold myself to you in a binding sale

How wondrous is one who has sold his soul and bought you!

Strange is he who sells himself yet buys you!

أنتِ الذي عذبتِ قلبي في الورى

أنتِ الذي عذبتِ قلبي في الورى

حتى الممات ولا يزالُ جواكِ

حتى الممات ولا يزالُ جواكِ

You are the one who has tormented my heart among mortals,

You who have tortured my heart in existence

Until death; and the burning anguish of loving you never ceases.

To the point of death, yet your abandonment continues

أفلمْ تَرقِّى للمتسم والذي

أفلمْ تَرقِّى للمتسم والذي

مستوثق في ذا الرجا بِرَجَاكِ

مستوثق في ذا الرجا بِرَجَاكِ

Have you not pitied the marked one [unclear reading], and the one

Have you no pity for the hopeful one

Who holds fast to this hope through hope in you?

Who spends his nights and days in your shelter?

لو تَرْحمين لكانَ خيراً للذي

لو تَرْحمين لكانَ خيراً للذي

يُمْسِى ويصبح تحت ظل رِدَاكِ

يُمْسِى ويصبح تحت ظل رِدَاكِ

If you showed mercy, it would be better for the one

Kindness from you would be best for one

Who spends evening and morning beneath your cloak's shade.

Who morn and eve is in the shade of your contentment

مِنكَ الهوَى والصدُّ والهجرانُ والتعذ

مِنكَ الهوَى والصدُّ والهجرانُ والتعذ

يبُ كلُّ قد جَرى بِرِضَاكِ

يبُ كلُّ قد جَرى بِرِضَاكِ

From you come love, rejection, abandonment, and torment—

From you comes love, rejection, abandonment and torment

All of it has happened with your consent.

All has happened by your consent

جِسمي نَحيلٌ لا يزالُ من الهوى

جِسمي نَحيلٌ لا يزالُ من الهوى

حتى غَدا من سُقْمِه كَحشَاكِ

حتى غَدا من سُقْمِه كَحشَاكِ

My body remains wasted by love,

My body is emaciated, from passion it does not recover

Until, from its sickness, it has become like your waist.

Until it became, from its illness, like your cheekbones

إنْ كانَ عارٌ في الوصال فلا أرَى

إنْ كانَ عارٌ في الوصال فلا أرَى

عاراً علىَّ بأن أقبل فَاكِ

عاراً علىَّ بأن أقبل فَاكِ

If there is shame in union, I see no

If it is shameful to join, I see no shame

Shame upon me in kissing your mouth.

In me kissing your mouth

ذيَّاكَ بَرْق لاح لِي من عارضٍ

ذيَّاكَ بَرْق لاح لِي من عارضٍ

أمْ ذاكَ يا ليلى ضيا سَنَاكِ

أمْ ذاكَ يا ليلى ضيا سَنَاكِ

Is that lightning that flashed before me from a cloud,

Does that light emanating from your cheek

Or, O Layla, is that the light of your radiance?

Belong to you, O Layla, or the radiance of your brilliance?

أَنَا والأنامُ جميعهُم يا مُنْيَتي

أَنَا والأنامُ جميعهُم يا مُنْيَتي

فالكلُّ مِنّا يقتدي بضياكِ

فالكلُّ مِنّا يقتدي بضياكِ

I and all humankind, O my desire,

I and all people, O my bliss

So all of us take your light as our guide.

We all emulate your radiance

نفسي وقلبي والعذولُ جميعُهم

نفسي وقلبي والعذولُ جميعُهم

واللائمونَ وَمَن يَرَاك وَقَاكِ

واللائمونَ وَمَن يَرَاك وَقَاكِ

My soul, my heart, and the reproacher—all of them—

My soul, my heart and my eyelids, all

And the blamers, and whoever sees you: may they shield you.

Those who blame, those who see you and wish you well

سَقْياً لأيامِ الشبابِ مضت ولمْ

سَقْياً لأيامِ الشبابِ مضت ولمْ

تَرْجعْ على معهودِها وسَقَاكِ

تَرْجعْ على معهودِها وسَقَاكِ

May rain bless the days of youth, which passed and did not

A drink to days of youth now past and gone

Return as they once were—and may He water you.

Never to return to what they were, and your giving to drink

لا خيرَ في مدٍح إذا هو لم يكنْ

لا خيرَ في مدٍح إذا هو لم يكنْ

في نجلِ سيفٍ ذِى النجار الزاكِى

في نجلِ سيفٍ ذِى النجار الزاكِى

There is no good in praise if it is not

No good in praise unless it be

Of Sayf's son, he of pure lineage.

Of the sharp sword, the work of the skilled smith