وَكُنتُ وَلَيلى كَالغَداةِ وَخَشعِها

تَحومُ عَلى قَربي لَها وَأَحومُ

Leila and I were like dawn and its serenity,

Hovering over each other, yearning and longing.

إِذا غابَ مِنّا واحِدٌ عَن قَرينِهِ

يَكادُ مِنَ الشَوقِ الأَليمِ يَهيمُ

When one of us was absent from the other,

We would almost go mad from painful desire.

قَضى الدَهرُ بِالتَفريقِ بَيني وَبَينَها

فَلا كانَ دَهرُ إنَّهُ لَمَشومُ

Fate decreed separation between her and I,

What an ill-omened fate it was!