خَليليَّ هَذا رَبعُ لَيلى بِذي الغَضَى

سَقى اللَّهُ لَيلى وَالغَضى وَسَقاكُما

My two friends, this is Layla’s former campsite at Dhū al-Ghaḍā.

May God send rain upon Layla, al-Ghaḍā, and the protected ground belonging to them both.

وَقَد كُنتُما لي مُسعدَينِ عَلى البُكا

فَما لَكُما لا تُسعِدانِ أَخاكُما

You two once helped me in my weeping—

what has come over you, that you no longer help your brother?

أَظَلُّ وَحيداً لا أَرى مَن أُحِبُّهُ

وَهَل بِالحِمى لي مِن خَليلٍ سِواكُما

I remain alone, seeing no one whom I love;

and have I, within the protected ground, any friend besides you two?

وَلَو غابَ عَنّي واحِدٌ مِنكُما وَهَتْ

قُوى الصَّبرِ لا أَوهى الزَّمانُ قُواكُما

Were even one of you absent from me, the strength of patience would fail—

may Time never weaken the strength of you both.

فَكَيفَ أَذودُ الهَمَّ عَنّي تَجَلُّداً

وَقَد غِبتُما عَن أَرضِ نَجدٍ كِلاكُما

How, then, can I fend sorrow from myself by steeling my heart,

when both of you are absent from the land of Najd?