أَمِن آلِ لَيلى الطارِقُ المُتَأَوِّبُ

أَمِن آلِ لَيلى الطارِقُ المُتَأَوِّبُ

وَقَد سَبَقَ النسرَ السِماكُ المصَوِّبُ

وَقَد سَبَقَ النسرَ السِماكُ المصَوِّبُ

Is the returning night-visitor from Layla's people,

Is it from Layla's family the night visitor who wanders,

when the descending Simak has already preceded the Eagle?

And the accurate arrow preceded the eagle aiming right,

سَرَت مِن قُرى الغَرّاءِ حَتّى اِهتَدَت لَنا

سَرَت مِن قُرى الغَرّاءِ حَتّى اِهتَدَت لَنا

وَدوني حَزابِيُّ الطَوِيِّ فَيَثقُبُ

وَدوني حَزابِيُّ الطَوِيِّ فَيَثقُبُ

She traveled by night from the villages of al-Gharra until she found her way to us,

She went from the land of Ghurra until she found her way to us,

with the rugged heights of al-Tawiyy, then Yathqub, between us.

While below me is my mail coat with tightly woven rings.

وَقَد واعَدَتنا أَن تُلاقيَ في مِنىً

وَقَد واعَدَتنا أَن تُلاقيَ في مِنىً

فَلا الوَ أَيُ مَصدوقٌ وَلا الحُبُّ يَذهَبُ

فَلا الوَ أَيُ مَصدوقٌ وَلا الحُبُّ يَذهَبُ

She had promised to meet us at Mina,

She promised us she would meet in Mina,

but the promise is not kept, nor does love fade.

Neither no or yes, nor does love fade.

وَلا خَيرَ في لَيلى لَهُ غَيرَ أَنَّها

وَلا خَيرَ في لَيلى لَهُ غَيرَ أَنَّها

لَهُ حَزَنٌ إِن شَطَّتِ الدارُ مُنصِبُ

لَهُ حَزَنٌ إِن شَطَّتِ الدارُ مُنصِبُ

There is no good for him in Layla, except that she

Layla is of no good to him but that she,

is a wearisome sorrow to him if her dwelling lies far away.

Has sadness if the house empties.

فَلَيلى خَليلٌ حالَتِ الحَربُ دونَهُ

فَلَيلى خَليلٌ حالَتِ الحَربُ دونَهُ

يُخَبِّرُ عَن لَيلى أَقاصٍ وَجُنَّبُ

يُخَبِّرُ عَن لَيلى أَقاصٍ وَجُنَّبُ

For Layla is a beloved whom war has kept beyond reach;

Layla is a friend war came between them,

people from afar and strangers bring news of Layla.

Informing about Layla the furthest and nearest places.

إِذا قُلتَ سِيروا إِنَّ لَيلى لَعَلَّها

إِذا قُلتَ سِيروا إِنَّ لَيلى لَعَلَّها

جَرى دونَ لَيلى مائِلُ القَرنِ أَغضَبُ

جَرى دونَ لَيلى مائِلُ القَرنِ أَغضَبُ

Whenever you say, 'Travel on—surely Layla, perhaps she...,'

If you say go even if Layla,

a furious, slant-horned beast runs across the path to Layla.

Below Layla the crescent moon of my spear rages.

فَكائِنُ جَزَعنا مِن سَنيحٍ وَبارِحٍ

فَكائِنُ جَزَعنا مِن سَنيحٍ وَبارِحٍ

إِلَيها وَأَفواهُ الأَشاحيجِ تَنعَبُ

إِلَيها وَأَفواهُ الأَشاحيجِ تَنعَبُ

How many right- and left-passing beasts we crossed paths with

Our grief yesterday and the day before,

on our way to her, while the mouths of hoarse ravens croaked!

To her and mouths of warriors grow eloquent.

وَكائِن أَجَزنا دونَها مِن تَنوفَةٍ

وَكائِن أَجَزنا دونَها مِن تَنوفَةٍ

تَكادُ بِها الريحُ المُرِبَّةُ تَلعبُ

تَكادُ بِها الريحُ المُرِبَّةُ تَلعبُ

And how many barren wastes we crossed on the way to her,

We passed below her from Tanufa,

where the lingering wind is almost at play!

Where the playful wind nearly sports.

فَقُل لِعُبَيدٍ وَابنِ وَهبِ بنِ قابِسٍ

فَقُل لِعُبَيدٍ وَابنِ وَهبِ بنِ قابِسٍ

أَلا تامُرانِ الرَكبَ أَنَّ يَتَقَرَّبوا

أَلا تامُرانِ الرَكبَ أَنَّ يَتَقَرَّبوا

So say to Ubayd and the son of Wahb ibn Qabis:

Say to Ubayd and Ibn Wahb ibn Qabis,

Will you two not tell the riders to draw nearer?

Why not command the caravan to draw nearer?

أَلا تَأمُرانِ الرَكبَ أَن يَدلِجُوا بِنا

أَلا تَأمُرانِ الرَكبَ أَن يَدلِجُوا بِنا

أَبى النَومُ أَنّا كُلّنا يَتَصَبَّبُ

أَبى النَومُ أَنّا كُلّنا يَتَصَبَّبُ

Will you two not tell the riders to travel by night with us?

Why not command the caravan to travel by night with us?

Sleep will not come; every one of us is dripping with sweat.

Sleep refused, all of us soaked.

وَما كُنت أَخشى أَن تَكون مَنِيَّتي

وَما كُنت أَخشى أَن تَكون مَنِيَّتي

بِبَطنِ سُواجٍ وَالنَوائِحُ غُيَّبُ

بِبَطنِ سُواجٍ وَالنَوائِحُ غُيَّبُ

And I had not feared that my death would come

I did not fear my death would be,

in the hollow of Suwaj, with the mourning women absent.

In the belly of Suwaj and the wailers absent.

مَتى تَأتِهِم تَرفَع بَناتي بِرَنَّةٍ

مَتى تَأتِهِم تَرفَع بَناتي بِرَنَّةٍ

وَتَصدَح بِنَوحٍ يَفرَعُ النَوحَ أَرنَبُ

وَتَصدَح بِنَوحٍ يَفرَعُ النَوحَ أَرنَبُ

When you reach them, my daughters will raise their voices in a wail,

When will they come to raise dirges with my daughters,

and Arnab will cry out in a lament that rises above all lamentation.

Echoing lament that breeds more lament?