تَمُرّ الصَبا صَفحا بِساكِن ذي الغَضا
وَيَصدَع قَلبي أَن يَهُبّ هُبوبُها
The morning breeze blows gently over the abode of the beloved,
And my heart quivers that its blowing may stir.
قَريبَة عَهد بِالحَبيبِ وَإِنَّما
هَوى كُلِّ نَفس حَيثُ حَلّ حَبيبُها
The love is still fresh, though the beloved is gone away.
The heart must love where its beloved may dwell.
تَطَلَّع مِن نَفسي إِلَيك نَوازِعٌ
عَوارِفُ أَنَّ اليَأسَ مِنكِ نَصيبُها
From my soul mounting aspirations rise towards you,
Intimations that despair of you will be its fate.
توحّش مِن لَيلى الحِمى وَتَنَكّرت
مَنازِل لَيلى خَيمُها وَكَثيبُها
The campsite of Layla has grown desolate and forlorn,
Emptied are the tents and the hillocks of Layla.
وَزالَت زَوالَ الشَّمس عَن مُستَقَرَّها
فَمَن مُخبري في أَيّ أَرض غروبُها
As the sun declined from its zenith and disappeared,
Who will tell me in what land is its setting?
بِحَسب اللَّيالي أَن طَرَحنَك مطرحا
بِدار قِلىً تمسي وَأَنت غَريبُها
By the number of nights you have cast me away
In an abode of misery, while you are a stranger to it.
حَلال لِلَيلى أَن تَروعَ فُؤادَهُ
بِهجر وَمَغفور لِلَيلى ذنوبُها
It is right that Layla should torment my heart,
With estrangement, and Layla's sins are forgivable.
إِخالك في نَجد وَذاك لِأَنَّني
أراح إِذا ما الريح هَبّ هبوبُها
Your sojourn in Najd is because I gave respite
Whenever the breeze blew its blowing.
وَقالَ أُناس ألهِمِ النَّفس غَيرَها
فَكَيف وَلَيلى داؤُها وَطَبيبُها
Some people say: distract yourself with another.
But how can I, when Layla is my sickness and my remedy?
