سَماعاً يا عِبادَ اللَّهِ مِنّي

سَماعاً يا عِبادَ اللَّهِ مِنّي

وَكُفّوا عَن مُلاحَظَةِ المَلاحِ

وَكُفّوا عَن مُلاحَظَةِ المَلاحِ

Hear me, O servants of God,

Listen, O servants of God, to me

And cease gazing at the beautiful ones.

And cease observing the sailor

فَإِنَّ الحُبَّ آخِرُهُ المَنايا

فَإِنَّ الحُبَّ آخِرُهُ المَنايا

وَأَوَّلُهُ يُهَيّجُ بِالمِزاحِ

وَأَوَّلُهُ يُهَيّجُ بِالمِزاحِ

For love's end is death,

For love's end is death

And its beginning is kindled by jest.

And its beginning stirs with jest

وَقالوا دَع مُراقَبَةَ الثُرَيّا

وَقالوا دَع مُراقَبَةَ الثُرَيّا

وَنَم فَاللَّيلُ مُسوَدُّ الجَناحِ

وَنَم فَاللَّيلُ مُسوَدُّ الجَناحِ

They said, 'Give up watching the Pleiades,

And they said, "Stop watching thePleiades

And sleep, for the night is black-winged.'

And sleep, for night has dark wings"

فَقُلتُ وَهَل أَفاقَ القَلبُ حَتّى

فَقُلتُ وَهَل أَفاقَ القَلبُ حَتّى

أَُفَرِّقَ بَينَ لَيلى وَالصَّباحِ

أَُفَرِّقَ بَينَ لَيلى وَالصَّباحِ

So I said, 'Has the heart regained its senses enough

So I said, "Can the heart awaken so

For me to distinguish Layla from the morning?'

I distinguish between Layla and dawn?"