أَلا طَرَقَت لَيلى فَأَحزَنَ ذِكرُها

أَلا طَرَقَت لَيلى فَأَحزَنَ ذِكرُها

وَكَم قَد طَرانا طَيفُ لَيلى فَأَحزَنا

وَكَم قَد طَرانا طَيفُ لَيلى فَأَحزَنا

Ah, Layla visited by night, and her memory brought sorrow.

Has not Layla passed by and the memory of her saddened me?

And how often Layla's phantom has come upon us and brought sorrow.

And how often has the phantom of Layla passed by and saddened us!

وَمَن دونَها مِن قِلَّةِ العَبرِ مُخرَمٌ

وَمَن دونَها مِن قِلَّةِ العَبرِ مُخرَمٌ

يُشَبِّهُهُ الرائي حِصاناً مُوَطَّنا

يُشَبِّهُهُ الرائي حِصاناً مُوَطَّنا

And before her lies a mountain pass on al-ʿAbr's peak,

And whoever is with her has few tears

Which the beholder likens to a stallion settled in place.

That the onlooker likens to a saddled steed

وَمُعتَرَضٌ فَوقَ القُتودِ تَخالَهُ

وَمُعتَرَضٌ فَوقَ القُتودِ تَخالَهُ

مَتاعاً مُعَلّى أَو قَتيلاً مُكَفَّنا

مَتاعاً مُعَلّى أَو قَتيلاً مُكَفَّنا

And one lies across the saddle-frames—you would take him

Stopping above the camels thinking it

For baggage hoisted high, or a slain man wrapped in a shroud.

Laden merchandise or a shrouded corpse

جَلَوتُ الكَرى عَنهُ بِذِكرِكِ بَعدَما

جَلَوتُ الكَرى عَنهُ بِذِكرِكِ بَعدَما

دَنا اللَيلُ وَاِلتَجَّ الظَلامُ فَأَغدَنا

دَنا اللَيلُ وَاِلتَجَّ الظَلامُ فَأَغدَنا

I drove drowsiness from him by mentioning you, after

I forgot other matters for your sake after

Night had drawn near and darkness surged and grew pitch-black.

The night approached and darkness thickened and settled on us

أَلا عَلَّ لَيلى إِن تَشَكَّيتُ عِندَها

أَلا عَلَّ لَيلى إِن تَشَكَّيتُ عِندَها

تَباريحَ لَوعاتِ الهَوى أَن تَلَيَّنا

تَباريحَ لَوعاتِ الهَوى أَن تَلَيَّنا

Ah, perhaps Layla, if I complain to her

Lo, if only I complain to Layla, she may

Of the torments of love's burning pangs, will soften.

Relent from the sufferings of passion that afflicted us

عَلى أَنَّها خاسَت بِعَهدي وَحاذَرَت

عَلى أَنَّها خاسَت بِعَهدي وَحاذَرَت

عُيونَ الأَعادي وَالصَبيَّ المُلَحَّنا

عُيونَ الأَعادي وَالصَبيَّ المُلَحَّنا

Though she broke her pact with me and feared

Though she broke her vow to me and was wary

The eyes of enemies and the coached boy.

Of the eyes of enemies and the slanderous boy

أَعيبُ الَّتي أَهوى وَأُطري جَوارِياً

أَعيبُ الَّتي أَهوى وَأُطري جَوارِياً

يَرَينَ لَها فَضلاً عَلَيهُنَّ بَيِّنا

يَرَينَ لَها فَضلاً عَلَيهُنَّ بَيِّنا

I disparage the woman I love and lavish praise on maidens

I blame the one I love and desire my female companions

Who recognize her clear superiority over them.

To see her superiority over them is clear

بِرَغمي أُطيلُ الصَدَ عَنها إِذا بَدَت

بِرَغمي أُطيلُ الصَدَ عَنها إِذا بَدَت

أُحاذِرُ أَسماعاً عَلَينا وَأَعيُنا

أُحاذِرُ أَسماعاً عَلَينا وَأَعيُنا

Against my will, I keep shunning her when she appears;

Despite myself I refrain from her if she appears

I fear ears and eyes trained upon us.

I am wary of ears against us and eyes

فَقَد غَضِبَت أَن قُلتُ إِذ لَيسَ حاجَتي

فَقَد غَضِبَت أَن قُلتُ إِذ لَيسَ حاجَتي

إِلَيها وَقالَت لَم يُرِد أَن يُحِبَّنا

إِلَيها وَقالَت لَم يُرِد أَن يُحِبَّنا

For she grew angry because I then said, 'I have no need

For she was angry when I said since I had no need

Of her,' and said, 'He did not wish to love us.'

Of her, and she said he did not mean to love us

وَهَل كُنتُ إِلّا مُعمَداً قانِطَ الهَوى

وَهَل كُنتُ إِلّا مُعمَداً قانِطَ الهَوى

أَسَرَّ فَلَمّا قادَهُ الشَوقُ أَعلَنا

أَسَرَّ فَلَمّا قادَهُ الشَوقُ أَعلَنا

And was I anything but a stricken man, despairing of love,

Was I ever intentionally despairing of love

Who kept it secret, then, when longing led him, declared it openly?

Secretly, but when longing drove me I declared it

أَتاني هَواها قَبلَ أَن أَعرِفَ الهَوى

أَتاني هَواها قَبلَ أَن أَعرِفَ الهَوى

فَصادَفَ قَلباً خالِياً فَتَمَكَّنا

فَصادَفَ قَلباً خالِياً فَتَمَكَّنا

Love for her came to me before I knew love;

Her love came to me before I knew love

So it found a vacant heart and took firm hold.

And so it settled in an empty heart