أَلا أَيُّها القَلبُ اللَجوجُ المُعَذَّلُ

أَلا أَيُّها القَلبُ اللَجوجُ المُعَذَّلُ

أَفِق عَن طِلابِ البيضِ إِن كُنتَ تَعقِلُ

أَفِق عَن طِلابِ البيضِ إِن كُنتَ تَعقِلُ

Listen, O obstinate, much-reproached heart:

O obstinate heart beset with blame,

Awake from pursuing fair women, if you have sense.

Awake to love’s longing, if sense you claim!

أَفِق قَد أَفاقَ الوامِقونَ وَإِنَّما

أَفِق قَد أَفاقَ الوامِقونَ وَإِنَّما

تَماديكَ في لَيلى ضَلالٌ مُضَلِّلُ

تَماديكَ في لَيلى ضَلالٌ مُضَلِّلُ

Awake: the lovers have awakened; and indeed,

Awake! for lovers all are now awake,

your persistence in loving Layla is nothing but delusion that leads astray.

Your love for Layla leads but to mistake.

سَلا كُلُّ ذي وُدٍّ عَنِ الحُبِّ وَاِرعَوى

سَلا كُلُّ ذي وُدٍّ عَنِ الحُبِّ وَاِرعَوى

وَأَنتَ بِلَيلى مُستَهامٌ مُوَكَّلُ

وَأَنتَ بِلَيلى مُستَهامٌ مُوَكَّلُ

Every lover has left love behind and come to his senses,

All who love have given up love save you alone,

while you are maddened by Layla, bound to her.

Pledged to Layla, helpless and o’erthrown.

فَقالَ فُؤادي ما اِجتَرَرتُ مَلامَةَ

فَقالَ فُؤادي ما اِجتَرَرتُ مَلامَةَ

إِلَيكَ وَلَكِن أَنتَ بِاللَومِ تَعجَلُ

إِلَيكَ وَلَكِن أَنتَ بِاللَومِ تَعجَلُ

Then my heart said, “I have drawn no reproach

My heart replied, ‘Blame not, but yourself appall,

upon you; but you hasten to blame.

Who rushes to condemn me, blameful all.’

فَعَينَكَ لُمها إِنَّ عَينَكَ حَمَّلَت

فَعَينَكَ لُمها إِنَّ عَينَكَ حَمَّلَت

فُؤادَكَ ما يَعيا بِهِ المُتَحَمِّلُ

فُؤادَكَ ما يَعيا بِهِ المُتَحَمِّلُ

So blame your eye; indeed, your eye has burdened

Your eye misled your heart to bear a load

your heart with what exhausts the bearer of burdens.

Too heavy to be borne along love’s road.

لَحا اللَهُ مَن باعَ الخَليلَ بِغَيرِهِ

لَحا اللَهُ مَن باعَ الخَليلَ بِغَيرِهِ

فَقُلتُ نَعَم حاشاكَ إِن كُنتَ تَفعَلُ

فَقُلتُ نَعَم حاشاكَ إِن كُنتَ تَفعَلُ

May God curse whoever sells his beloved for another.”

God rid me of the friend who sells a friend!

So I said, “Yes—except for you, if you should do so.”

I said, ‘God save me that I do offend.’

وَقُلتُ لَها بِاللَهِ يا لَيلَ إِنَّني

وَقُلتُ لَها بِاللَهِ يا لَيلَ إِنَّني

أَبَرُّ وَأَوفى بِالعُهودُ وَأَوصَلُ

أَبَرُّ وَأَوفى بِالعُهودُ وَأَوصَلُ

And I said to her, “By God, O Layla, I am

To her I swore, ‘Layla, my vows are true,

more devoted, more faithful to pledges, and more constant in affection.

Loyal am I, and faithful in love to you.’

هَبي أَنَّني أَذنَبتُ ذَنباً عَلِمتِهِ

هَبي أَنَّني أَذنَبتُ ذَنباً عَلِمتِهِ

وَلا ذَنبَ لي يا لَيلَ فَالصَفحُ أَجمَلُ

وَلا ذَنبَ لي يا لَيلَ فَالصَفحُ أَجمَلُ

Suppose I committed a sin you knew of—

She said, ‘You sinned.’ I said, ‘A sin confessed, unknown;

though I have done no wrong, O Layla—forgiveness is fairer.

