أَلَيْلَىO Layla مَاwhat لِقَلْبِكِwith your heart لَيْسَdoes not يَرْثِيfeel pity
أَلَيْلَى مَا لِقَلْبِكِ لَيْسَ يَرْثِي
لِمَاfor what أَلْقَاهُI endure it مِنْof أَلَمِpain الْفِرَاقِparting
لِمَا أَلْقَاهُ مِنْ أَلَمِ الْفِرَاقِ
O Layla, why does your heart show no pity
O Layla, why does your heart feel no pity
for the anguish of parting that I endure?
for the pain of parting that I endure?
كَتَمْتُI concealed هَوَاكِlove for you حَتَّىuntil نَمَّbetrayed the secret دَمْعِيmy tears
كَتَمْتُ هَوَاكِ حَتَّى نَمَّ دَمْعِي
وَذَابَتْand melted مُهْجَتِيmy heart مِمَّاfrom what أُلاقِيI suffer
وَذَابَتْ مُهْجَتِي مِمَّا أُلاقِي
I concealed my love for you until my tears betrayed it,
I hid my love for you until my tears betrayed it,
and my very soul melted from all I suffer.
and my heart melted from what I suffer.
وَرَقَّتْand grew tender لِيtoward me قُلوُبُhearts النَّاسِthe people حَتَّىuntil
وَرَقَّتْ لِي قُلوُبُ النَّاسِ حَتَّى
بَكَىwept لِيfor me كُلُّevery سَاقٍmale dove فَوْقَupon سَاقِa tree trunk
بَكَى لِي كُلُّ سَاقٍ فَوْقَ سَاقِ
People’s hearts softened toward me, until
And people’s hearts grew tender toward me, until
everyone sitting leg over leg wept for me.
every dove upon a tree trunk wept for me.
تَلُومِينيyou reproach me عَلَىfor عَبَراتِtears عَيْنِيmy eye
تَلُومِيني عَلَى عَبَراتِ عَيْنِي
وَلَوْلاand but for الْحُبُّlove لَمْnot تَجْرِflow الْمَآقِيthe inner corners of the eyes
وَلَوْلا الْحُبُّ لَمْ تَجْرِ الْمَآقِي
You blame me for the tears of my eyes,
You reproach me for the tears in my eyes,
but were it not for love, the eyes’ corners would not stream.
and but for love, my eyes would not have streamed.
وَمِنْand among عَجَبِthe wonders of الْهَوَىlove يَاO لَيْلُLayla أَنِّيthat I
وَمِنْ عَجَبِ الْهَوَى يَا لَيْلُ أَنِّي
فَنِيتُI have perished صَبابَةًfrom ardent yearning وَهَوَاكِand love for you بَاقِيremaining
فَنِيتُ صَبابَةً وَهَوَاكِ بَاقِي
Among love’s wonders, O Layla, is that I
And one of love’s wonders, O Layla, is that I
have wasted away with longing, while love of you remains.
have perished from yearning, while my love for you remains.
وَمَاand not إِنْat all (emphatic) عِشْتُI have lived بَعْدَafter الْبَيْنِparting إِلَّاexcept
وَمَا إِنْ عِشْتُ بَعْدَ الْبَيْنِ إِلَّا
لِمَاfor what أَرْجُوهُI hope for it مِنْof وَشْكِthe nearness of التَّلاقِيmeeting again
لِمَا أَرْجُوهُ مِنْ وَشْكِ التَّلاقِي
After our separation, I have lived on only
And I have lived on after parting only
for the hope that our reunion is close at hand.
for my hope that we shall soon meet again.
وَلَوْلاand were it not for أَنَّنِيthat I am فِيin قَيْدِthe bonds of سُقْمٍsickness
وَلَوْلا أَنَّنِي فِي قَيْدِ سُقْمٍ
لَطِرتُI would have flown إِلَيْكِto you مِنْfrom فَرْطِthe intensity of اشْتِيَاقِيmy longing
لَطِرتُ إِلَيْكِ مِنْ فَرْطِ اشْتِيَاقِي
Were I not held in the fetters of illness,
And were I not bound by sickness,
I would fly to you, such is the force of my longing.
I would have flown to you from the intensity of my longing.
