رأى ربعَ ليلَى بالحِمَى فشجَاه

رأى ربعَ ليلَى بالحِمَى فشجَاه

وألْصق فوقَ التُّرب منه حشاه

وألْصق فوقَ التُّرب منه حشاه

He saw Layla's dwelling at al-Hima, and it grieved him.

He saw the quarter of Layla's abode in ruins, so he wept for it

And he pressed his breast against the dust.

And heaped above the soil some of its rubble

وكم قد دعاه الشوقُ من أمّ مالكٍ

وكم قد دعاه الشوقُ من أمّ مالكٍ

فلَبّاهُ منه الدمعُ حين دَعاه

فلَبّاهُ منه الدمعُ حين دَعاه

How often longing for Umm Malik has called him,

And how often did yearning call unto him from the tribe of Malik

and his tears answered it when it called him.

So tears answered his call whenever it called him

فلا تعذلاه أن تّذكر مَا مَضَى

فلا تعذلاه أن تّذكر مَا مَضَى

فقد يذكر الإنسانُ عَصْرَ صِبَاه

فقد يذكر الإنسانُ عَصْرَ صِبَاه

So do not reproach him, you two, for remembering what has passed:

Reproach him not if he recalls what is past

a person may remember the days of his youth.

For man may remember the days of his youth

وفي الراجعين المُدْلجين مخلجَلٌ

وفي الراجعين المُدْلجين مخلجَلٌ

إذا ما دنى فالموتُ لحظُ رُنّاه

إذا ما دنى فالموتُ لحظُ رُنّاه

Among those returning by night is an ankleted figure [reading uncertain];

And in those who return, hobbling back, there is one paralyzed

when he draws near, a glance is death to those who gaze at him.

When death draws near to seize the instant of his return

تودّ أقاح الروضِ وهي ندِيَّةٌ

تودّ أقاح الروضِ وهي ندِيَّةٌ

ببطنِ ثراها إن تقبِّل فاه

ببطنِ ثراها إن تقبِّل فاه

The meadow's daisies, fresh with dew, long

The meadow wishes its chamomile were dewy

in the bosom of their soil to kiss his mouth.

That it might kiss their mouths amid their valley's abundant herbage

ومُخجل غُصْنِ البانِ في عُقَد النقا

ومُخجل غُصْنِ البانِ في عُقَد النقا

إذا مَاسَ نشواناً يجرُّ رِدَاه

إذا مَاسَ نشواناً يجرُّ رِدَاه

And he shames the bān-tree branch amid the clustered dunes

While the modest branch of acacia is embarrassed by the cluster of blossoms

when he sways, intoxicated, trailing his cloak.

If it but grazes, trailing its cloak

خليليّ لي طَرفٌ مللتُ ضلالَه

خليليّ لي طَرفٌ مللتُ ضلالَه

ولو شاء رب العالمين هداه

ولو شاء رب العالمين هداه

My two friends, I have an eye whose straying has wearied me;

My friend has a glance that went astray and I grew weary of its straying

had the Lord of the worlds willed, He would have guided it.

Had the Lord of the Worlds so willed, He would have guided it

خليليّ لي طَرفٌ إذا ما كَفَفْتُه

خليليّ لي طَرفٌ إذا ما كَفَفْتُه

عن الجهلِ بعدَ الحلمِ طال بكاه

عن الجهلِ بعدَ الحلمِ طال بكاه

My two friends, I have an eye that, whenever I restrain it

My friend has a glance - when I restrain it

from folly after coming to reason, weeps for a long time.

From ignorance, after having had insight, its weeping is prolonged

خليلي لي جسم أضربه الضنى

خليلي لي جسم أضربه الضنى

فهل من طيب مبرءٍ لضناه

فهل من طيب مبرءٍ لضناه

My two friends, I have a body ravaged by wasting sickness;

My friend has a body that hardship strikes

is there any fragrant balm to cure its wasting sickness?

Is there any wholesome perfume to alleviate its hardship?

عسى الحدقي السَاعدي يجيرني

عسى الحدقي السَاعدي يجيرني

فما زال يأبَى أن يُبَاح حماه

فما زال يأبَى أن يُبَاح حماه

May al-Ḥadaqī al-Sāʿidī grant me refuge,

Perhaps the Hudayni clan will protect me

for he has always refused to let his sanctuary be violated.

For it has always refused to allow its sanctuary to be desecrated

عسىَ نظرة لي من سَماحِ محمدٍ

عسىَ نظرة لي من سَماحِ محمدٍ

فكم جاد مثلي مجدباً وسقاه

فكم جاد مثلي مجدباً وسقاه

May a glance from Muhammad's generosity be mine;

Perhaps a compassionate glance from Muhammad will come my way

how often he has showered bounty on one like me, drought-stricken, and watered him.

For how often has one like me, emaciated, been blessed by his generosity and watered by him

كريمٌ أبوه كان يُذْكَرُ قَبْله

كريمٌ أبوه كان يُذْكَرُ قَبْله

وقد يشبه النسلُ النسيبُ أباه

وقد يشبه النسلُ النسيبُ أباه

He is generous; his father was remembered before him,

Noble was his father, who was mentioned before him

and well-born offspring may indeed resemble their father.

And offspring may resemble their honorable father