خَليلَيَّ هَذا الرَبعُ أَعلَمُ آيَهُ

خَليلَيَّ هَذا الرَبعُ أَعلَمُ آيَهُ

فَبِاللَهِ عوجا ساعَةً ثُمَّ سَلِّما

فَبِاللَهِ عوجا ساعَةً ثُمَّ سَلِّما

My two friends, I know the traces of this dwelling-place.

My two friends, this place knows well

So, by God, turn aside a while, then offer greetings.

In God's name, linger a while here, then bid farewell

أَلَم تَعلَما أَنّي بَذَلتُ مَوَدَّتي

أَلَم تَعلَما أَنّي بَذَلتُ مَوَدَّتي

لِلَيلى وَأَنَّ الحَبلَ مِنها تَصَرَّما

لِلَيلى وَأَنَّ الحَبلَ مِنها تَصَرَّما

Did you two not know that I gave my affection

Don't you know that I gave my love

To Layla, and that the cord between us has snapped?

To Layla, and that the rope is from her, frayed

سَأَلتُكُما بِاللَهِ لَمّا قَضَيتُما

سَأَلتُكُما بِاللَهِ لَمّا قَضَيتُما

عَلَيَّ فَقَد وُلّيتُما الحُكمَ فَاِحكُما

عَلَيَّ فَقَد وُلّيتُما الحُكمَ فَاِحكُما

I implore you both by God to pass judgment

I ask you both, by God, now that you have judged

Upon me; you have been entrusted with judgment, so judge

Against me, you have taken on the judgment, so judge

بِجودي عَلى لَيلى بِوُدّي وَبُخلِها

بِجودي عَلى لَيلى بِوُدّي وَبُخلِها

عَلَيَّ سَلاها أَيُّنا كانَ أَظلَما

عَلَيَّ سَلاها أَيُّنا كانَ أَظلَما

My generosity in loving Layla, and her withholding hers

By my generosity to Layla, by my love and her stinginess

From me—ask her which of us has been more unjust.

Toward me - ask her which of us has been more unjust

أَحِنُّ إِلَيها كُلَّما ذَرَّ شارِقٌ

أَحِنُّ إِلَيها كُلَّما ذَرَّ شارِقٌ

كَحُبِّ النَصارى قُدسَ عيسى بنَ مَريَما

كَحُبِّ النَصارى قُدسَ عيسى بنَ مَريَما

I yearn for her whenever the sun rises,

I yearn for her whenever the dawn breaks

As Christians love the sanctity of Jesus, son of Mary.

Like the Christians' love for Jesus son of Mary

فَوَاللَهِ ثُمَّ اللَهِ إِنّي لَصادِقٌ

فَوَاللَهِ ثُمَّ اللَهِ إِنّي لَصادِقٌ

لَذِكرُكِ في قَلبي أَجَلَّ وَأَعظَما

لَذِكرُكِ في قَلبي أَجَلَّ وَأَعظَما

By God, and again by God, I speak the truth:

By God, by God I swear I speak the truth

Truly, your remembrance is loftiest and greatest in my heart.

Remembering you in my heart is nobler and greater

كَلامُكِ أَشهى فَاِعلَمي لَو أَنالُهُ

كَلامُكِ أَشهى فَاِعلَمي لَو أَنالُهُ

إِلى النَفسِ مِن بَردِ الشَرابِ عَلى الظَما

إِلى النَفسِ مِن بَردِ الشَرابِ عَلى الظَما

Your words—know this—if I could hear them, are sweeter

Your words are sweeter - know that if I attain them

To the soul than a cool drink when one is thirsty.

To my soul than the coolness of a drink to the thirsty

وَوَاللَهِ ما أَحبَبتُ حُبَّكِ فَاِعلَمي

وَوَاللَهِ ما أَحبَبتُ حُبَّكِ فَاِعلَمي

لِنُكرٍ وَلا أَحبَبتُ حُبَّكِ مَأثَما

لِنُكرٍ وَلا أَحبَبتُ حُبَّكِ مَأثَما

And by God, I have not loved you—know this—

By God, I did not love your love out of vice

For any wicked purpose, nor have I loved you sinfully.

Nor did I love your love to do wrong

لَقَد أَكثَرَ اللُوّامُ فيكِ مَلامَتي

لَقَد أَكثَرَ اللُوّامُ فيكِ مَلامَتي

وَكانوا لِما أَبدَوا مِنَ اللَومِ أَلوَما

وَكانوا لِما أَبدَوا مِنَ اللَومِ أَلوَما

The reproachers have often blamed me over you,

The blamers have indeed blamed me much for you

And they were more blameworthy for the blame they voiced.

