أَيا شِبهَ لَيلى لا تُراعي فَإِنَّني

أَيا شِبهَ لَيلى لا تُراعي فَإِنَّني

لَكِ اليَومَ مِن بَينِ الوُحوشِ صَديقُ

لَكِ اليَومَ مِن بَينِ الوُحوشِ صَديقُ

O likeness of Layla, do not be afraid, for I

O likeness of Layla, do not shy away, for today

am your friend today among the wild beasts.

Among the beasts, I am your friend

وَيا شِبهَ لَيلى أَقصِرِ الخِطوَ إِنَّني

وَيا شِبهَ لَيلى أَقصِرِ الخِطوَ إِنَّني

بِقُربِكِ إِن ساعَفتِني لَخَليقُ

بِقُربِكِ إِن ساعَفتِني لَخَليقُ

And, O likeness of Layla, shorten your stride; I

And O likeness of Layla, shorten your steps, for if

am surely worthy of your nearness, if you oblige me.

You draw near me, I am fit

وَيا شِبهَ لَيلى رُدَّ قَلبي فَإِنَّهُ

وَيا شِبهَ لَيلى رُدَّ قَلبي فَإِنَّهُ

لَهُ خَفَقانٌ دائِمٌ وَبُروقُ

لَهُ خَفَقانٌ دائِمٌ وَبُروقُ

And, O likeness of Layla, return my heart, for it

And O likeness of Layla, give me back my heart, for it

has ceaseless throbbing and flashes of lightning.

Has a constant flutter and lightnings

وَيا شِبهَها أَذكَرتَ مَن لَيسَ ناسِياً

وَيا شِبهَها أَذكَرتَ مَن لَيسَ ناسِياً

وَأَشعَلتَ نيراناً لَهُنَّ حَريقُ

وَأَشعَلتَ نيراناً لَهُنَّ حَريقُ

And, O her likeness, you reminded one who has not forgotten,

And O her likeness, you recalled one not forgetful

and kindled fires that burn fiercely.

And ignited fires that have a raging blaze

وَيا شِبهَ لَيلى لَو تَلَبَّثتَ ساعَةً

وَيا شِبهَ لَيلى لَو تَلَبَّثتَ ساعَةً

لَعَلَّ فُؤادي مِن جَواهُ يُفيقُ

لَعَلَّ فُؤادي مِن جَواهُ يُفيقُ

And, O likeness of Layla, if only you lingered a while,

And O likeness of Layla, if you lingered an hour

perhaps my heart would recover from its anguish.

Perhaps my heart from its stupor would awaken

وَيا شِبهَ لَيلى لَن تَزالَ بِرَوضَةٍ

وَيا شِبهَ لَيلى لَن تَزالَ بِرَوضَةٍ

عَلَيكَ سَحابٌ دائِمٌ وَبُروقُ

عَلَيكَ سَحابٌ دائِمٌ وَبُروقُ

And, O likeness of Layla, you will always remain in a meadow,

And O likeness of Layla, you will remain in a garden

with unceasing clouds and lightning flashes above you.

Upon you a constant cloud and lightnings

فَما أَنا إِذ أَشبَهتُها ثُمَّ لَم تَؤُب

فَما أَنا إِذ أَشبَهتُها ثُمَّ لَم تَؤُب

سَليماً عَلَيها في الحَياةِ شَفيقُ

سَليماً عَلَيها في الحَياةِ شَفيقُ

For I—when I resembled her and you did not return

So how can I, when I resembled her but did not repent

unharmed—am not tender toward her in life.

To her in life, be safe and affectionate?

عُتِقتِ فَأَدّي شِكرَ لَيلى بِنِعمَةٍ

عُتِقتِ فَأَدّي شِكرَ لَيلى بِنِعمَةٍ

فَأَنتِ لِلَيلى إِن شَكَرتِ طَليقُ

فَأَنتِ لِلَيلى إِن شَكَرتِ طَليقُ

You have been freed; give Layla thanks for this kindness,

You are emancipated, so give thanks for Layla's blessing

for you are Layla's freed one, if you give thanks.

