ذَكَرتُ عَشِيَّةَ الصَدَفَينِ لَيلى

ذَكَرتُ عَشِيَّةَ الصَدَفَينِ لَيلى

وَكُلَّ الدَهرِ ذِكراها جَديدُ

وَكُلَّ الدَهرِ ذِكراها جَديدُ

I remembered Layla one evening at al-Sadafayn;

I recalled Layla in the evening of the two seashells

And through all time, the memory of her is fresh.

And my remembrance of her is ever renewed

إِذا حالَ الغُرابُ الجَونُ دوني

إِذا حالَ الغُرابُ الجَونُ دوني

فَمُنقَلَبي إِلى لَيلى بَعيدُ

فَمُنقَلَبي إِلى لَيلى بَعيدُ

When the black raven bars my way,

When the crow comes between us

Then my return to Layla is far off.

My heart turns back to the distant Layla

عَلَيَّ أَلِيَّةٌ إِن كُنتُ أَدري

عَلَيَّ أَلِيَّةٌ إِن كُنتُ أَدري

أَيَنقُصُ حُبُّ لَيلى أَم يَزيدُ

أَيَنقُصُ حُبُّ لَيلى أَم يَزيدُ

I swear I do not know

I have a problem, if I but knew

Whether my love for Layla diminishes or grows.

Does my love for Layla decrease or increase?

لَها في طَرفِها لَحَظاتُ حَتفٍ

لَها في طَرفِها لَحَظاتُ حَتفٍ

تُميتُ بِها وَتُحيِي مَن تُريدُ

تُميتُ بِها وَتُحيِي مَن تُريدُ

In her gaze she has glances of death;

In her glance she has deadly flashes

With them she kills and revives whomever she wishes.

With which she kills and revives whom she wills

وَإِن غَضِبَت رَأَيتَ الناسَ هَلكى

وَإِن غَضِبَت رَأَيتَ الناسَ هَلكى

وَإِن رَضِيَت فَأَرواحٌ تَعودُ

وَإِن رَضِيَت فَأَرواحٌ تَعودُ

And if she is angry, you see people dead;

And if she gets angry you see people destroyed

And if she is pleased, then souls return.

And if she is pleased, spirits return

فَقُلنَ لَقَد بَكَيتَ فَقُلتُ كَلّا

فَقُلنَ لَقَد بَكَيتَ فَقُلتُ كَلّا

وَهَل يَبكي مِنَ الطَرَبِ الجَليدُ

وَهَل يَبكي مِنَ الطَرَبِ الجَليدُ

Then they said: You have indeed wept. I said: No!

They said you cried, but I said no

And does a steadfast man weep from emotion?

Does solid ice cry from joy?

وَلَكِن قَد أَصابَ سَوادَ عَيني

وَلَكِن قَد أَصابَ سَوادَ عَيني

عُوَيدُ قَذىً لَهُ طَرفٌ حَديدُ

عُوَيدُ قَذىً لَهُ طَرفٌ حَديدُ

But the black of my eye has been struck

But the blackness of my eyes was struck

By a tiny splinter of debris with a sharp tip.

By a mote that has a sharp point

فَقُلنَ فَما لِدَمعِهِما سَواءٌ

فَقُلنَ فَما لِدَمعِهِما سَواءٌ

أَكِلتا مُقلَتَيكَ أَصابَ عودُ

أَكِلتا مُقلَتَيكَ أَصابَ عودُ

Then they said: Why are the tears of both alike?

They said: Do their tears flow equally?

Did a splinter strike both your eyes?

Have they consumed your eyelids or hit a tent peg?