كَأَنَّما طَرَقَت لَيلى مُعَهَّدةً

كَأَنَّما طَرَقَت لَيلى مُعَهَّدةً

مِنَ الرِياضِ وَلاها عارِضٌ تَرِعُ

مِنَ الرِياضِ وَلاها عارِضٌ تَرِعُ

When Layla came by night, she seemed a rain-nurtured meadow,

As if Layla had come from the meadows at night,

From among the meadows, tended by a brimming rain-cloud.

Allured by a fine specter not giving or taking.

طافَت بِها ذاتُ أَلوانٍ مُشَبَّهة

طافَت بِها ذاتُ أَلوانٍ مُشَبَّهة

ذَريعَة الجِنِّ لا تُعطي وَلا تَدَعُ

ذَريعَة الجِنِّ لا تُعطي وَلا تَدَعُ

Around it circled a many-colored, indistinct form,

About her hovered a shape of changing hues,

An instrument of the jinn, neither giving nor letting be.

A genie's pretext, neither granting nor forbidding.

وَالخائِعُ الجَونُ آتٍ عَن شَمائِلِهِم

وَالخائِعُ الجَونُ آتٍ عَن شَمائِلِهِم

وَنائِعُ النَعفِ عَن أَيمانِهِم يَفَعُ

وَنائِعُ النَعفِ عَن أَيمانِهِم يَفَعُ

And dark al-Khāʾiʿ approaches from their left,

The humble, slender one brings her attributes,

And Nāʾiʿ al-Naʿf stands high on their right.

The delicate branches tell of her right hand.

فَما أَرَدنا بِها من خُلَّةٍ بَدَلاً

فَما أَرَدنا بِها من خُلَّةٍ بَدَلاً

وَلا بِها رَقَصَ الواشينَ نَستَمِعُ

وَلا بِها رَقَصَ الواشينَ نَستَمِعُ

So we sought no other beloved in her stead,

We wanted no toy from her as replacement,

Nor, concerning her, did we heed the slanderers' dance.

Nor with her did the spies dance, and we listen.

سَلَّ الهَوى وَلباناتُ الفُؤادِ بِها

سَلَّ الهَوى وَلباناتُ الفُؤادِ بِها

وَالقَلبُ شاكي الهَوى مِن حُبِّها شَكِعُ

وَالقَلبُ شاكي الهَوى مِن حُبِّها شَكِعُ

Passion and my heart's longings for her have wasted me,

Passion begged us, as did the heart's sensations,

And my heart suffers from passion, distraught with love for her.

The heart complained of passion's love to her.

كَأَنَّهُم يَومَ ذي الغرّاءِ حينَ غَدَت

كَأَنَّهُم يَومَ ذي الغرّاءِ حينَ غَدَت

نُكباً جِمالُهُمُ لِلبَينِ فَاِندَفَعوا

نُكباً جِمالُهُمُ لِلبَينِ فَاِندَفَعوا

It was as though, that day at Dhū al-Gharrāʾ, when at dawn

As though on the day the war-steeds were outfitted,

Their camels turned aside toward parting and they hurried away,

Their beauty stumbled for the far destroyers.

لَم يُصبِحِ القَومُ جيراناً فَكُلُّ نَوى

لَم يُصبِحِ القَومُ جيراناً فَكُلُّ نَوى

بِالناسِ لا صَدعَ فيها سَوفَ تَنصدِعُ

بِالناسِ لا صَدعَ فيها سَوفَ تَنصدِعُ

The folk had never been neighbors; for every dwelling

The tribe did not farewell us as neighbors; each vowed

Among people, though unbroken now, will one day split apart.

With the people no crevice in it will crack.