وَكُنتُ إِذا ما جِئتُ لَيلى تَبَرقَعَت

وَكُنتُ إِذا ما جِئتُ لَيلى تَبَرقَعَت

لَقَد رابَني مِنها الغَداةَ سُفورُها

لَقَد رابَني مِنها الغَداةَ سُفورُها

And whenever I came to Layla, she would veil her face.

Whenever I came to Layla, she was veiled,

Her unveiling this morning indeed troubled me.

Her coldness in the morning distressed me,

وَأُشرِفُ بِالقورِ اليَفاعِ لَعَلَّني

وَأُشرِفُ بِالقورِ اليَفاعِ لَعَلَّني

أَرى نارَ لَيلى أَو يَراني بَصيرُها

أَرى نارَ لَيلى أَو يَراني بَصيرُها

And I look out from the lofty hills, hoping I may

I looked out over the sands, hoping,

See Layla’s fire, or be seen by her lookout.

To see the fire of Layla or her watcher might see me.

حَمامَةَ بَطنِ الوادِيَينِ تَرَنَّمي

حَمامَةَ بَطنِ الوادِيَينِ تَرَنَّمي

سَقاكِ مِنَ الغُرِّ العِذابِ مَطيرُها

سَقاكِ مِنَ الغُرِّ العِذابِ مَطيرُها

O dove in the hollow of the two valleys, sing!

The dove in the valley sings softly,

May the rain-bearing cloud among the bright, sweet-watered clouds give you drink.

May the rain from the clouds give you drink.

أَبيني لَنا لا زالَ ريشُكِ ناعِماً

أَبيني لَنا لا زالَ ريشُكِ ناعِماً

وَلا زِلتِ في خَضراءَ دانٍ بَريرُها

وَلا زِلتِ في خَضراءَ دانٍ بَريرُها

Speak plainly to us—may your feathers ever remain soft,

Show us, your feathers still soft,

And may you always dwell in a green arak tree, its berries within reach.

You remain amid the green thickets chirping.

تُغالِبُني نَفسي عَلى تَبَعِ الهَوى

تُغالِبُني نَفسي عَلى تَبَعِ الهَوى

وَقَد جاءَ نَفسي مِن هَواها نَذيرُها

وَقَد جاءَ نَفسي مِن هَواها نَذيرُها

My soul wrestles with me over following desire,

My soul conquers me, following its passion,

Though my soul has already received its warning from its desire.

And my soul comes to me, warning of its passion.

وَأَمرٌ يُرَجّي النَفسَ لَيسَ بِضائِرٍ

وَأَمرٌ يُرَجّي النَفسَ لَيسَ بِضائِرٍ

وَتَخشى عَلَيها ضَيرَةَ ما يَضيرُها

وَتَخشى عَلَيها ضَيرَةَ ما يَضيرُها

And a thing that gives the soul hope is not harmful,

A thing the soul hopes for is no misfortune,

And you fear for it the harm of what harms it.

Yet it fears the harm that might come to it.

وَقَد قُلتُ لِلنَفسِ اللَجوجِ نَصيحَةً

وَقَد قُلتُ لِلنَفسِ اللَجوجِ نَصيحَةً

مَقالَ شَفيقٍ لَو تَعيهِ ضَميرُها

مَقالَ شَفيقٍ لَو تَعيهِ ضَميرُها

And I have offered counsel to the obstinate soul,

And I have told my stubborn soul good advice,

The words of one who cares—if only its heart would heed them.

The words of a caring one, if it would but hear.

فَأَنبَأتُها أَنَّ الحَياةَ وَأَهلَها

فَأَنبَأتُها أَنَّ الحَياةَ وَأَهلَها

كَعارِيَةٍ أَوفى بِها مُستَعيرُها

كَعارِيَةٍ أَوفى بِها مُستَعيرُها

So I told it that life and its people

I informed it that life and its people

Are like a borrowed thing its borrower brings back

Are like a loan to be returned by the borrower.

إِلى أَهلِها إِنَّ العَوارِيَ حَقُّها

إِلى أَهلِها إِنَّ العَوارِيَ حَقُّها

أَداءٌ بِإِحسانٍ إِلى مَن يُعيرُها

أَداءٌ بِإِحسانٍ إِلى مَن يُعيرُها

To its owners; indeed, borrowed things must

To its people, loaned things must be returned

Be returned with good grace to whoever lends them.

With good grace by whom they were borrowed.

قِفا فَاِسأَلا يا صاحِبَيَّ حَمامَةً

قِفا فَاِسأَلا يا صاحِبَيَّ حَمامَةً

تُخَبِّرُنا عَن أَهلِها أَو نُطيرُها

تُخَبِّرُنا عَن أَهلِها أَو نُطيرُها

Halt, my two companions, then question a dove,

Stop, and ask the dove, o my friends,

That it may tell us of its people—or we shall send it flying.

To tell of its people, lest we startle it.

حَمامَةَ بَطنِ الوادِيَينِ تَرَنَّمي

حَمامَةَ بَطنِ الوادِيَينِ تَرَنَّمي

سَقاكِ مِنَ الغُرِّ الغَوادي مَطيرُها

سَقاكِ مِنَ الغُرِّ الغَوادي مَطيرُها

O dove in the hollow of the two valleys, sing!

The dove in the valley sings softly,

May the rain-bearing cloud among the bright morning clouds give you drink.

May the rain from the clouds give you drink.