لَعَمري لَلبَيتُ الَّذي أَزورُهُ

لَعَمري لَلبَيتُ الَّذي أَزورُهُ

أَحَبُّ وَأَوفى مِن بُيوتٍ أَزورُها

أَحَبُّ وَأَوفى مِن بُيوتٍ أَزورُها

By my life, surely the house that I visit

By my life, the house I visit

Is dearer and more faithful than other houses I visit.

Is dearer and more loyal than any house I visit.

فَلَيتَ الَّذي دونَ البُيوتِ يُحِبُّهُ

فَلَيتَ الَّذي دونَ البُيوتِ يُحِبُّهُ

وَكانَ حَلَّ ما عَنكَ عَيني نَظيرُها

وَكانَ حَلَّ ما عَنكَ عَيني نَظيرُها

So, if only the one before the houses loved it.

If only he who is below the houses loved it,

[Unclear syntax: “and was; settled; what; away from you; my eye; its counterpart.”]

And would solve what has troubled me when I saw it.

وَلَو أَنَّ لَيلى بِالعِراقَينِ زِرتُها

وَلَو أَنَّ لَيلى بِالعِراقَينِ زِرتُها

وَلَو كُنتُ وَسطَ النارِ أَو في سَعيرُها

وَلَو كُنتُ وَسطَ النارِ أَو في سَعيرُها

And even if Layla were in the two Iraqs, I would visit her,

Even if I visited Layla in Iraq,

Even if I were amid the fire or in its blaze.

Or if I were amidst fire or its blaze,

وَلَكِنَني أَخشى الوُشاةَ يَنَخنَ بي

وَلَكِنَني أَخشى الوُشاةَ يَنَخنَ بي

وَتُظهِرُ أَسراراً خَشيتُ ظُهورَها

وَتُظهِرُ أَسراراً خَشيتُ ظُهورَها

But I fear the slanderers will descend upon me

But I fear the slanderers will malign me,

And reveal secrets whose disclosure I feared.

And reveal secrets I feared revealing.

وَإِنّي كَتومُ حُبِّها في ضَمائِري

وَإِنّي كَتومُ حُبِّها في ضَمائِري

فَيا لَيتَ حُبّي كامِنٌ في ضَميرِها

فَيا لَيتَ حُبّي كامِنٌ في ضَميرِها

And I keep my love for her hidden in my innermost thoughts.

Indeed I conceal my love for her in my conscience,

So, would that my love lay hidden in her heart!

If only my love was hidden in her conscience!

وَإِنِّيَ وَلهانٌ بِها وَمُتَيَّمٌ

وَإِنِّيَ وَلهانٌ بِها وَمُتَيَّمٌ

وَنيرانُ قَلبي في الفُؤادِ سَعيرُها

وَنيرانُ قَلبي في الفُؤادِ سَعيرُها

And I am distraught over her and enslaved by love.

I am infatuated with her and obsessed,

And the fires of my heart blaze within my heart.

And the fires of my heart blaze within me.

وَقَلبِيَ فيها مُستَهامٌ وَمُغرَمُ

وَقَلبِيَ فيها مُستَهامٌ وَمُغرَمُ

وَنَفسِيَ لا تَلقى بِذاكَ سُرورُها

وَنَفسِيَ لا تَلقى بِذاكَ سُرورُها

And my heart is lost in love for her and deeply enamored.

My heart is enthralled and smitten with love for her,

And my soul does not find its joy in that.

Yet my soul does not attain that joy with her.

إِذا جَنَّ لَيلي جُنَّ عَقلي بِذِكرِها

إِذا جَنَّ لَيلي جُنَّ عَقلي بِذِكرِها

وَعِندَ طُلوعِ الشَمسِ إِشراقُ نورُها

وَعِندَ طُلوعِ الشَمسِ إِشراقُ نورُها

When my night darkens, my mind is maddened by remembrance of her.

When my night comes, it drives my mind mad with thoughts of her,

And at sunrise, her light shines forth.

And at sunrise there is the shining of her light.

أُكابِدُ أَشواقاً وَأَذرِفُ أَدمُعاً

أُكابِدُ أَشواقاً وَأَذرِفُ أَدمُعاً

مِنَ العَينِ فَوقَ الخَدِّ بادٍ ظُهورُها

مِنَ العَينِ فَوقَ الخَدِّ بادٍ ظُهورُها

I endure longings and shed tears,

I suffer passions and shed tears

From the eye onto the cheek, where they plainly appear.

From my eyes above my cheeks flowing down.

وَإِنّي لَأَهواها وَأَهوى وِصالَها

وَإِنّي لَأَهواها وَأَهوى وِصالَها

وَلَكِنَني أَخشى الغَداةَ عَشيرُها

وَلَكِنَني أَخشى الغَداةَ عَشيرُها

And I do love her, and I desire union with her.

I do love her and love to be united with her,

But in the morning I fear her husband.

But I fear her tribe in the morning and evening.