1. سباك الجيد والقدّ

    وتلك العين والخدّ

    Her neck and figure captivated you,

    And that eye and cheek,

  2. وذاك الخصر والردف

    وذاك الصدر والنهد

    And that waist and rump,

    And that chest and breast,

  3. وهاتيك الحواجب والجبي

    ن وشعرها الجعد

    And those eyebrows and that forehead,

    And her curly hair,

  4. ومبسمها بما فيه

    فأين الخمر والورد

    And her smiling mouth, with all it holds—

    What are wine and roses by comparison?

  5. وأين الفيد من لي

    لاك والآرام والمرد

    And how do the fair maidens compare with your Layla—

    And the gazelles and the beardless youths?

  6. وأين الشمس والبدر

    وأين الطير والرند

    And how do the sun and full moon compare?

    And the birds and the bay laurel?

  7. سبتك وكم وكم من

    شاعر أودى به الوجد

    She captivated you—and how many, how very many

    Poets have been destroyed by passion!

  8. سبتك وأسرفت بدلالها

    والأهل كم ودوا

    She captivated you and went to excess in her coquetry;

    And how much the family longed!

  9. سبتك بحسنها والحب

    قتال ولا حدّ

    She captivated you with her beauty, and love

    Is a killer, yet goes unpunished.

  10. سبتك بحسنها لتروح

    مجذوبا ولا تغدو

    She captivated you with her beauty, so you go at dusk,

    Entranced, and do not go at dawn.

  11. سبتك بحسنها والحب

    فيه الصاب والشهد

    She captivated you with her beauty, and love

    Contains bitter sap and honey.

  12. فجد قبله مزح

    ومزح بعده الجدّ

    Earnestness, then, with jest before it,

    And jest followed by earnestness;

  13. وبعد قبله قرب

    وقرب بعده البعد

    And distance, with closeness before it,

    And closeness followed by distance.

  14. فأصبحت بها كلفاً

    قليل الصبر يا فهد

    So you became besotted with her,

    Short of patience, O Fahd.

  15. وأضناك الشجى المرّ

    بتهيامك والصدّ

    And bitter grief wore you down,

    Through your love-madness and rejection;

  16. وأرمض روحك الشوق

    وليس من النوى بدّ

    And longing scorched your soul,

    And there is no escape from separation.

  17. فلم تشغلك خولة لا

    ولا هند ولا دعد

    So Khawla did not distract you—no,

    Nor Hind, nor Da'd.

  18. وحظّك من هواها الغمّ

    والتبريح والسهد

    And your share of loving her is grief,

    And torment and sleeplessness.

  19. فلا رفق ولا عطف

    ولا عهد ولا وعد

    No gentleness, then, and no affection,

    No pledge and no promise.

  20. ألم يأن لها أن

    ترحم المجنون أم بعد

    Is it not time for her to

    Pity the madman—or not yet?

  21. لك اللَه إذا سرت الصبا

    أو لعلع الرعد

    God help you when the east breeze blows,

    Or the thunder peals,

  22. وناديت بروحي أنت

    يا ليلى ويا نجد

    And you call, 'My soul be your ransom,

    O Layla, O Najd!'

  23. وأبكيت ابنة الدوح

    بشكواك وما يبدو

    And make the grove's daughter weep,

    With your lament and what shows forth;

  24. وأقعدك اضطربا

    النفس في الظلماء والجهد

    And you are laid low by the turmoil

    Of the soul in darkness, and by exhaustion.

  25. كأنّك قلب هاتيك القط

    اة وقد نأى الورد

    As though you were the heart of that sandgrouse,

    With the watering place now far away.

  26. فهل لامك في حبّك

    إلّا ذلك الوغد

    Has anyone, then, blamed you for your love

    Except that scoundrel?

  27. فدع عنك القنوط فك

    ل جزر بعده مدّ

    So cast despair aside, for every

    Ebb is followed by a rising tide.

  28. أخي حسن لي العذر

    إذا ما قصّر الردّ

    My brother Hasan, pardon me

    If my reply falls short.

  29. فقد كفّنت قيثاري

    وكأسي مذ كبا الجدّ

    For I have shrouded my lyre

    And my cup, since fortune stumbled.

  30. فلا الصهباء صهباء

    ولا الأوتار إذ تشدو

    So the tawny wine is no longer wine,

    Nor are the strings strings when they sing.

  31. فأفق النفس مربد

    ووجه العيش مسود

    For the soul's horizon is overcast,

    And life's face is blackened.

  32. أيشقى الليث والهفى

    عليه ويسعد القرد

    Must the lion suffer—alas

    For him!—while the monkey prospers?

  33. ولا أطوي الدياجي

    صارخا إنّي إذن عبد

    And shall I not pass through the dark nights,

    Crying, 'Then I am a slave'?

  34. فلا المدفع بالمجدي

    إذا لم يصدق الجند

    For the cannon is of no use

    If the soldiers do not prove steadfast.

  35. ولا الجيش بزحّاف

    إذا ما اطرق البند

    Nor can the army advance

    When the banner hangs its head.

  36. ولا بالبيض والعسل المصف

    ى يدرك المجد

    Nor through eggs and purified honey

    Is glory attained.

  37. فيا أرض خذيني واب

    لع العسكر يا لحد

    So, O earth, take me, and swallow

    Al-Askar, O grave!

  38. أخي حسن لي العذر

    إذا ما اضطرب الردّ

    My brother Hasan, pardon me

    If my reply is disordered.

  39. فقد أهديتني عقدا

    نفيسا دونه العقد

    For you have given me a necklace,

    A precious one, finer than any necklace.

  40. فشكراً والسلام عليكَ

    واشدُ فخدنك السعدُ

    So thank you, and peace be upon you;

    And sing, for good fortune is your companion.