ابوها يريك البؤس في عهد لهوه

وامها في عهد المسرات مأتما

Her father shows you misery in his revelry

And her mother mourns in days of merriment

وَقَد خيم الحزن المجسم فوقهم

وواها اذا الحزن المجسم خيما

Sorrow embodied looms above their heads

Alas, embodied sorrow looms

وَما أَهل لَيلى بين ذاكَ سشوى امرىء

يرى العَيش اوصابا واخر مبهما

None of Layla's family between this and that except one man

Who sees life pitiful and the end ambiguous

يَجس لها الكف الطَبيب وَكفه

تمثل عند البنت صابا وَعلقما

The doctor feels her pulse and his hand

Appears as a youth before the girl and frozen

وَيشخص في لَيلى وَيَنظر بَعدَها

الى والد ركنا من البيت لازما

He glances at Layla and looks after her

To a pillar of the house adhering

يعزيه بالعين الَّتي رب نظرة

بها نحو مَرموق تفوق التكلما

Consoling him with the eye that Lord's glance

With it towards the lofty transcending speech

ولما اِنحَنى بالباب عند خروجه

يسلم بعض الحزن للأَهل سلما

And when he bent by the door upon leaving

He bids some sorrow to the family farewell

رات اهلها لاذوا بها وَكأَنَّهم

يريدون أَن يسصحبوها إِلى السَما

Her family clung to her as if

They want to take her to the sky

فانطقها حب التَشفي واظهرت

لهم باسها والياس فيهم تجسما

Then love of healing made her speak and she showed

Them her despair and despair in them embodied

وَقالَت تَبكون املصاب وَلَم يَكن

لنيرانه غير التَعنت مضرها

And said, you cry for my plight but there was not

For its fires but obstinacy harmful

يعز عليكم موت شخصي وقبله

بعثتم لِقَلبي المضوت مذ كان مغرما

You grieve for my death yet before it

You sent my heart smitten as it was enamored

فَما لي أَراكم حول نَعشي جَميعكم

سِوى واحِد بعدي سَيَقضي متيما

So why do I see you all around my bier

Except one after me who will live enamored

تقدم كل محدقا بِتَعاسَتي

واحمد وَيلي آه لن يتقدما

Each staring at my misery

And I thank my plight, ah will not proceed

دعوه يكن يوم اِرتِحالي مشاهدا

فَتاة رات عيش الهَوان محرما

Let him on the day of my departure be present

A girl who saw the life of disgrace forbidden

دعوا عينه تبصر مَسائي فان لي

فؤادا إِذا جاءَ الحَبيب تنعما

Let his eyes see my evenings for I have

A heart that when the beloved comes, luxuriates

دعوني اودع من قضيت بحبه

اسى علني القي المناجاة باسما

Let me bid farewell to the one I was fatally in love with

Sorrow openly mentioning his name

وَجاءَ ابن عم البنت يصفر وجهه

إِذا ما دضنا منها قَليلا وَكلما

And her cousin came, his face yellowing

Whenever we moved away from her a little and spoke

فَعادَت اليها الروح وافتر ثغرها

كذلك ثغر القوم لما تبسما

Then the spirit returned to her and her mouth smiled

As did the mouths of the people when she smiled

وَقالَت لَهُم خلوا حَبيبي بِجانِبي

قَليلا فولوا كلهم وَتقدما

And she said to them, leave my beloved beside me

A little, so they all left and he proceeded

اشارَت إِلى الكُرسي وَلما استوى به

عَلى خدها الدمع اِستَوى وَتنظما

She gestured to the chair and when he sat in it

On her cheek the tears symmetrically streamed

وَقالَت بصوت يجعل الرطب يابِسا

لَقَد آنَ مَوتي ان مَوتي تحتما

And she said in a voice that makes the juicy dry

"My death has come if my death is destined"

وَلكن لي سرا خَطيراً اريد أَن

ابثكه كَي تَستَفيق وَتَعلما

But I have a perilous secret I want to

Tell you so you can awaken and learn

هناك يَكون المَوت راحَتي الَّتي

اؤملها فاسمع حَديثي مقسما

Therein is my death, my comfort

That I hope for, so listen to my oath

وَمذ فتحت فاها لتطلع حبها

عَلى السر ماتَت قبَل أَن تَتَكَلما

And when she opened her mouth to reveal her love

She died before she could speak