لَها صاحِبا فَقرٍ عَلَيها وَصادِعٌ

لَها صاحِبا فَقرٍ عَلَيها وَصادِعٌ

بِها البيدَ عادِيٌّ ضَحوكٌ مَناقِلُه

بِها البيدَ عادِيٌّ ضَحوكٌ مَناقِلُه

She has two companions in poverty upon her, and a path cleaving

It has an owner, poverty is incumbent upon it, and its sides

the wastes with her—ancient, its passages smiling.

Are travelled by the far-extending desert, the jokester transporting it,

تُريدُ مَعَ الحَجِّ وَاِبنِ لَيلى كِلاهُما

تُريدُ مَعَ الحَجِّ وَاِبنِ لَيلى كِلاهُما

لِصاحِبِهِ خَيرٌ تُرَجّى فَواضِلُه

لِصاحِبِهِ خَيرٌ تُرَجّى فَواضِلُه

She seeks the pilgrimage and Ibn Layla together; both

You want with the Hajj and Ibn Layla’s son – both

bring their companion good, with bounties to be hoped for:

Are best for its owner, its outstanding merits hoped for,

زِيارَةَ بَيتِ اللَهِ وَاِبنِ خَليفَةٍ

زِيارَةَ بَيتِ اللَهِ وَاِبنِ خَليفَةٍ

تَحَلَّبُ كَفّاهُ النَدى وَأَنامِلُه

تَحَلَّبُ كَفّاهُ النَدى وَأَنامِلُه

a visit to God's House and to a caliph's son,

Visiting Allah’s House and the son of the Caliph –

whose palms and fingertips drip with generosity.

Dew moistens its palms and its soft places,

وَكانَ بِمِصرَ اِثنانِ ما خافَ أَهلُها

وَكانَ بِمِصرَ اِثنانِ ما خافَ أَهلُها

عَدُوّاً وَلا جَدباً تُخافُ هَزايِلُه

عَدُوّاً وَلا جَدباً تُخافُ هَزايِلُه

And there were two in Egypt; its people did not fear

And there were two in Egypt whom its people did not fear

an enemy, nor drought with its dreaded wasting,

An enemy, nor a drought feared to diminish its plenty,

لَدُن جاوَرَ النيلَ اِبنُ لَيلى فَإِنَّهُ

لَدُن جاوَرَ النيلَ اِبنُ لَيلى فَإِنَّهُ

يَفيضُ عَلى أَيدي المَساكينِ نايِلُه

يَفيضُ عَلى أَيدي المَساكينِ نايِلُه

ever since Ibn Layla dwelt beside the Nile; for

Since he dwelt by the Nile, Ibn Layla’s son, for he

his bounty overflows into the hands of the poor.

Pours forth upon the hands of the poor its obtainment,

فَأَصبَحَ أَهلُ النيلِ قَد ساءَ ظَنُّهُم

فَأَصبَحَ أَهلُ النيلِ قَد ساءَ ظَنُّهُم

بِهِ وَاِطمَأَنَّت بَعدَ فَيضٍ سَواحِلُه

بِهِ وَاِطمَأَنَّت بَعدَ فَيضٍ سَواحِلُه

So the Nile's people have come to think ill

So the people of the Nile woke up with their opinion of him

of it, and its banks have grown still after flooding.

Evil, and after a torrent its banks were reassured,

أَرى الناسَ إِذ خَلّى اِبنُ لَيلى مَكانَهُ

أَرى الناسَ إِذ خَلّى اِبنُ لَيلى مَكانَهُ

يَطوفونَ لِلغَيثِ الَّذي ماتَ وابِلُه

يَطوفونَ لِلغَيثِ الَّذي ماتَ وابِلُه

I see the people, when Ibn Layla left his place,

I see the people, when Ibn Layla's son vacated his place,

circling in search of the rain whose downpour has died,

Circling around the rain whose clouds have died,

كَما طافَ أَيتامٌ بِأُمٍّ حَفِيَّةٍ

كَما طافَ أَيتامٌ بِأُمٍّ حَفِيَّةٍ

بِهِم وَأَبٍ قَد فارَقَتهُم شَمايِلُه

بِهِم وَأَبٍ قَد فارَقَتهُم شَمايِلُه

as orphans circled a mother tender

As orphans circle around a compassionate mother

toward them, and a father whose kindly ways have left them.

