أَلا إِنَّ لَيلى العامِريَّةَ أَصبَحَت

أَلا إِنَّ لَيلى العامِريَّةَ أَصبَحَت

تَقَطَّعُ إِلّا مِن ثَقيفٍ حِبالُها

تَقَطَّعُ إِلّا مِن ثَقيفٍ حِبالُها

Behold, Layla of ʿAmir now has

Behold! The dwellings of Layla al-Aamiriyyah are now in ruins,

her cords severed, save those with Thaqif.

Her ropes tied fast to none but the men of Thaqif,

إِذا اِلتَفَتَت وَالعيسُ صُعرٌ مِنَ البُرى

إِذا اِلتَفَتَت وَالعيسُ صُعرٌ مِنَ البُرى

بِنَخلَةَ غَشَّ عَبرَةَ العَينِ حالُها

بِنَخلَةَ غَشَّ عَبرَةَ العَينِ حالُها

When she turns back, while the pale camels' necks are bent by their nose-rings,

When she turns her eyes with the owl wary of open spaces,

at Nakhla, her state belies the eye's tears.

To a palm-tree, sadness veils her state,

فَهُم حَبَسوها مَحبَسَ البُدنِ وَاِبتَغى

فَهُم حَبَسوها مَحبَسَ البُدنِ وَاِبتَغى

بِها المالَ أَقوامٌ أَلا قَلَّ مالُها

بِها المالَ أَقوامٌ أَلا قَلَّ مالُها

So they penned her like sacrificial camels, and some people sought

They have imprisoned her in bodily incarceration, while

wealth through her—ah, may her wealth dwindle!

Men have sought wealth through her, Oh! How paltry her wealth!

خَليلَيَّ هَل مِن حيلَةٍ تَعلَمانِها

خَليلَيَّ هَل مِن حيلَةٍ تَعلَمانِها

يُدَنّي لَنا تَكليمَ لَيلى اِحتِيالُها

يُدَنّي لَنا تَكليمَ لَيلى اِحتِيالُها

My two dear friends, do you know of any stratagem

My two friends! Is there a cunning you know,

whose use would bring us nearer to speaking to Layla?

That might let us steal speech with Layla through her guile?

فَإِن أَنتُما لَم تَعلَماها فَلَستُما

فَإِن أَنتُما لَم تَعلَماها فَلَستُما

بِأَوَّلَ باغٍ حاجَةً لا يَنالُها

بِأَوَّلَ باغٍ حاجَةً لا يَنالُها

And if you two do not know it, then you are not

For if you know it not, you are not

the first to seek something they cannot attain.

The first to need what you cannot attain,

كَأَنَّ مَعَ الرَكبِ الَّذينَ اِغتَدوا بِها

كَأَنَّ مَعَ الرَكبِ الَّذينَ اِغتَدوا بِها

غَمامَةُ صَيفٍ زَعزَعَتها شَمالُها

غَمامَةُ صَيفٍ زَعزَعَتها شَمالُها

As though, with the caravan that set out at dawn with her,

As if the party who abused her

there were a summer cloud shaken by its north wind.

Were a summer cloud routed by its driving wind,

نَظَرتُ بِمُفضى سَيلِ جَوشَينِ إِذ غَدوا

نَظَرتُ بِمُفضى سَيلِ جَوشَينِ إِذ غَدوا

تَخُبُّ بِأَطرافِ المَخارِمِ آلُها

تَخُبُّ بِأَطرافِ المَخارِمِ آلُها

I gazed where Jawshayn's torrent empties, when they set out,

I looked out on the overflowing torrent at dawn, as they departed,

their mirage trotting along the edges of the mountain passes,

Skirting the meadows edge, her family,

بِشافِيَةِ الأَحزانِ حَيَّجَ شَوقَها

بِشافِيَةِ الأَحزانِ حَيَّجَ شَوقَها

مُجامَعَةُ الأُلّافِ ثُمَّ زِيالُها

مُجامَعَةُ الأُلّافِ ثُمَّ زِيالُها

at a healer of sorrows, whose longing was stirred

Solace for sorrows saluted her longing

by the gathering of dear companions, then their parting.

At the parting of friends, then their departure.