وَعارٍ مِنَ الأَرياشِ كاسٍ مِنَ الهَوى

وَعارٍ مِنَ الأَرياشِ كاسٍ مِنَ الهَوى

مِنَ المالِ مُعدامٍ لَئيمِ الخَلائِقِ

مِنَ المالِ مُعدامٍ لَئيمِ الخَلائِقِ

And bare of finery, clothed in passion,

With streaks of dishonor, a goblet of passion

Destitute of wealth, base in character.

Penniless, vile in nature

تُرى هَل أَتى لَيلى بِعَزمَةِ صادِقٍ

تُرى هَل أَتى لَيلى بِعَزمَةِ صادِقٍ

كَما هاجَ بي مِن نَوفَلِ بنِ مُساحِقِ

كَما هاجَ بي مِن نَوفَلِ بنِ مُساحِقِ

I wonder, did he come to Layla with a sincere man's resolve,

Do you see if Layla came with true resolve

As I was stirred by Nawfal ibn Musahiq?

As I was aroused for her, from Nufail, son of Musahiq

إِذا جِئتَهُ في الناسِ مِنهُ عَلى الرَجا

إِذا جِئتَهُ في الناسِ مِنهُ عَلى الرَجا

أَلَمَّ بِقَلبٍ مُستَطارِ الخَوافِقِ

أَلَمَّ بِقَلبٍ مُستَطارِ الخَوافِقِ

When I came to him among the people, placing hope in him,

When you come to him seeking favor

He came upon a heart whose pulses fluttered in panic.

He clutches a heart of scattered pieces

أَمِن أَجلِ هَذا الحُبِّ صِرتَ كَما أَرى

أَمِن أَجلِ هَذا الحُبِّ صِرتَ كَما أَرى

فَقُلتُ نَعَم وَالحُبُّ مُرُّ المَذائِقِ

فَقُلتُ نَعَم وَالحُبُّ مُرُّ المَذائِقِ

'Is it because of this love that you have become as I see you?'

Is it because of this love you’ve become as I see

So I said, 'Yes—and love is bitter to taste.'

I said "yes", though love is bitter in taste

سَأُفضي إِلى سُبلِ الهَلاكِ وَإِنَّني

سَأُفضي إِلى سُبلِ الهَلاكِ وَإِنَّني

لَمُحتَسِبٌ راضٍ مَشيئَةَ خالِقي

لَمُحتَسِبٌ راضٍ مَشيئَةَ خالِقي

I shall enter the paths of destruction, and indeed I

I will meet the paths of demise, and I

Am surely seeking divine reward, content with my Creator's will.

Am content, pleased with the will of my Creator

وَجادَ بِوَعدٍ خالَطَ الشَهدُ طَعمَهُ

وَجادَ بِوَعدٍ خالَطَ الشَهدُ طَعمَهُ

وَأَلقى عَلَيهِ موبِقاتِ البَرائِقِ

وَأَلقى عَلَيهِ موبِقاتِ البَرائِقِ

And he offered a promise whose flavor was mingled with honey,

And he made a promise, whose sweetness was mixed with bitterness

And cast upon it ruinous flashes of lightning.

And cast upon it the striking calamities

وَقالوا وَأَيمِ اللَهِ لا صارَ بَينَنا

وَقالوا وَأَيمِ اللَهِ لا صارَ بَينَنا

إِلى أَن تُزيلَ البيضُ شُعثَ المَفارِقِ

إِلى أَن تُزيلَ البيضُ شُعثَ المَفارِقِ

And they said, 'By God, it shall not come to pass between us

They said, by God, nothing will come between us

Until bright swords sever shaggy heads.'

Until the white nests remove the disheveled feathers

وَقالوا دَمُ المَجنونِ في الحَيِّ مُهدَرٌ

وَقالوا دَمُ المَجنونِ في الحَيِّ مُهدَرٌ

وَقالوا اِضرُبوا وَالقَولُ غَيرُ مُوافِقِ

وَقالوا اِضرُبوا وَالقَولُ غَيرُ مُوافِقِ

And they said, 'Majnun's blood is forfeit in the tribe.'

They said the blood of the madman is violated

And they said, 'Strike!'—but the words were unfitting.

And said, "Strike him," though the saying does not concur

أَبى اللَهُ أَرجو القُربَ إِلّا تَطايَرَت

أَبى اللَهُ أَرجو القُربَ إِلّا تَطايَرَت

بِتَفريقِنا بِالبَينِ سِربٌ نَواعِقُ

بِتَفريقِنا بِالبَينِ سِربٌ نَواعِقُ

God has denied me nearness: whenever I hope for it, up flies

God refused, though I hope for nearness, so

A cawing flock, to part us in estrangement.

