ياO لقلبيfor my heart منfrom ذكرياتmemories الأمانيthe hopes
يا لقلبي من ذكريات الأماني
الأمانيthe hopes العذابsweet فيin نيسانApril
الأماني العذاب في نيسان
Alas for my heart, with its memories of hopes—
O my heart, memories of wishes
the sweet hopes in April.
Wishes are torment in April
ذكرياتmemories الشبابyouth والحبand love والاملand hope الthe (prefix of 'sweet')
ذكريات الشباب والحب والامل ال
حلوsweet وطيبand the charm تلكthose المغانيthe haunts
حلو وطيب تلك المغاني
Memories of youth and love and hope,
Memories of youth, love and unfading hope
so sweet, and the charm of those haunts.
Sweet and good are those melodies
ذكرياتmemories الالامpains طهرهاpurified them الوجpassion (first part)
ذكريات الالام طهرها الوج
دcompletion of 'passion' فذابتso they melted كالدمعlike tears فيin الاجفانthe eyelids
د فذابت كالدمع في الاجفان
Memories of pain, purified by passion,
Memories of pain, purified by affection, melted like tears in the eyelids
and so melted like tears within the eyelids.
Memories of dreams in the dusk of night, appeared in secret like a declaration
ذكرياتmemories الاحلامdreams فيin غسقdusk الليnight (first part)
ذكريات الاحلام في غسق اللي
لcompletion of 'night' تبدتthey appeared فيin السرsecret كالاعلانlike open proclamation
ل تبدت في السر كالاعلان
Memories of dreams in the dusk of night
Memories of sorrows, kindling like the blaze of volcanoes in the heart
appeared in secret as if openly proclaimed.
Memories I sigh for, and yearn for, yearning of the enamored and distressed
ذكرياتmemories الاشجانsorrows تسعرblaze فيin القلthe heart (first part)
ذكريات الاشجان تسعر في القل
بcompletion of 'heart' سعيرthe blaze النيرانthe fires فيin البركانthe volcano
ب سعير النيران في البركان
Memories of sorrow blaze within the heart
Memories founded on the love of Layla
with the fury of fires inside the volcano.
The breath of poetry, the scent of sweet basil
ذكرياتmemories اهفوI yearn اليهاtoward them واصبوand I pine
ذكريات اهفو اليها واصبو
صبوةyearning الوالهthe lovesick one المشوقthe longing one العانيthe captive
صبوة الواله المشوق العاني
Memories I yearn for and pine after,
Oh Layla, do you remember the nights
with the longing of a lovesick, yearning captive.
When we used to walk in the garden
ذكرياتmemories قوامهاtheir substance حبlove ليلىLayla
ذكريات قوامها حب ليلى
نفثةa breath الشعرpoetry نفحةa waft الريحانsweet basil
نفثة الشعر نفحة الريحان
Memories whose substance is love for Layla,
When we enjoyed love at times
a breath of poetry, a waft of sweet basil.
Then suffered most of the time
ايهah ليلىLayla هلdo تذكرينyou remember اللياليthe nights
ايه ليلى هل تذكرين الليالي
حينwhen كناwe were نسيرwe walk فيin البستانthe garden
حين كنا نسير في البستان
Ah, Layla, do you remember the nights
When our hearts used to flutter
when we walked in the garden;
With the bliss of passion and fear of time
حينwhen كناwe were نلتذwe take delight فيin الحبlove حيناًfor a while
حين كنا نلتذ في الحب حيناً
ثمthen نشقىwe suffer فيin اكثرmost الاحيانtimes
ثم نشقى في اكثر الاحيان
when we delighted in love for a while,
When at night, oh Layla, we used to walk, drunk with love
then suffered most of the time;
In the calmness of darkness like two lambs
حينwhen كانتwere قلوبناour hearts خافقاتbeating
حين كانت قلوبنا خافقات
بلذيذwith the sweetness الهوىlove وخوفand fear الزمانtime
بلذيذ الهوى وخوف الزمان
when our hearts were beating
And the languid breeze would blow gently
with love's sweetness and fear of time;
With tenderness and affection
حينwhen كناwe were ياO ليلLayl (short for Layla) نمشيwe walk الهويناat an easy pace
حين كنا يا ليل نمشي الهوينا
فيin هدوءthe stillness الظلامdarkness كالحملانlike lambs
في هدوء الظلام كالحملان
when we, O Layl, walked softly
And the birds of heaven would sing for us
in the stillness of darkness, like lambs;
Happiest tunes and sweetest melodies
والنسيمand the breeze العليلgentle يسريdrifts كروحيlike two souls (continued)
والنسيم العليل يسري كروحي
ناour (suffix) لطيفاًsoftly فيin رقةtenderness وحنانand affection
نا لطيفاً في رقة وحنان
and the gentle breeze drifted like our two souls,
And the flowers of the meadows would turn to us
softly, with tenderness and affection;
Bright, colorful and of varied forms
