أَلا أَيُّها النوّامُ وَيَحكُمُ هُبّوا

أُسائِلُكُم هَل يَقتُلُ الرَجُلَ الحُبُّ

O you who are asleep, awake!

I ask you, does love kill a man?

فَقالوا نَعَم حَتّى يَرُضَّ عِظامَهُ

وَيَترُكَهُ حَيرانَ لَيسَ لَهُ لُبُّ

They said, yes it does, until it pleases his bones,

And leaves him confused, with no sense left.

فَيا بَعلَ لَيلى كَيفَ يُجمَعُ شَملُنا

لَدَيَّ وَفيما بَينَنا شَبَّتِ الحَربُ

So my Layla's husband, how can we reunite,

When between us war has grown?

لَها مِثلُ ذَنبي اليَومَ إِن كُنتُ مُذنِباً

وَلا ذَنبَ لي إِن كانَ لَيسَ لَها ذَنبُ

Today she has a sin like mine, if I am sinful,

And I have no sin, if she has none.