No sin is mine, so gentle pardon shown.’

فَإِن شِئتِ هاتي نازِعيني خُصومَةً

فَإِن شِئتِ هاتي نازِعيني خُصومَةً

وَإِن شِئتِ قَتلاً إِنَّ حُكمَكِ أَعدَلُ

وَإِن شِئتِ قَتلاً إِنَّ حُكمَكِ أَعدَلُ

So if you wish, come, contend with me in a dispute;

Chide me, if you will, call me to account,

and if you wish me slain, your judgment is most just.

Kill me, if you choose, your judgement I'll not count.

نَهاري نَهارٌ طالَ حَتّى مَلِلتُهُ

نَهاري نَهارٌ طالَ حَتّى مَلِلتُهُ

وَلَيلي إِذا ما جَنَّني اللَيلُ أَطوَلُ

وَلَيلي إِذا ما جَنَّني اللَيلُ أَطوَلُ

My day is a day so long that I have grown weary of it;

Slow crawls my day, until it irks me so,

and my night, when night enfolds me, is longer.

But when night maddens me the hours swifter flow.

وَكُنتِ كَزِئبِ السَوءِ إِذ قالَ مَرَّةً

وَكُنتِ كَزِئبِ السَوءِ إِذ قالَ مَرَّةً

لِبَهمٍ رَعَت وَالذِئبُ غَرثانُ مُرمِلُ

لِبَهمٍ رَعَت وَالذِئبُ غَرثانُ مُرمِلُ

And you were like the wicked wolf when he once said

You were as the sly wolf that told the sheep,

to lambs at pasture, while the wolf was ravenous and destitute:

‘I’ll watch while you graze,’ planning deceitful sleep.

أَلَستِ الَّتي مِن غَيرِ شَيءٍ شَتَمتِني

أَلَستِ الَّتي مِن غَيرِ شَيءٍ شَتَمتِني

فَقالَت مَتى ذا قالَ ذا عامُ أَوَّلُ

فَقالَت مَتى ذا قالَ ذا عامُ أَوَّلُ

‘Are you not the one who insulted me for no reason?’

‘Was it not you,’ she said, ‘who railed at me?’

She said, ‘When was that?’ He said, ‘That was last year.’

He said, ‘When did I?’ She: ‘Last year was, maybe.’

فَقالَت وُلِدتُ العامَ بَل رُمتَ كِذبَةً

فَقالَت وُلِدتُ العامَ بَل رُمتَ كِذبَةً

فَهاكَ فَكُلني لا يُهَنّيكَ مَأكَلُ

فَهاكَ فَكُلني لا يُهَنّيكَ مَأكَلُ

She said, ‘I was born this year! No, you meant to lie.

He: ‘Nay, I was born this year.’ She: ‘Liar known!

So take me and eat me—may no meal give you pleasure!’

Come, eat me up, for rage has overthrown.’

وَكُنتِ كَذَبّاحِ العَصافيرِ دائِباً

وَكُنتِ كَذَبّاحِ العَصافيرِ دائِباً

وَعَيناهُ مِن وَجدٍ عَلَيهِنَّ تَهمَلُ

وَعَيناهُ مِن وَجدٍ عَلَيهِنَّ تَهمَلُ

And you were like one ceaselessly slaughtering sparrows,

Like the bird-butcher, busily tying snares,

while his eyes streamed with tears of sorrow for them.

With eyes alert to catch them unawares,

فَلا تَنظُري لَيلى إِلى العَينِ وَاِنظُري

فَلا تَنظُري لَيلى إِلى العَينِ وَاِنظُري

إِلى الكَفِّ ماذا بِالعَصافيرِ تَفعَلُ

إِلى الكَفِّ ماذا بِالعَصافيرِ تَفعَلُ

So do not look at the eye, Layla; look instead

Look not, Layla, unto my watching eyes,

at the hand—what it does to the sparrows.”

But look at my hands, and what they do surprise.