For if you give thanks, you are free towards Layla

فَعَيناكِ عَيناها وَجيدُكِ جيدُها

فَعَيناكِ عَيناها وَجيدُكِ جيدُها

سِوى أَنَّ عَظمَ الساقِ مِنكِ دَقيقُ

سِوى أَنَّ عَظمَ الساقِ مِنكِ دَقيقُ

For your eyes are her eyes, and your neck is her neck,

Your eyes are her eyes, your cheek her cheek

except that your shinbone is slender.

Except that your shinbone is delicate

وَكادَت بِلادُ اللَهِ يا أُمَّ مالِكٍ

وَكادَت بِلادُ اللَهِ يا أُمَّ مالِكٍ

بِما رَحُبَت مِنكُم عَلَيَّ تَضيقُ

بِما رَحُبَت مِنكُم عَلَيَّ تَضيقُ

And God's lands, O Umm Malik, nearly

And God's lands, O mother of Malik

closed in upon me because of you, despite their vastness.

Almost narrowed on me due to your breadth

يُذَكِّرُني لِلوَصلِ أَيّامَنا الأُلى

يُذَكِّرُني لِلوَصلِ أَيّامَنا الأُلى

مَرَرنَ عَلَينا وَالزَمانُ وَريقُ

مَرَرنَ عَلَينا وَالزَمانُ وَريقُ

It reminds me of our days of union, which

It reminds me of our first days of union

passed over us while time was in leaf.

That have passed upon us while time flows

أَرُدُّ سَواءَ الطَرفِ عَنكِ وَما لَهُ

أَرُدُّ سَواءَ الطَرفِ عَنكِ وَما لَهُ

عَلى أَحَدٍ إِلّا عَلَيكِ طَريقُ

عَلى أَحَدٍ إِلّا عَلَيكِ طَريقُ

I avert my gaze from you, though it has

I avert my gaze from you, and none has a right

no path to anyone but you.

Over anyone except you have a way

عَسى إِن حَجَجنا أَن نَرى أُمَّ مالِكٍ

عَسى إِن حَجَجنا أَن نَرى أُمَّ مالِكٍ

وَيَجمَعَنا بِالنَخلَتَينِ مَضيقُ

وَيَجمَعَنا بِالنَخلَتَينِ مَضيقُ

Perhaps, if we make the pilgrimage, we shall see Umm Malik,

Perhaps if we performed hajj, we may see Umm Mālik

and a narrow pass at al-Nakhlatayn will bring us together.

And the two palm trees bring us together in the strait

تَتوقُ إِلَيكِ النَفسُ ثُمَّ أَرُدُّها

تَتوقُ إِلَيكِ النَفسُ ثُمَّ أَرُدُّها

حَياءً وَمِثلي بِالحَياءِ حَقيقُ

حَياءً وَمِثلي بِالحَياءِ حَقيقُ

My soul yearns for you, then I restrain it

The soul yearns for you, then I restrain it

out of modesty—and modesty befits one like me.

Out of shyness, and the shy person has a right

وَلَو تَعلَمينَ الغَيبَ أَيقَنتِ أَنَّني

وَلَو تَعلَمينَ الغَيبَ أَيقَنتِ أَنَّني

وَرَبِّ الهَدايا المُشعِراتِ صَديقُ

وَرَبِّ الهَدايا المُشعِراتِ صَديقُ

And if you knew the unseen, you would be certain that I,

If you knew the unseen, you would be certain that I

by the Lord of the ritually marked sacrificial animals, am a true friend.

By the Lord of the scented gifts, am a loyal friend

سَلي هَل قَلاني مِن عَشيرٍ صَحِبتُهُ

سَلي هَل قَلاني مِن عَشيرٍ صَحِبتُهُ

وَهَل ذَمَّ رَحلي في الرِفاقِ رَفيقُ

وَهَل ذَمَّ رَحلي في الرِفاقِ رَفيقُ

Ask whether any close companion I kept company with has hated me,

Ask whether a tribe whose company I kept

and whether any fellow traveler in the company has found fault with my camp.

Or a journey whose companion I was slandered me