And in what they have shown of blame, they were blamer

وَقَد أَرسَلَت لَيلى إِلَيَّ رَسولَها

وَقَد أَرسَلَت لَيلى إِلَيَّ رَسولَها

بِأَن آتِنا سِرّاً إِذا اللَيلُ أَظلَما

بِأَن آتِنا سِرّاً إِذا اللَيلُ أَظلَما

And Layla had sent her messenger to me,

Layla sent her messenger to me

Saying, 'Come to us secretly when night grows dark.'

To come to her in secret when the night is darkest

فَجِئتُ عَلى خَوفٍ وَكُنتُ مُعَوِّذاً

فَجِئتُ عَلى خَوفٍ وَكُنتُ مُعَوِّذاً

أُحاذِرُ أَيقاظاً عُداةً وَنُوَّما

أُحاذِرُ أَيقاظاً عُداةً وَنُوَّما

So I came in fear, invoking protection,

So I came in fear and protected myself

Wary of enemies, both wakeful and sleeping.

Guarding against waking the enemies or sleepers

فَبِتُّ وَباتَت لَم نَهُمَّ بِريبَةٍ

فَبِتُّ وَباتَت لَم نَهُمَّ بِريبَةٍ

وَلَم نَجتَرِح يا صاحِ وَاللَهِ مَحرَما

وَلَم نَجتَرِح يا صاحِ وَاللَهِ مَحرَما

So I spent the night, and so did she; we contemplated no impropriety,

I stayed the night and she stayed - we had no worries

Nor, my friend, by God, did we commit any forbidden act.

My friend, by God, nor did we violate anything forbidden

وَكَيفَ أُعَزّي القَلبَ عَنها تَجَلُّداً

وَكَيفَ أُعَزّي القَلبَ عَنها تَجَلُّداً

وَقَد أَورَثَت في القَلبِ داءَ مُكَتَّما

وَقَد أَورَثَت في القَلبِ داءَ مُكَتَّما

And how can I, mustering fortitude, console my heart over her,

And how can I console my heart patiently about her

When she has left a hidden malady within my heart?

When she has caused an hidden illness in my heart

فَلَو أَنَّها تَدعو الحَمامَ أَجابَها

فَلَو أَنَّها تَدعو الحَمامَ أَجابَها

وَلَو كَلَّمَت مَيتاً إِذاً لَتَكَلَّما

وَلَو كَلَّمَت مَيتاً إِذاً لَتَكَلَّما

For were she to call the doves, they would answer her;

For if she called a dove, it would answer her

And were she to address a dead man, he would surely speak.

And if she spoke to a corpse, then it would speak

وَلَو مَسَحَت بِالكَفِّ أَعمى لَأَذهَبَت

وَلَو مَسَحَت بِالكَفِّ أَعمى لَأَذهَبَت

عَماهُ وَشيكاً ثُمَّ عادَ بِلا عَمى

عَماهُ وَشيكاً ثُمَّ عادَ بِلا عَمى

And were she to stroke a blind man with her palm, she would remove

And if she touched a blind man with her palm

His blindness swiftly; then he would return free of blindness.

It would take away his blindness, soon he would return seeing

مُنَعَّمَةٌ تَسبي الحَليمَ بِوَجهِها

مُنَعَّمَةٌ تَسبي الحَليمَ بِوَجهِها

تَزَيَّنُ مِنها عِفَّةً وَتَكَرُّما

تَزَيَّنُ مِنها عِفَّةً وَتَكَرُّما

Delicately nurtured, she captivates the self-possessed with her face,

She is smooth-faced, capturing the forebearer with her face

Adorning herself with her own chastity and nobility.

Adorning herself with chastity and generosity

فَتِلكَ الَّتي مَن كانَ داءً دَوائُهُ

فَتِلكَ الَّتي مَن كانَ داءً دَوائُهُ

وَهاروتُ كُلَّ السِحرِ مِنها تَعَلَّما

وَهاروتُ كُلَّ السِحرِ مِنها تَعَلَّما

So she is the cure for whoever is ill,

She is the one whose cure is for whoever has an illness from her

And Harut learned all magic from her.

And from her the magician of all magic learned