ضوءlight الصباحْthe morning قدalready رفعlifted حجابواits veil
ضوء الصباحْ قد رفع حجابوا
وشَرَقْand shone نسيمُوits breeze علىover البطاحْthe plains
وشَرَقْ نسيمُو على البطاحْ
The morning light has lifted its veil,
The morning light has lifted its veil
and its breeze shone over the plains.
And its breeze has spread over the sands
وديرand a monastery ياO ليلىLayla ماhow أطيبdelightful شرابوits wine
ودير يا ليلى ما أطيب شرابو
إِذاwhen حضرْarrives سلطانْthe sultan الملاحْthe fair ones
إِذا حضرْ سلطانْ الملاحْ
And a monastery, Layla—how delightful its wine,
Come, O Layla, how sweet is its drink
when the sultan of the fair arrives!
When the sultan of sailors is present
ماhow أطيبْpleasant ياO ليلىLayla ذاكthat النسيمْthe breeze
ما أطيبْ يا ليلى ذاك النسيمْ
اللهGod يحيىmay give life to ذاكْthat الصباحْthe morning
الله يحيى ذاكْ الصباحْ
How pleasant, Layla, is that breeze!
How sweet, O Layla, is that breeze
May God give life to that morning!
May God keep that morning alive
أرىI see علىin keeping with عهدكِyour covenant القديمْancient
أرى على عهدكِ القديمْ
أكواساcups قدْalready مَزِجَتْwere mixed براحْwith wine
أكواسا قدْ مَزِجَتْ براحْ
I see, in keeping with your ancient covenant,
I see in your old covenant
cups already mixed with wine.
Cups that have been mixed with ease
حتىuntil إذاwhen تخلواyou are alone بالنديمْwith the drinking companion
حتى إذا تخلوا بالنديمْ
درهاpass it round عليَّاto me روحْrefresh براحwith wine
درها عليَّا روحْ براح
When at last you are alone with the drinking companion,
Until when alone with the companion
pass it round to me; refresh me with wine.
Serve in it to me, O breeze, gently
خذtake الفقيرْthe poor man واجمعْand gather ثيابُهhis clothes
خذ الفقيرْ واجمعْ ثيابُه
قدalready حلَّhas become lawful بيعهhis sale فيat الاصطباحْmorning wine-drinking
قد حلَّ بيعه في الاصطباحْ
Take the poor man and gather his clothes:
Take the poor man and gather his clothes
his sale is now lawful at the morning draught.
His sale has arrived in the morning
ومَنْand whoever عَتَبْreproaches دعوهleave him معwith عتابُهhis reproach
ومَنْ عَتَبْ دعوه مع عتابُه
أناI فقيرْa poor man بلاwithout سلاحْa weapon
أنا فقيرْ بلا سلاحْ
And whoever reproaches, leave him with his reproach.
And whoever blames, call him with his blame
I am a poor man without a weapon.
I am a poor man without a weapon
كمhow many لكِyou have ياO ليلىLayla منof المعانيthe meanings
كم لكِ يا ليلى من المعاني
لمِنْfor whoever عرفْknows معناكِyour meaning القديمancient
لمِنْ عرفْ معناكِ القديم
How many meanings you hold, Layla,
How many meanings, O Layla, you have
for whoever knows your ancient meaning!
For one who knows your old meaning
امليتِyou filled منfrom حسنكyour beauty الأوانيthe vessels
امليتِ من حسنك الأواني
وكلْand every عاشقlover فيكِin you يهيمْwanders in love
وكلْ عاشق فيكِ يهيمْ
You filled the vessels with your beauty,
I filled from your beauty the cups
and every lover wanders, lost in you.
And every lover in you wanders
أناI الذيthe one who قدalready عَمَّرْfilled جنانيmy heart
أنا الذي قد عَمَّرْ جناني
بليلىwith Layla والخمرْand wine والنديمand the drinking companion
بليلى والخمرْ والنديم
I am the one who has filled my heart
It is I who lived my gardens
with Layla, wine, and the drinking companion.
With Layla, wine, and the companion
يعجبنيdelights me خَمْرُكْyour wine علىwith حبابوits bubbles
يعجبني خَمْرُكْ على حبابو
إِذاwhen مُزْجit is mixed عندat الاصطباحْmorning wine-drinking
إِذا مُزْج عند الاصطباحْ
Your wine delights me with its bubbles,
Your wine pleases me in its vapor
when it is mixed at the morning draught.
When blended at dawn
نحكيهwe liken it للجوهرto the jewel العجيبوwondrous
نحكيه للجوهر العجيبو
إِذاwhen جُعِلit is placed فيaround أعناقْthe necks of الملاحْthe fair ones
إِذا جُعِل في أعناقْ الملاحْ
We liken it to the wondrous jewel,
We narrate it to the wondrous pearl
when placed around the necks of the fair.
When placed on the necks of sailors
ياO منwhoever يلمcensures خَمرةwine المحبةlove
يا من يلم خَمرة المحبة
قولواsay لوto him عنيon my behalf هِيَit حلالْlawful
قولوا لو عني هِيَ حلالْ
O you who censure the wine of love,
O you who gather the wine of love
tell him on my behalf: it is lawful.
Tell him, is it forbidden or lawful?
ياO منwhoever يريدwishes يسقيto be given drink منهاof it غبهa draught
يا من يريد يسقي منها غبه
خدواhis cheek يضعlet him place لأقدامat the feet of الرجالthe men
خدوا يضع لأقدام الرجال
O you who wish to be given a draught of it,
O you who wants to quench his thirst from it
let him place his cheek at the feet of the men.
Take, let him bow to the feet of men
راسيmy head حطيتهI laid it down لكلfor every شيبهgray-haired elder
راسي حطيته لكل شيبه
همواthey الماليmy wealth اسقونيgive me drink الزلالthe clear, sweet drink
هموا المالي اسقوني الزلال
My head—I have laid it before every gray-haired elder.
I have laid my head for every gray hair
They are my wealth; give me the clear, sweet draught.
They cared, serving me the fresh
وفيand in ديرهمtheir monastery حطتwere lowered الرقابْthe necks
وفي ديرهم حطت الرقابْ
وكلand everyone منwho لاقاهمmeets them رباحْprospers
وكل من لاقاهم رباحْ
And in their monastery, necks were bowed,
And in their monastery I laid my necks
and everyone who meets them prospers.
And all who met them profited
ومنand whoever عرفunderstands معنىthe meaning of ذاthis الخطابْdiscourse
ومن عرف معنى ذا الخطابْ
يبحْpermit شربُهhis drinking منهاof it الملاحْthe fair ones
يبحْ شربُه منها الملاحْ
And whoever understands the meaning of this discourse
And whoever understood this speech
is permitted by the fair ones to drink of it.
His drinking from it sailors quaff