غيرُ ليْلي لمْ يُرى في الحيِّ حيْ

غيرُ ليْلي لمْ يُرى في الحيِّ حيْ

سلْ متى ما ارتبت عنها كل شيْ

سلْ متى ما ارتبت عنها كل شيْ

No one alive was seen in the quarter but Layla.

None like Layla has been seen among the living,

Whenever you are in doubt, ask everything about her.

Ask when I was infatuated with her about everything.

كل شِي سرُها فيه سَرَى

كل شِي سرُها فيه سَرَى

فلذا يثنى عليها كل شيْ

فلذا يثنى عليها كل شيْ

Her secret has coursed through everything.

The secret of everything is its inner reality,

And so everything praises her.

Thus everything praises her.

قال مَن أشهدَ معنى حُسنها

قال مَن أشهدَ معنى حُسنها

إِنه منتشرُ والكل طيْ

إِنه منتشرُ والكل طيْ

He who was shown the meaning of her beauty said:

Whoever witnessed the meaning of her beauty,

Indeed, it is spread out, while all is folded.

Said it is widespread and everything is folded.

هي كالشمسِ تلالا نورها

هي كالشمسِ تلالا نورها

فمتى ما إِن ترُمةُ عاد فيْ

فمتى ما إِن ترُمةُ عاد فيْ

She is like the sun: her light gleams.

She is like the sun whose light spreads on the hills,

And whenever you seek it, it turns to shade.

So whenever gloom returns it disappears.

هيَ كالمرآة تُبدي صوراً

هيَ كالمرآة تُبدي صوراً

قابَلَتْها وبها ما حل شيءْ

قابَلَتْها وبها ما حل شيءْ

She is like a mirror, displaying forms

She is like a mirror that shows images,

that face her, yet nothing has dwelt within her.

Things faced it and through it nothing lingered.

هي مثلُ العين لا لون لها

هي مثلُ العين لا لون لها

وبها الألوانُ تُبدي كل زَيْ

وبها الألوانُ تُبدي كل زَيْ

She is like the eye: she has no color,

She is like the eye that has no color,

and through her, colors reveal every guise.

Yet through it all colors are shown.

والهدى فيها كما أشقى بها

والهدى فيها كما أشقى بها

ولها الحجة في كشف الغُطَيْ

ولها الحجة في كشف الغُطَيْ

In her is guidance, even as through her I suffer.

Guidance through her is like misguidance through her,

And hers is the proof in lifting the veil.

She has the argument in unveiling covers.

جورها عدل فاما عدلها

جورها عدل فاما عدلها

فهو فضلٌ فاستزد منه أخيْ

فهو فضلٌ فاستزد منه أخيْ

Her injustice is justice; but as for her justice,

Her tyranny is justice. As for her justice,

it is grace—so seek more of it, my brother.

It is grace, so take more of it my brother.

هِيْ في مربعها لا غيرُها

هِيْ في مربعها لا غيرُها

فلذا تُدْعى بلا شيء سُوَيْ

فلذا تُدْعى بلا شيء سُوَيْ

She is in her dwelling—no one but her.

She is unique in her domain, none other than her,

Thus she is invoked, with nothing else beside her.

Thus she is called “nothing but”.

عجباً تنأى ولا أيْن لها

عجباً تنأى ولا أيْن لها

ثم تَدْنُو وصْلُها ملْ يَديْ

ثم تَدْنُو وصْلُها ملْ يَديْ

How wondrous! She draws away, yet has no place.

A wonder, she keeps away yet has no where,

Then she draws near; union with her fills my hands.

Then comes close and her connection was not lost.

ولنا مِنْ وصلها جمعٌ ومِنْ

ولنا مِنْ وصلها جمعٌ ومِنْ

بُعْدِها فرقٌ هما حال إِليْ

بُعْدِها فرقٌ هما حال إِليْ

And for us, from union with her comes oneness, and from

Through her connection we have a group, and through

her distance, separation; both are states for me.

Her distance we have separation, that is my state.

فبحكم الجمع لا فرقَ لها

فبحكم الجمع لا فرقَ لها

وبحكم الفرقِ تلبيس عِليّ

وبحكم الفرقِ تلبيس عِليّ

So by the law of oneness, she has no separation;

By the ruling of the group, she has no separation,

and by the law of separation, confusion falls upon me.

And by the ruling of separation, there is confusion.

لَبْسُها ما أظهرتْ مِنْ لُبْسِها

لَبْسُها ما أظهرتْ مِنْ لُبْسِها

فلها في كل موجودٍ مُريْ

فلها في كل موجودٍ مُريْ

Her obscurity is what she has revealed of her attire;

Her garb is what she manifested of her garbing,

thus she has a visible form in every existing thing.

Thus she has a sign in every existent being.

أسْفرت يوماً لقيسٍ فانثنى

أسْفرت يوماً لقيسٍ فانثنى

قائلاً يا قومْ لم أحْبِبْ سويْ

قائلاً يا قومْ لم أحْبِبْ سويْ

One day she unveiled herself to Qays, and he turned,

One day she revealed herself to Qais and he recoiled,

saying, "O people, I have loved no other.

Saying, “O people, I loved none but her.”

أنا ليلى وهِيَ قيسٌ فاعجبوا

أنا ليلى وهِيَ قيسٌ فاعجبوا

كيْف مني كان مطلوبي إليّ

كيْف مني كان مطلوبي إليّ

I am Layla, and she is Qays—so marvel:

I am Layla and she is Qais, so be amazed,

How the one I sought was from me and unto me!"

How the one I sought was me!