إِذا بَعُدَت لَيلى وَشَطَّ مَزارُها

إِذا بَعُدَت لَيلى وَشَطَّ مَزارُها

فَلا نارَ إِلّا زَفرَتي وَاِستعارَها

فَلا نارَ إِلّا زَفرَتي وَاِستعارَها

When Layla is far away and the place to visit her is distant,

When Layla is far away and her dwellings are desolate,

Then there is no fire but my sigh and its blaze.

I have no fire but my sighs that kindle it.

وَمَن لِيَ أَن أُمسي وَأَرضي أَرضها

وَمَن لِيَ أَن أُمسي وَأَرضي أَرضها

عِناداً لِواشينا وَداري دارها

عِناداً لِواشينا وَداري دارها

And who will grant me an evening when my land is hers,

Who can make me spend nights and be pleased with her land,

In defiance of our slanderer, and my home her home?

Stubbornly staying in our dwellings and her house?

وَيا لَيتَ لا جاوَزتُ أَرضاً تَحِلُّها

وَيا لَيتَ لا جاوَزتُ أَرضاً تَحِلُّها

فَأَحظى بِما يَحظى مِنَ القُربِ جارها

فَأَحظى بِما يَحظى مِنَ القُربِ جارها

And oh, would that I never left a land where she dwells,

Would that I had never crossed the land where she lived,

So I might enjoy the nearness her neighbor enjoys.

So I might enjoy the nearness of being her neighbor!

أُشَبِّهُها بِالبَدر وَالغُصنِ تارَةً

أُشَبِّهُها بِالبَدر وَالغُصنِ تارَةً

وَما هِيَ إِلّا ظَبيَةٌ وَنِفارُها

وَما هِيَ إِلّا ظَبيَةٌ وَنِفارُها

At times I liken her to the full moon and a bough,

I compare her with the full moon and the swaying branch at times,

Yet she is only a gazelle, with its skittishness.

Yet she is but a gazelle and the sound of her bells.

وَلَو أَنَّ ناراً بِالمُحَصَّبِ أَو قدَت

وَلَو أَنَّ ناراً بِالمُحَصَّبِ أَو قدَت

وَلَيلى بِنَجدٍ قُلتُ هاتيكَ دارُها

وَلَيلى بِنَجدٍ قُلتُ هاتيكَ دارُها

Even if a fire were kindled at al-Muhassab,

If there were a fire on Muḥaṣṣab or one lit at Najd,

With Layla in Najd, I would say, 'That is her home.'

I would say that is where her house lies.

وَكَيفَ تَضيقُ النَفسُ مِن خَمرة الهَوى

وَكَيفَ تَضيقُ النَفسُ مِن خَمرة الهَوى

وَأَنتِ حُمَيّاها وَمِنكِ خِمارُها

وَأَنتِ حُمَيّاها وَمِنكِ خِمارُها

And how can the soul be troubled by the wine of love,

How can the soul feel narrow with the wine of love,

When you are its intoxicating strength, and its hangover comes from you?

While you are its ferment and from you is its cupbearer?

أَيا لَيل قَد أَتلَفت نَفسي تَرَفَّقي

أَيا لَيل قَد أَتلَفت نَفسي تَرَفَّقي

عَلى أَنَّ قَتلَ النَفسِ فيكَ اِفتِخارُها

عَلى أَنَّ قَتلَ النَفسِ فيكَ اِفتِخارُها

O Layla, you have destroyed my soul; be gentle,

O night that has destroyed my soul, show some tenderness

Though being slain for your sake is the soul's pride.

Since killing the soul in you is its pride.

أَلا لا أَراني اللَهُ يا لَيلُ ذا حَشى

أَلا لا أَراني اللَهُ يا لَيلُ ذا حَشى

يَقِرُّ مِنَ البَلوى عَلَيكِ قَرارها

يَقِرُّ مِنَ البَلوى عَلَيكِ قَرارها

Ah, may God never show me, O Layla, one whose heart

May God not let me see a night, O night, with an evening meal,

Finds rest from affliction over you.

Settled from troubles upon you.