Who cares for them, when their father his features left them,

فَقُل لِليَتامى وَالأَرامِلِ وَالَّذي

فَقُل لِليَتامى وَالأَرامِلِ وَالَّذي

تُريدُ بِهِ أَرضَ اِبنِ لَيلى رَواحِلُه

تُريدُ بِهِ أَرضَ اِبنِ لَيلى رَواحِلُه

So tell the orphans, the widows, and the man

Say to the orphans, the widows and him

whose mounts seek Ibn Layla's land with him,

Whom you want for Ibn Layla’s land its meadows to roam,

يَؤُمُّ اِبنَ لَيلى خائِفاً مِن وَرائِهِ

يَؤُمُّ اِبنَ لَيلى خائِفاً مِن وَرائِهِ

وَيَأمُلُ مَن تُرجى لَدَيهِ نَوافِلُه

وَيَأمُلُ مَن تُرجى لَدَيهِ نَوافِلُه

who heads for Ibn Layla, fearful of what lies behind him,

They miss Ibn Layla fearfully from behind

and looks to one whose extra gifts are hoped for:

And hopes for the supererogations his presence allows,

فَإِنَّ لَهُم مِنهُ وَفاءَ رَهينَةٍ

فَإِنَّ لَهُم مِنهُ وَفاءَ رَهينَةٍ

بِأَخلاقِهِ الجُلّى تَفيضُ جَداوِلُه

بِأَخلاقِهِ الجُلّى تَفيضُ جَداوِلُه

for from him they have the fulfillment of a pledge,

For they have from him as a hostage of loyalty

through his exalted virtues; his streams overflow.

In his sublime traits pouring forth his streams,

أَغَرُّ نَمى الفاروقُ كَفَّيهِ لِلعُلى

أَغَرُّ نَمى الفاروقُ كَفَّيهِ لِلعُلى

وَآلُ أَبي العاصي طِوالٌ مَحامِلُه

وَآلُ أَبي العاصي طِوالٌ مَحامِلُه

Radiant—al-Faruq raised his hands toward glory,

Did Al-Farouq moisten his palms for the Most High

as did the house of Abu al-Asi; long are his sword-belts.

While the Extended House of Abu ‘l-‘Aas are its carriers?

أَرادَ اِبنَ عَشرٍ أَن يَنالَ الَّتي غَلَت

أَرادَ اِبنَ عَشرٍ أَن يَنالَ الَّتي غَلَت

عَلى الشيبِ مِن مَجدٍ تَسامى أَطاوِلُه

عَلى الشيبِ مِن مَجدٍ تَسامى أَطاوِلُه

At ten years old he sought what proved too costly

The son of ten wanted to attain that which covered

for the gray-haired: glory whose loftiest heights soared.

The hoary head with glory, its aspirations rising high;

فَوُرِّعَ تَوريعَ الجِيادِ عِنانُهُ

فَوُرِّعَ تَوريعَ الجِيادِ عِنانُهُ

فَما جاءَ حَتّى ساوَرَ الشَمسَ قايِلُه

فَما جاءَ حَتّى ساوَرَ الشَمسَ قايِلُه

So his rein was checked as noble steeds are checked,

So the steed of his endeavor was reined in,

and scarcely had he arrived when his praiser challenged the sun.

And he did not come until the evensong was its inquirer,

أَلَم تَرَ أَنَّ النيلَ نَضَّبَ ماؤُهُ

أَلَم تَرَ أَنَّ النيلَ نَضَّبَ ماؤُهُ

وَماتَ النَدى بَعدَ اِبنِ لَيلى وَفاعِلُه

وَماتَ النَدى بَعدَ اِبنِ لَيلى وَفاعِلُه

Have you not seen that the Nile's water has dried up,

Do you not see that the Nile, its water ran out,

and generosity died after Ibn Layla, and its giver too?

And dew died after Ibn Layla, its causer,

وَمُرتَهَنٍ بِالمَوتِ غالٍ فِداؤُهُ

وَمُرتَهَنٍ بِالمَوتِ غالٍ فِداؤُهُ

تُسَنِّيَ عَنهُ يا اِبنَ لَيلى سَلاسِلُه

تُسَنِّيَ عَنهُ يا اِبنَ لَيلى سَلاسِلُه

And many a captive held hostage to death, whose ransom was costly,

With death held ransom, the expensive his redemption,

had his chains lifted from him, O Ibn Layla.

Your chains upon him grow easy, O Ibn Layla,

وَما ضَمِنَت مِثلَ اِبنِ لَيلى ضَريحَةٌ

وَما ضَمِنَت مِثلَ اِبنِ لَيلى ضَريحَةٌ

وَما كانَ حَيٌّ وَهوَ حَيٌّ يُعادِلُه

وَما كانَ حَيٌّ وَهوَ حَيٌّ يُعادِلُه

And no tomb has ever held the like of Ibn Layla,

No tomb has guaranteed the like of Ibn Layla

and no living man equaled him while he lived.

And none alive equals him while he lived.