أَلا يا حَماماتِ الحِمى عُدنَ عَودَةً

أَلا يا حَماماتِ الحِمى عُدنَ عَودَةً

فَإِنّي إِلى أَصواتِكُنَّ حَنونُ

فَإِنّي إِلى أَصواتِكُنَّ حَنونُ

Ah, doves of the sanctuary, return once more,

O doves of the ardent abodes, return and coo again,

for I yearn for your voices.

For I am fondly disposed toward your voices.

فَعُدنَ فَلَمّا عُدنَ عُدنَ لِشِقوَتي

فَعُدنَ فَلَمّا عُدنَ عُدنَ لِشِقوَتي

وَكِدتُ بِأَسرارٍ لَهُنَّ أُبينُ

وَكِدتُ بِأَسرارٍ لَهُنَّ أُبينُ

So they returned; when they returned, their return brought me sorrow,

So they returned, and when they returned, they returned to my misery,

and I nearly revealed secrets to them.

And I almost disclosed my secrets to them.

وَعُدنَ بِقَرقارِ الهَديرِ كَأَنَّما

وَعُدنَ بِقَرقارِ الهَديرِ كَأَنَّما

شَرِبنَ مُداماً أَو بِهِنَّ جُنونُ

شَرِبنَ مُداماً أَو بِهِنَّ جُنونُ

And they returned with gurgling coos, as though

They returned with a rattling like the pouring of wine, as though

they had drunk wine, or madness possessed them.

They were drunk or mad.

فَلَم تَرَ عَيني مِثلَهُنَّ حَمائِماً

فَلَم تَرَ عَيني مِثلَهُنَّ حَمائِماً

بَكَينَ فَلَم تَدمَع لَهُنَّ عُيونُ

بَكَينَ فَلَم تَدمَع لَهُنَّ عُيونُ

For never had my eye seen doves like them:

My eyes have never seen doves weeping so,

they wept, yet their eyes shed no tears.

With flowing tears wetting their eyelids.

وَكُنَّ حَماماتٍ جَميعاً بِعَيطَلٍ

وَكُنَّ حَماماتٍ جَميعاً بِعَيطَلٍ

فَأَصبَحنَ شَتّى ما لَهُنَّ قَرينُ

فَأَصبَحنَ شَتّى ما لَهُنَّ قَرينُ

And all the doves had been together at ʿAyṭal,

Once they were all doves together in Aital,

then they became scattered, each without a companion.

But in the morning they dispersed, having no mate.

فَأَصبَحنَ قَد قَرقَرنَ إِلّا حَمامَةً

فَأَصبَحنَ قَد قَرقَرنَ إِلّا حَمامَةً

لَها مِثلَ نَوحِ النائِحاتِ رَنينُ

لَها مِثلَ نَوحِ النائِحاتِ رَنينُ

By morning they had all cooed, save for one dove,

So they began calling loudly, all but one dove

whose ringing cry was like the lament of wailing women.

Who moans like the wailing women mourning Noah.

تُذَكِّرُني لَيلى عَلى بُعدِ دارِها

تُذَكِّرُني لَيلى عَلى بُعدِ دارِها

رَواجِفُ قَلبٍ باتَ وَهوَ حَزينُ

رَواجِفُ قَلبٍ باتَ وَهوَ حَزينُ

I am reminded of Layla, though her home is far away,

She reminds me of Layla, far from her abode,

by the tremors of a heart that spent the night in sorrow.

The throbbing heart of one who slept while grieved.

إِذا ما خَلا لِلنَومِ أَرَّقَ عَينَهُ

إِذا ما خَلا لِلنَومِ أَرَّقَ عَينَهُ

نَوائِحُ وُرقٍ فَرشُهُنَّ غُصونُ

نَوائِحُ وُرقٍ فَرشُهُنَّ غُصونُ

Whenever it retires to sleep, its eye is kept awake

When he retires for sleep, wakefulness troubles his eyes,

by wailing gray doves whose bedding is branches.

The rustling of leaves spread as his bed by the branches.

تَداعَينَ مِن بَعدِ البُكاءِ تَأَلُّقاً

تَداعَينَ مِن بَعدِ البُكاءِ تَأَلُّقاً

فَقَلَّبنَ أَرياشاً وَهُنَّ سُكونُ

فَقَلَّبنَ أَرياشاً وَهُنَّ سُكونُ

They called to one another after weeping, gleaming,

Cascading after weeping in a flashing brilliance,

then ruffled their feathers while remaining quiet.

They preened their feathers while tranquil.

فَيا لَيتَ لَيلى بَعضُهُنَّ وَلَيتَني

فَيا لَيتَ لَيلى بَعضُهُنَّ وَلَيتَني

أَطيرُ وَدَهري عِندُهُنَّ رَكينُ

أَطيرُ وَدَهري عِندُهُنَّ رَكينُ

Ah, if only Layla were one of them, and if only I

Would that Layla were one of them! Would that I

could fly, with my life settled among them.

Could fly, while my lifetime with them reposed!

أَلا إِنَّما لَيلى عَصا خَيزُرانَةٍ

أَلا إِنَّما لَيلى عَصا خَيزُرانَةٍ

إِذا غَمَزوها بِالأَكُفِّ تَلينُ

إِذا غَمَزوها بِالأَكُفِّ تَلينُ

Ah, Layla is nothing but a bamboo cane:

Behold, Layla is only a slender hazel branch;

when they press her with their palms, she bends.

When grasped in palms, she bends.