أَلا طَرَقَت لَيلى فَأَحزَنَ ذِكرُها

وَكَم قَد طَرانا طَيفُ لَيلى فَأَحزَنا

Has not Layla passed by and the memory of her saddened me?

And how often has the phantom of Layla passed by and saddened us!

وَمَن دونَها مِن قِلَّةِ العَبرِ مُخرَمٌ

يُشَبِّهُهُ الرائي حِصاناً مُوَطَّنا

And whoever is with her has few tears

That the onlooker likens to a saddled steed

وَمُعتَرَضٌ فَوقَ القُتودِ تَخالَهُ

مَتاعاً مُعَلّى أَو قَتيلاً مُكَفَّنا

Stopping above the camels thinking it

Laden merchandise or a shrouded corpse

جَلَوتُ الكَرى عَنهُ بِذِكرِكِ بَعدَما

دَنا اللَيلُ وَاِلتَجَّ الظَلامُ فَأَغدَنا

I forgot other matters for your sake after

The night approached and darkness thickened and settled on us

أَلا عَلَّ لَيلى إِن تَشَكَّيتُ عِندَها

تَباريحَ لَوعاتِ الهَوى أَن تَلَيَّنا

Lo, if only I complain to Layla, she may

Relent from the sufferings of passion that afflicted us

عَلى أَنَّها خاسَت بِعَهدي وَحاذَرَت

عُيونَ الأَعادي وَالصَبيَّ المُلَحَّنا

Though she broke her vow to me and was wary

Of the eyes of enemies and the slanderous boy

أَعيبُ الَّتي أَهوى وَأُطري جَوارِياً

يَرَينَ لَها فَضلاً عَلَيهُنَّ بَيِّنا

I blame the one I love and desire my female companions

To see her superiority over them is clear

بِرَغمي أُطيلُ الصَدَ عَنها إِذا بَدَت

أُحاذِرُ أَسماعاً عَلَينا وَأَعيُنا

Despite myself I refrain from her if she appears

I am wary of ears against us and eyes

فَقَد غَضِبَت أَن قُلتُ إِذ لَيسَ حاجَتي

إِلَيها وَقالَت لَم يُرِد أَن يُحِبَّنا

For she was angry when I said since I had no need

Of her, and she said he did not mean to love us

وَهَل كُنتُ إِلّا مُعمَداً قانِطَ الهَوى

أَسَرَّ فَلَمّا قادَهُ الشَوقُ أَعلَنا

Was I ever intentionally despairing of love

Secretly, but when longing drove me I declared it

أَتاني هَواها قَبلَ أَن أَعرِفَ الهَوى

فَصادَفَ قَلباً خالِياً فَتَمَكَّنا

Her love came to me before I knew love

And so it settled in an empty heart