وطيورand the birds الجنانthe gardens تحنوshow tenderness عليناtoward us
وطيور الجنان تحنو علينا
شادياتsinging باعذبwith the sweetest الالحانmelodies
شاديات باعذب الالحان
and the birds of the gardens were tender toward us,
When at night, oh Layla, our bodies would cling together
singing the sweetest melodies;
And the two hearts would throb as one
وزهورand the flowers الرياضthe gardens ترنوgaze اليناtoward us
وزهور الرياض ترنو الينا
زاهياتradiant الاشكالthe shapes والالوانand the colors
زاهيات الاشكال والالوان
and the flowers of the gardens gazed at us,
When my hand would caress your cheek gently
radiant in shape and color;
And your cheeks would bloom like flowers
حينwhen كناwe were ياO ليلLayl (short for Layla) يلصقcling جسماtwo bodies (continued)
حين كنا يا ليل يلصق جسما
ناour (suffix) لصوقاclosely فيخفقand so beat القلبانthe two hearts
نا لصوقا فيخفق القلبان
when, O Layl, our two bodies clung
And the vastness of space and time
tightly together, and both hearts beat;
Were just a few fleeting moments
حينwhen كانتwas يديmy hand تداعبcaresses خديtwo cheeks (continued)
حين كانت يدي تداعب خدي
كyour (suffix) برفقgently فيزهرand so blossom الخدانthe two cheeks
ك برفق فيزهر الخدان
when my hand caressed your two cheeks
Do you remember the kisses with which the soul swooned
gently, and both cheeks blossomed;
And the two lips melted in their charm?
ورحابand the expanses المكانthe place فيin سعةthe vastness الكوthe universe (first part)
ورحاب المكان في سعة الكو
نcompletion of 'universe' ورحبand the breadth الزمانtime بضعa few ثوانseconds
ن ورحب الزمان بضع ثوان
and the place's expanses were as vast as the universe,
And the blissful embrace, oh Layla, followed
while time's expanse was but a few seconds.
By the racing of the two impassioned hearts?
تذكرينyou remember القبلاتthe kisses هامتwas enraptured بهاby them الروthe soul (first part)
تذكرين القبلات هامت بها الرو
حcompletion of 'soul' وذابتand melted فيin سحرهاtheir spell الشفتانthe two lips
ح وذابت في سحرها الشفتان
Do you remember the kisses that enraptured the soul,
And the melancholy songs, the melting wishes
and in whose spell both lips melted,
And the abundant tears full of meaning
والعناقand the embrace اللذيذdelightful ياO ليلLayl (short for Layla) يتلوfollows
والعناق اللذيذ يا ليل يتلو
هُit (suffix) غلوexcess القلبينthe two hearts فيin الخفقانbeating
هُ غلو القلبين في الخفقان
and the delightful embrace, O Layl, followed
And we parted one night, oh Layla, and with dawn
by the two hearts' frenzied beating,
Sorrow cast its arrows from afar
والاغانيand the songs العذابsweet ذابmelted الأمانيthe hopes
والاغاني العذاب ذاب الأماني
والدموعand the tears الغزارcopious ذاتbearing المعانيmeanings
والدموع الغزار ذات المعاني
and the sweet songs—the hopes melted—
And the abode of dreams was ravaged, and all
and the copious tears, full of meaning?
That was became prey to forgetfulness
وافترقناand we parted ياO ليلLayl (short for Layla) حيناًfor a time واضحىand became
وافترقنا يا ليل حيناً واضحى
المpain البينseparation ضارباًsettling down بالجرانwith its neck to the ground
الم البين ضارباً بالجران
And we parted, O Layl, for a time, and
Love may be forgiving, but not the songs of longing
the pain of parting settled in, its neck to the ground;
When love forgave, nor the wishes, wishes
وديارand the dwellings الاحلامdreams شطتgrew distant وامسىand became
وديار الاحلام شطت وامسى
كلall ماthat كانwas عرضةvulnerable to النسيانoblivion
كل ما كان عرضة النسيان
and the dwellings of dreams grew distant, and
And of the nights, oh Layla, there remains
all that had been became prey to oblivion.
Only a memory overflowing with sorrow
وعفاand faded الحبlove لاnot الاغانيthe songs اغانٍsongs
وعفا الحب لا الاغاني اغانٍ
حينwhen عفىit faded ولاnor الامانيthe hopes امانيhopes
حين عفى ولا الاماني اماني
And love faded: the songs were no longer songs
when it faded, nor were hopes still hopes.
واللياليand the nights ياO ليلLayl (short for Layla) لمdid not يبقremain منهاof them
والليالي يا ليل لم يبق منها
غيرexcept ذكرىa memory تفيضoverflows بالاشجانwith sorrows
غير ذكرى تفيض بالاشجان
And the nights, O Layl—nothing remained of them
but a memory overflowing with sorrows.
Partial English translation: 44 of 48 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1