يَقولونَ لَيلى بِالمَغيبِ أَمينَةٌ

يَقولونَ لَيلى بِالمَغيبِ أَمينَةٌ

وَإِنّي لَراعٍ سَرَّها وَأَمينُها

وَإِنّي لَراعٍ سَرَّها وَأَمينُها

They say Layla is faithful in absence,

They say Layla is faithful when absent

and I surely guard her secret and am her confidant.

And I'm the one guarding her secret, and her confidant

وَلِلنَفسِ ساعاتٌ تَهَشُّ لِذِكرِها

وَلِلنَفسِ ساعاتٌ تَهَشُّ لِذِكرِها

فَتَحيا وَساعاتٌ لَها تَستَكينُها

فَتَحيا وَساعاتٌ لَها تَستَكينُها

And the soul has hours when it thrills at her remembrance,

And the soul has moments when the memory of her revives it

so it comes alive, and hours when it submits to her.

Then it lives, and moments when it calms it

فَإِن تَكُ لَيلى اِستودَعَتني أَمانَةً

فَإِن تَكُ لَيلى اِستودَعَتني أَمانَةً

فَلا وَأَبي لَيلى إِذاً لا أَخونُها

فَلا وَأَبي لَيلى إِذاً لا أَخونُها

So if Layla has entrusted me with a trust,

If Layla has entrusted me with a trust

then no—by Layla's father—I will not betray her.

Then, by the life of Layla, I shall not betray her

أَأُرضي بِلَيلى الكاشِحينَ وَأَبتَغي

أَأُرضي بِلَيلى الكاشِحينَ وَأَبتَغي

كَرامَةَ أَعدائي بِها فَأُهينُها

كَرامَةَ أَعدائي بِها فَأُهينُها

Would I please the spiteful at Layla's expense, and seek

Shall I please those who slander Layla, and seek

my enemies' esteem through her, thus dishonoring her?

The generosity of my enemies through her and disgrace her?

وَقَد قيلَ نَصرانِيَّةٌ أُمُّ مالِك

وَقَد قيلَ نَصرانِيَّةٌ أُمُّ مالِك

فَقُلتُ ذَروني كُلُّ نَفسٍ وَدينُها

فَقُلتُ ذَروني كُلُّ نَفسٍ وَدينُها

And it has been said: Umm Malik is a Christian.

It has been said she is a Christian, Malik's mother

So I said: Leave me be; each soul has its faith.

So I said, leave every soul to its faith

فَإِن تَكُ نَصرانِيَّةٌ أُمُّ مالِك

فَإِن تَكُ نَصرانِيَّةٌ أُمُّ مالِك

فَقَد صُوِّرَت في صورَةٍ لا تَشينُها

فَقَد صُوِّرَت في صورَةٍ لا تَشينُها

So if Umm Malik is a Christian,

If she is a Christian, Malik's mother

she has indeed been fashioned in a form that does not disgrace her.

She is pictured in an image that does not disgrace her

مَعاذَةَ وَجهِ اللَهَ أَن أَشمِتَ العِدا

مَعاذَةَ وَجهِ اللَهَ أَن أَشمِتَ العِدا

بِلَيلى وَإِن لَم تَجزِني ما أَدينُها

بِلَيلى وَإِن لَم تَجزِني ما أَدينُها

I seek refuge in God's face from making foes gloat

God forbid that the enemies gloat over Layla

over Layla, even if she has not rewarded my devotion to her.

Even if she does not reward me for my faith in her

سَأَجعَلُ عِرضي جُنَّةً دونَ عِرضِها

سَأَجعَلُ عِرضي جُنَّةً دونَ عِرضِها

وَديني فَيَبقى عِرضُ لَيلى وَدينُها

وَديني فَيَبقى عِرضُ لَيلى وَدينُها

I will make my honor a shield to protect hers,

I will make my honor a shield around her honor

and my faith too, so that Layla's honor and faith endure.

And my faith, and Layla's honor and her faith will remain

وَقائِلَةٍ هَل يُحدِثُ الدَهرُ سُلوَةً

وَقائِلَةٍ هَل يُحدِثُ الدَهرُ سُلوَةً

فَقُلتُ بَلى هَذا فَقَد حانَ حينُها

فَقُلتُ بَلى هَذا فَقَد حانَ حينُها

And a woman asked: Does time bring solace?

A questioner asked: Can time bring ease?

So I said: Yes, this is so; its hour has indeed come.

I said: Yes, now is its time

صِلي الحَبلَ يَحمِل ما سَواهُ فَإِنَّما

صِلي الحَبلَ يَحمِل ما سَواهُ فَإِنَّما

يُغَظّي عَلى غَثِّ الأُمورِ سَمينُها

يُغَظّي عَلى غَثِّ الأُمورِ سَمينُها

Join the cord; it will bear all else, for only

Attach the rope that carries all else, for only

the fat of affairs covers over the lean.

Its thick will annoy you because of the meagreness of things

بَذَلتُ لِلَيلى النُصحَ حَتّى كَأَنَّني

بَذَلتُ لِلَيلى النُصحَ حَتّى كَأَنَّني

بِها غَيرَ إِشراكٍ بِرَبّي أَدينُها

بِها غَيرَ إِشراكٍ بِرَبّي أَدينُها

I gave Layla sincere devotion, until it was as though I

I advised Layla sincerely until it was as if

worshiped her—without associating partners with my Lord.

I, without sharing her Lord, was most religiously devoted to her

فَيا لَيتَ أَنّي كُلَّما غِبتُ لَيلَةً

فَيا لَيتَ أَنّي كُلَّما غِبتُ لَيلَةً

مِنَ الدَهرِ أَو يَوماً تَراني عُيونُها

مِنَ الدَهرِ أَو يَوماً تَراني عُيونُها

Oh, would that whenever I were away for a night

If only, whenever I was absent from her a night

in the course of time, or for a day, her eyes could see me,

Or a day, her eyes would see me

لِأُبرِئَ أَيماني إِذا ما لَقيتُها

لِأُبرِئَ أَيماني إِذا ما لَقيتُها

وَتَعلَمُ لَيلى أَنَّني لا أَخونُها

وَتَعلَمُ لَيلى أَنَّني لا أَخونُها

so I might vindicate my oaths when I met her,

To acquit my vows when I meet her

and Layla would know that I do not betray her.

And Layla would know that I do not betray her