أَلا لا أَرى وادي المِياهِ يُثيبُ

أَلا لا أَرى وادي المِياهِ يُثيبُ

وَلا النَفسُ عَن وادي المِياهِ تَطيبُ

وَلا النَفسُ عَن وادي المِياهِ تَطيبُ

Alas, I never see Wadi al-Miyah return,

Ah, I do not see Wadi al-Miyah give recompense,

nor can the soul find contentment away from Wadi al-Miyah.

nor is my soul content to turn away from Wadi al-Miyah.

أُحِبُّ هُبوطَ الوادِيَينِ وَإِنَّني

أُحِبُّ هُبوطَ الوادِيَينِ وَإِنَّني

لَمُشتَهِرٌ بِالوادِيَينِ غَريبُ

لَمُشتَهِرٌ بِالوادِيَينِ غَريبُ

I love descending into the two valleys, though I am

I love descending into the two valleys, though I

well known in both valleys, yet a stranger.

am indeed well known in both valleys—a stranger.

أَحَقّاً عِبادَ اللَهِ أَن لَستُ وارِداً

أَحَقّاً عِبادَ اللَهِ أَن لَستُ وارِداً

وَلا صادِراً إِلّا عَلَيَّ رَقيبُ

وَلا صادِراً إِلّا عَلَيَّ رَقيبُ

Is it true, servants of God, that I may neither arrive

Is it true, servants of God, that I neither arrive

nor depart without a watcher over me;

nor depart without a watcher over me,

وَلا زائِراً فَرداً وَلا في جَماعَةٍ

وَلا زائِراً فَرداً وَلا في جَماعَةٍ

مِنَ الناسِ إِلّا قيلَ أَنتَ مُريبُ

مِنَ الناسِ إِلّا قيلَ أَنتَ مُريبُ

nor visit alone, nor in company,

nor visit alone or with a company

without people saying, “You are suspect”?

of people without being told, 'You are suspect'?

أَلا في سَبيلِ الحُبِّ ما قَد لَقيتُهُ

أَلا في سَبيلِ الحُبِّ ما قَد لَقيتُهُ

غَراماً بِهِ أَحيا وَمِنهُ أَذوبُ

غَراماً بِهِ أَحيا وَمِنهُ أَذوبُ

Ah, what I have suffered in the path of love—

Ah, all that I have endured has been for love—

a consuming passion by which I live and from which I melt away.

a passion through which I live and from which I melt.

أَلا في سَبيلِ اللَهِ قَلبٌ مُعَذَّبٌ

أَلا في سَبيلِ اللَهِ قَلبٌ مُعَذَّبٌ

فَذِكرُكِ يا لَيلى الغَداةَ طَروبُ

فَذِكرُكِ يا لَيلى الغَداةَ طَروبُ

Ah, for God’s sake—a tormented heart

Ah, for God's sake, a tormented heart!

that remembers you, Layla, at dawn and thrills with joy.

For remembering you, Layla, at dawn brings rapture.

أَيا حُبَّ لَيلى لا تُبارِح مُهجَتي

أَيا حُبَّ لَيلى لا تُبارِح مُهجَتي

فَفي حُبِّها بَعدَ المَماتِ قَريبُ

فَفي حُبِّها بَعدَ المَماتِ قَريبُ

O love of Layla, never leave my soul;

O love of Layla, do not leave my heart,

for in loving her, even what lies beyond death is near.

for in loving her I remain near her, even after death.

أَقامَ بِقَلبي مِن هَوايَ صَبابَةً

أَقامَ بِقَلبي مِن هَوايَ صَبابَةً

وَبَينَ ضُلوعي وَالفُؤادِ وَجيبُ

وَبَينَ ضُلوعي وَالفُؤادِ وَجيبُ

An ardent longing born of passion for her has settled in my heart,

It has lodged in my heart a yearning born of my passion,

and between my ribs and heart there is a throbbing.

and between my ribs and my heart there is a throbbing.

فَلَو أَنَّ ما بي بِالحَصا فُلِقَ الحَصا

فَلَو أَنَّ ما بي بِالحَصا فُلِقَ الحَصا

وَبِالريحِ لَم يُسمَع لَهُنَّ هُبوبُ

وَبِالريحِ لَم يُسمَع لَهُنَّ هُبوبُ

If what afflicts me dwelt in pebbles, it would split the pebbles;

So if what is in me were in the pebbles, the pebbles would split,

and were it in the winds, no gust of theirs would be heard.

and were it in the winds, no gust of theirs would be heard.

