فَيا قَلبُ صَبراً وَاِعتِرافاً لِما تَرى
وَيا حُبَّها قَع بِالَّذي أَنتَ واقِعُ
O heart, patience and confession for what you see
And O love of her, accept what you are destined for
لَعَمري لِمَن أَمسى وَأَنتِ ضَجيعُهُ
مِنَ الناسِ ما اِختيرَت عَليهِ المَضاجِعُ
By my life, for the one whose bedfellow you are at night
Among people, beds were not chosen over you
أَلا تِلكَ لُبنى قَد تَراخى مَزارُها
وَلِلبَينِ غَمٌّ ما يَزالُ يُنازِعُ
Those are the traces of Layla's shrine gone faint
And for the separated lover a grief persists contending
إِذا لَم يَكُن إِلّا الجَوى فَكَفى بِهِ
جَوى حُرَقٍ قَد ضُمِّمَتها الأَضالِعُ
If there was nothing left but passion, it would suffice
The passion of burning embers tucked in ribs
أَبائِنَةٌ لُبنى وَلَم تَقطَعِ المَدى
بِوَصلٍ وَلا صُرمٍ فَيَيأَسَ طامِعُ
Elusive Layla, and did not shorten the distance
With union or firm pledge, so the hopeful despairs
يَظَلُّ نَهارَ الوالِهينَ نَهارَهُ
وَتَهدِنُهُ في النائِمينَ مَضاجِعُ
His day lasts as long as the besotted’s day
And she rocks him to sleep among the sleepers
سِوايَ فَلَيلي مِن نَهاري وَإِنَّما
تُقَسَّمُ بَينَ الهالِكينَ المَصارِعُ
Except for her, so my night is like my day, and rather
Among the dying, graves are divided between us
وَلَولا رَجاءُ القَلبِ أَن تَعطِفَ النَوى
لَما حَمَلَتهُ بَينَهُنَّ الأَضالِعُ
And were it not for the heart’s hope that affection may soften
Among them it would not have carried ribs
لَهُ وَجَباتٌ إِثرَ لُبنى كَأَنَّها
شَقائِقُ بَرقٍ في السَحابِ لَوامِعُ
For it undulations after Layla like
Flashes of lightning in clouds, glowing
نَهاري نَهارُ الناسِ حَتّى إِذا دَجا
لِيا اللَيلُ هَزَّتني إِلَيكَ المَضاجِعُ
My day is people’s day, until when night falls
The beds tossed me towards you
أُقَضّي نَهاري بِالحَديثِ وَبِالمُنى
وَيَجمَعُني بِاللَيلِ وَالهَمَّ جامِعُ
I spend my day in talking and in wishes
And at night grief and worries bring me together
وَقَد نَشَأَت في القَلبِ مِنكُم مَوَدَّةٌ
كَما نَشَأَت في الراحَتَينِ الأَصابِعُ
And a cordiality toward you was bred in my heart
As cordiality bred in the two palms
أَبى اللَهُ أَن يَلقى الرَشادَ مُتَيَّمٌ
أَلا كُلَّ أَمرٍ حُمَّ لا بُدَّ واقِعُ
God refused that the well-guided remain unrequited
Indeed, every matter predetermined will happen
هُما بَرَّحا بي مُعوِلينَ كِلاهُما
فُؤادٌ وَعَينٌ مَأقُها الدَهرَ دامِعُ
They both deserted me, relying on each other
A heart and an eye, time has made it tearful
إِذا نَحنُ أَنفَدنا البُكاءَ عَشِيَّةً
فَمَوعِدُنا قَرنٌ مِنَ الشَمسِ طالِعٌ
When we exhaust tears at night
Our appointment is a sunbeam rising at dawn
وَلِلحُبِّ آياتٌ تَبَيَّنُ بِالفَتى
شُحوبٌ وَتَعرى مِن يَدَيهِ الأَشاجِعُ
And for love there are signs that manifest in the young man
Pallor, and hands withdraw from the pillows