With our separation, a flock of wild ducks dispersed

وَلا أَرتَجي يَوماً مِنَ الدَهرِ راحَةً

وَلا أَرتَجي يَوماً مِنَ الدَهرِ راحَةً

أُسَرُّ بِها إِلا رُميتُ بِعائِقِ

أُسَرُّ بِها إِلا رُميتُ بِعائِقِ

Nor do I hope, on any day of my life, for rest

And I do not hope for a day of comfort

That brings me joy, without being struck by an obstacle.

In which I rejoice, except I am hit with an obstacle

وَلَمّا بَلَغنا الحَيَّ وَالجِسمُ ناحِلٌ

وَلَمّا بَلَغنا الحَيَّ وَالجِسمُ ناحِلٌ

وَقَلبِيَ مَوجوعٌ كَثيرُ الخَوافِقِ

وَقَلبِيَ مَوجوعٌ كَثيرُ الخَوافِقِ

And when we reached the camp, my body was gaunt,

When we reached the neighborhood and my body was emaciated

And my heart was aching, with frequent palpitations,

And my heart pained, often fluttering

فَوَ اللَهِ ما أَدري لَقَلبي مُخَصَّصٌ

فَوَ اللَهِ ما أَدري لَقَلبي مُخَصَّصٌ

بِهَذا فَأَلقاهُ بِتَسليمِ صادِقِ

بِهَذا فَأَلقاهُ بِتَسليمِ صادِقِ

So, by God, I do not know whether my heart is singled out

By God, I do not know if my heart is meant

For this, so that I should face it with a sincere man's surrender.

For this, so I surrendered it with true devotion

أَما الحُبُّ فَعّالٌ بِغَيري كَما أَرى

أَما الحُبُّ فَعّالٌ بِغَيري كَما أَرى

فَقَلبِيَ مِنها خَصَّهُ بِالبَوائِقِ

فَقَلبِيَ مِنها خَصَّهُ بِالبَوائِقِ

Does love not work upon others besides me, as I see?

As for love, it was passionate with another, as I saw

Yet it has singled out my heart for calamities from her.

So my heart specifically took the calamities from her

حَلَفتُ بِعَهدِ اللَهَ يا أُمَّ مالِكٍ

حَلَفتُ بِعَهدِ اللَهَ يا أُمَّ مالِكٍ

لِأَنَّكِ مِن قَلبي مَكانَ عَلائِقي

لِأَنَّكِ مِن قَلبي مَكانَ عَلائِقي

I swore by God's covenant, O Umm Malik,

I swore by God's covenant, O mother of Malik

For in my heart you occupy the place of my affections.

That you have a place of attachment in my heart

وَأَكثَرُ شَيءٍ نِلتُهُ مِن نَوالِها

وَأَكثَرُ شَيءٍ نِلتُهُ مِن نَوالِها

أَمانيُّ لَم تَعلَق كَبَرقَةِ بارِقِ

أَمانيُّ لَم تَعلَق كَبَرقَةِ بارِقِ

And the most I gained from her bounty

The most I got from her favor

Was hopes that never took hold, like a flash of lightning.

Were wishes that clung like a sudden flash of lightning

فَلِلَّهِ قَلبٌ في الهَوى ذو صَبابَةٍ

فَلِلَّهِ قَلبٌ في الهَوى ذو صَبابَةٍ

وَلِلَّهِ قَلبٌ مِن مَشوقٍ وَشائِقِ

وَلِلَّهِ قَلبٌ مِن مَشوقٍ وَشائِقِ

So to God belongs a heart in love, full of longing,

By God, there is a heart in passion with patience

And to God belongs the heart of one moved to longing and one who stirs it.

And by God, there is a heart of longing and devotion

وَإِنّي لَأَهوى قُربَ لَيلى وَذِكرَها

وَإِنّي لَأَهوى قُربَ لَيلى وَذِكرَها

هَوى صادِقٍ في الحُبِّ غَيرِ مُنافِقِ

هَوى صادِقٍ في الحُبِّ غَيرِ مُنافِقِ

And indeed I love Layla's nearness and the remembrance of her,

And I, I love the nearness of Layla and her mention

With the love of one sincere in love, no hypocrite.

With a sincere passion, not hypocritical

سَأَصبِرُ لِلمَقدورِ يا أُمَّ مالِكٍ

سَأَصبِرُ لِلمَقدورِ يا أُمَّ مالِكٍ

وَأَعلَمُ أَنَّ الصَبرَ مُرُّ المَذائِقِ

وَأَعلَمُ أَنَّ الصَبرَ مُرُّ المَذائِقِ

I shall be patient with what is decreed, O Umm Malik,

I will be patient with what is destined, O mother of Malik

And I know that patience is bitter to taste.

And I know that patience is bitter to the taste