أَلاOh لَيتَwould that لَيلىLayla أَطفَأَتquenched حَرَّthe heat of زَفرَةٍa sigh
أَلا لَيتَ لَيلى أَطفَأَت حَرَّ زَفرَةٍ
أُعالِجُهاI struggle with it لاnot أَستَطيعُI am able لَهاfor it رَدّاa turning back
أُعالِجُها لا أَستَطيعُ لَها رَدّا
Oh, would that Layla had quenched the heat of a sigh
I struggle with, unable to hold it back.
إِذاwhen الريحُthe wind مِنfrom نَحوِthe direction of الحِمىthe protected grounds نَسَمَتblows gently لَناto us
إِذا الريحُ مِن نَحوِ الحِمى نَسَمَت لَنا
وَجَدتُI find لِمَسراهاin its passage وَمَنسَمِهاand its breath بَرداcoolness
وَجَدتُ لِمَسراها وَمَنسَمِها بَردا
When the wind blows gently to us from the protected grounds,
I find coolness in its passage and its breath
عَلىupon كَبِدٍa liver قَدindeed كادَalmost يُبديreveals بِهاupon it الهَوىpassion
عَلى كَبِدٍ قَد كادَ يُبدي بِها الهَوى
نُدوباًscars وَبَعضُand some of القَومِthe people يَحسَبُنيthinks me جَلداsteadfast
نُدوباً وَبَعضُ القَومِ يَحسَبُني جَلدا
upon a liver where passion has all but revealed
scars—yet some people think me steadfast.
وَإِنّيand indeed I am يَمانِيُّturned toward Yemen الهَوىlove مُنجِدُbound for Najd النَوىjourneying
وَإِنّي يَمانِيُّ الهَوى مُنجِدُ النَوى
سَبيلانِtwo paths أَلقىI encounter مِنfrom خِلافِهِماtheir divergence جَهداhardship
سَبيلانِ أَلقى مِن خِلافِهِما جَهدا
And I am Yemenward in love, Najdward in my journey:
two paths whose divergence brings me hardship.
سَقىmay water اللَهُGod نَجداًNajd مِنwith رَبيعٍspring rain وَصَيِّفٍand summer rain
سَقى اللَهُ نَجداً مِن رَبيعٍ وَصَيِّفٍ
وَماذاand what يُرَجّىis hoped for مِنfrom رَبيعٍspring rain سَقىwatered نَجداNajd
وَماذا يُرَجّى مِن رَبيعٍ سَقى نَجدا
May God water Najd with spring and summer rain;
and what can be hoped for from spring rain that watered Najd?
بَلىyes إِنَّهُindeed it قَدindeed كانَwas لِلعَينِfor the eye قُرَّةًa delight
بَلى إِنَّهُ قَد كانَ لِلعَينِ قُرَّةً
وَلِلصَحبِand for the companions وَالرُكبانِand the riders مَنزِلَةًa lodging حَمداworthy of praise
وَلِلصَحبِ وَالرُكبانِ مَنزِلَةً حَمدا
Yes, it was indeed a delight to the eye,
and a praiseworthy lodging for companions and riders.
أَبىrefuses القَلبُthe heart أَنto يَنفَكَّcease عَنfrom ذِكرِrecalling نِسوَةٍwomen
أَبى القَلبُ أَن يَنفَكَّ عَن ذِكرِ نِسوَةٍ
رِقاقٍdelicate وَلَمand not يُخلَفنَthey were left شَوماًill-omened وَلاnor نُكداill-tempered
رِقاقٍ وَلَم يُخلَفنَ شَوماً وَلا نُكدا
The heart refuses to stop recalling women,
delicate, never left ill-omened or ill-tempered,
إِذاwhen رُحنَthey go out يَسحَبنَthey trail الذِيولَthe hems عَشِيَّةًat evening
إِذا رُحنَ يَسحَبنَ الذِيولَ عَشِيَّةً
وَيَقتُلنَand they slay بِالأَلحاظِwith glances أَنفُسَناour souls عَمداdeliberately
وَيَقتُلنَ بِالأَلحاظِ أَنفُسَنا عَمدا
when they go out at evening, trailing their hems,
and deliberately slay our souls with their glances.
مَشىwalked عَيطَلاتٌtall women رُجَّحٌheavy-hipped بِحُضورِهاin her presence
مَشى عَيطَلاتٌ رُجَّحٌ بِحُضورِها
رَوادِفُbuttocks وَعثاتٌsoft and full تَرُدُّhold back الخُطاthe steps رَداa holding back
رَوادِفُ وَعثاتٌ تَرُدُّ الخُطا رَدا
Tall, heavy-hipped women walked in her presence;
soft, full buttocks held their steps back.
وَتَهتَزُّand sways لَيلىLayla العامِريَّةُof the Amir tribe فَوقَهاabove them
وَتَهتَزُّ لَيلى العامِريَّةُ فَوقَها
وَلاثَتand she wrapped بِسِبِّin a fine cloth of القَزِّsilk ذاone with غُدُرٍbraids جَعداcurly
وَلاثَت بِسِبِّ القَزِّ ذا غُدُرٍ جَعدا
And Layla al-Amiriyya sways above them,
and she wrapped her curly, braided hair in fine silk.
إِذاwhen حَرَّكَstirs المِدريthe combing pin ضَفائِرَهاher braids العُلاthe lofty ones
إِذا حَرَّكَ المِدري ضَفائِرَها العُلا
مَجَجنَthey spray forth نَدىthe dew of الرَيحانِbasil وَالعَنبَرَand ambergris الوَرداrose-red
مَجَجنَ نَدى الرَيحانِ وَالعَنبَرَ الوَردا
When the combing pin stirs her lofty braids,
they spray forth the dew of basil and rose-red ambergris.
Sol 6.1