وَلَو أَنَّ أَنفاسي أَصابَت بِحَرِّها

وَلَو أَنَّ أَنفاسي أَصابَت بِحَرِّها

حَديداً لَكانَت لِلحَديدِ تُذيبُ

حَديداً لَكانَت لِلحَديدِ تُذيبُ

And if my breaths, in their heat, struck

And if my breaths, with their heat, struck

iron, they would melt the iron.

iron, they would surely melt the iron.

وَلَو أَنَّني أَستَغفِرُ اللَهَ كُلَّما

وَلَو أَنَّني أَستَغفِرُ اللَهَ كُلَّما

ذَكَرتُكِ لَم تُكتَب عَلَيَّ ذُنوبُ

ذَكَرتُكِ لَم تُكتَب عَلَيَّ ذُنوبُ

And if I asked God’s forgiveness whenever

And if I asked God's forgiveness whenever

I remembered you, no sins would be recorded against me.

I remembered you, no sins would be recorded against me.

وَلَو أَنَّ لَيلى في العِراقِ لَزُرتُها

وَلَو أَنَّ لَيلى في العِراقِ لَزُرتُها

وَلَو كانَ خَلفَ الشَمسِ حينَ تَغيبُ

وَلَو كانَ خَلفَ الشَمسِ حينَ تَغيبُ

If Layla were in Iraq, I would surely visit her,

And if Layla were in Iraq, I would surely visit her,

even were she beyond the sun as it sets.

even if it lay beyond the sun when it sets.

أُحِبُّكِ يا لَيلى غَراماً وَعَشقَةً

أُحِبُّكِ يا لَيلى غَراماً وَعَشقَةً

وَلَيسَ أَتاني في الوِصالِ نَصيبُ

وَلَيسَ أَتاني في الوِصالِ نَصيبُ

I love you, Layla, with passion and adoration,

I love you, Layla, with consuming passion and ardent love,

though no share of union has come to me.

yet no share of union has come to me.

أُحِبُّكِ حُبّاً قَد تَمَكَّنَ في الحَشا

أُحِبُّكِ حُبّاً قَد تَمَكَّنَ في الحَشا

لَهو بَينَ جِلدي وَالعِظامِ دَبيبُ

لَهو بَينَ جِلدي وَالعِظامِ دَبيبُ

I love you with a love that has taken firm root in my innermost heart;

I love you with a love that has taken firm hold deep within me;

it creeps between my skin and bones.

indeed, it creeps between my skin and bones.

أُحِبُّكِ يا لَيلى مَحَبَّةَ عاشِقٍ

أُحِبُّكِ يا لَيلى مَحَبَّةَ عاشِقٍ

أَهاجَ الهَوى في القَلبِ مِنهُ لَهيبُ

أَهاجَ الهَوى في القَلبِ مِنهُ لَهيبُ

I love you, Layla, with a lover’s love—

I love you, Layla, with a lover's love,

desire has kindled from it a blaze within my heart.

whose flame has stirred passion in the heart.

أُحِبُّكِ حَتّى يَبعَثَ اللَهُ خَلقَهُ

أُحِبُّكِ حَتّى يَبعَثَ اللَهُ خَلقَهُ

وَلي مِنكِ في يَومِ الحِسابِ حَسيبُ

وَلي مِنكِ في يَومِ الحِسابِ حَسيبُ

I shall love you until God resurrects His creation,

I love you until God resurrects His creation,

and on the Day of Reckoning I shall have one to call you to account for me.

and on the Day of Reckoning, I have one who will reckon with you.

سَقى اللَهُ أَرضاً أَهلُ لَيلى تَحُلُّها

سَقى اللَهُ أَرضاً أَهلُ لَيلى تَحُلُّها

وَجادَ عَلَيها الغَيثُ وَهوَ سَكوبُ

وَجادَ عَلَيها الغَيثُ وَهوَ سَكوبُ

May God water a land inhabited by Layla’s people,

May God water a land where Layla's people dwell,

and may the rain pour generously upon it, streaming,

and may the rain shower it generously, pouring down,

لِيَخضَرَّ مَرعاها وَيُخصِبَ أَهلَها

لِيَخضَرَّ مَرعاها وَيُخصِبَ أَهلَها

وَيَنمي بِها ذاكَ المَحَلِّ خَصيبُ

وَيَنمي بِها ذاكَ المَحَلِّ خَصيبُ

so that its pasture grows green and its people prosper,

so that its pasture grows green and its people prosper,

and that place within it flourishes, lush and fertile.

and may fertile growth flourish there in that place.