فَوَاللَهِ ثَمَّ وَاللَهِ إِنّي لَدائِبٌ

فَوَاللَهِ ثَمَّ وَاللَهِ إِنّي لَدائِبٌ

أُفَكِّرُ ما ذَنبي إِلَيكِ فَأَعجَبُ

أُفَكِّرُ ما ذَنبي إِلَيكِ فَأَعجَبُ

So by God, then by God, I never cease

By God, by God I do persist

pondering what wrong I have done you, and I marvel.

Pondering what wrong I did to you that makes me so surprised

وَوَاللَهِ ما أَدري عَلامَ هَجَرتِني

وَوَاللَهِ ما أَدري عَلامَ هَجَرتِني

وَأَيَّ أُموري فيكِ يا لَيلَ أَركَبُ

وَأَيَّ أُموري فيكِ يا لَيلَ أَركَبُ

And by God, I do not know why you have forsaken me,

And by God I do not know why you abandoned me

and what course to take concerning you, O Layla.

And what matters of mine in you O night I should undertake

أَأَقطَعُ حَبلَ الوَصلِ فَالمَوتُ دونَهُ

أَأَقطَعُ حَبلَ الوَصلِ فَالمَوتُ دونَهُ

أَمَ اَشرَبُ كَأساً مِنكُمُ لَيسَ يُشرَبُ

أَمَ اَشرَبُ كَأساً مِنكُمُ لَيسَ يُشرَبُ

Shall I sever the cord of union? Death would come first.

Should I sever the cord of connection though death lies beneath it

Or drink a cup from you that cannot be drunk?

Or drink a cup from you that cannot be imbibed

أَمَ اَهرُبُ حَتّى لا أَرى لي مُجاوِراً

أَمَ اَهرُبُ حَتّى لا أَرى لي مُجاوِراً

أَمَ اَفعَلُ ماذا أَم أَبوحُ فَأُغلَبُ

أَمَ اَفعَلُ ماذا أَم أَبوحُ فَأُغلَبُ

Or flee until I see no neighbor around me?

Or should I flee so no neighbor I see

Or what shall I do—or speak openly and be overcome?

Or what should I do or confess and be overpowered

فَأَيُّهُما يا لَيلَ ما تَفعَلينَهُ

فَأَيُّهُما يا لَيلَ ما تَفعَلينَهُ

فَأَوَّلُ مَهجورٌ وَآخَرُ مُعتَبُ

فَأَوَّلُ مَهجورٌ وَآخَرُ مُعتَبُ

So which of the two, O Layla, will you do?

So which of them O night will you do

For the first is forsaken, and the other appeased.

The first is abandoned and the second blameworthy

فَلَو تَلتَقي أَرواحُنا بَعدَ مَوتِنا

فَلَو تَلتَقي أَرواحُنا بَعدَ مَوتِنا

وَمِن دونِ رَمسَينا مِنَ الأَرضِ مَنكِبُ

وَمِن دونِ رَمسَينا مِنَ الأَرضِ مَنكِبُ

So if our souls should meet after our death,

If our souls could meet after our deaths

with a shoulder of earth between our two graves,

And without our remains in the earth being buried

لَظَلَّ صَدى رَمسي وَإِن كُنتُ رِمَّةً

لَظَلَّ صَدى رَمسي وَإِن كُنتُ رِمَّةً

لِصَوتِ صَدى لَيلى يَهُشُّ وَيَطرَبُ

لِصَوتِ صَدى لَيلى يَهُشُّ وَيَطرَبُ

the echo of my grave, though I were decayed bones, would still

The echo of my inscription would remain even if I were rubble

rejoice and thrill at the sound of Layla's echo.

To the echoing voice of Layla that startles and tremors

وَلَو أَنَّ عَيناً طاوَعَتنِيَ لَم تَزَل

وَلَو أَنَّ عَيناً طاوَعَتنِيَ لَم تَزَل

تَرَقرَقُ دَمعاً أَو دَماً حينَ تَسكُبُ

تَرَقرَقُ دَمعاً أَو دَماً حينَ تَسكُبُ

And if an eye obeyed me, it would never cease

And if an eye obeyed me it would not cease

welling with tears or blood whenever it poured them forth.

To shed a teardrop or blood when poured