ذَكَرتُ عَشِيَّةَ الصَدَفَينِ لَيلى

وَكُلَّ الدَهرِ ذِكراها جَديدُ

I recalled Layla in the evening of the two seashells

And my remembrance of her is ever renewed

إِذا حالَ الغُرابُ الجَونُ دوني

فَمُنقَلَبي إِلى لَيلى بَعيدُ

When the crow comes between us

My heart turns back to the distant Layla

عَلَيَّ أَلِيَّةٌ إِن كُنتُ أَدري

أَيَنقُصُ حُبُّ لَيلى أَم يَزيدُ

I have a problem, if I but knew

Does my love for Layla decrease or increase?

لَها في طَرفِها لَحَظاتُ حَتفٍ

تُميتُ بِها وَتُحيِي مَن تُريدُ

In her glance she has deadly flashes

With which she kills and revives whom she wills

وَإِن غَضِبَت رَأَيتَ الناسَ هَلكى

وَإِن رَضِيَت فَأَرواحٌ تَعودُ

And if she gets angry you see people destroyed

And if she is pleased, spirits return

فَقُلنَ لَقَد بَكَيتَ فَقُلتُ كَلّا

وَهَل يَبكي مِنَ الطَرَبِ الجَليدُ

They said you cried, but I said no

Does solid ice cry from joy?

وَلَكِن قَد أَصابَ سَوادَ عَيني

عُوَيدُ قَذىً لَهُ طَرفٌ حَديدُ

But the blackness of my eyes was struck

By a mote that has a sharp point

فَقُلنَ فَما لِدَمعِهِما سَواءٌ

أَكِلتا مُقلَتَيكَ أَصابَ عودُ

They said: Do their tears flow equally?

Have they consumed your eyelids or hit a tent peg?