ما بالُ قَلبِكَ يا مَجنونُ قَد خُلِعا

ما بالُ قَلبِكَ يا مَجنونُ قَد خُلِعا

في حُبِ مَن لا تَرى في نَيلِهِ طَمَعا

في حُبِ مَن لا تَرى في نَيلِهِ طَمَعا

What ails your heart, O Majnun, that it has been wrenched away

What ails your heart, O Majnun, that it has been torn loose

in love with one you have no hope of attaining?

In love for one you see no hope of winning?

الحُبُّ وَالوُدُّ نِيطا بِالفُؤادِ لَها

الحُبُّ وَالوُدُّ نِيطا بِالفُؤادِ لَها

فَأَصبَحا في فُؤادي ثابِتَينِ مَعا

فَأَصبَحا في فُؤادي ثابِتَينِ مَعا

Love and affection were bound to the heart for her,

Love and affection for her were bound to the heart,

and both became firmly fixed together in my heart.

And so both became firmly fixed together in my heart.

طوبى لِمَن أَنتِ في الدُنيا قَرينَتُهُ

طوبى لِمَن أَنتِ في الدُنيا قَرينَتُهُ

لَقَد نَفى اللَهُ عَنهُ الهَمَّ وَالجَزَعا

لَقَد نَفى اللَهُ عَنهُ الهَمَّ وَالجَزَعا

Blessed is whoever has you as his companion in this world;

Blessed is he whose companion you are in this world;

God has surely banished care and anguish from him.

God has surely banished worry and anguish from him.

بَل ما قَرَأتُ كِتاباً مِنكِ يَبلُغُني

بَل ما قَرَأتُ كِتاباً مِنكِ يَبلُغُني

إِلّا تَرَقرَقَ ماءُ العَينِ أَو دَمَعا

إِلّا تَرَقرَقَ ماءُ العَينِ أَو دَمَعا

Indeed, never have I read a letter from you that reaches me

Yet never have I read a letter from you that reaches me

but the water of my eye—or a tear—wells up.

Without tears welling in my eye or streaming down.

أَدعو إِلى هَجرِها قَلبي فَيَتبَعُني

أَدعو إِلى هَجرِها قَلبي فَيَتبَعُني

حَتّى إِذا قُلتُ هَذا صادِقٌ نَزَعا

حَتّى إِذا قُلتُ هَذا صادِقٌ نَزَعا

I call my heart to forsake her, and it follows me,

I call my heart to forsake her, and it follows me,

until, when I say, “This is sincere,” it pulls back.

Until, when I say, 'This heart is true,' it turns back.

لا أَستَطيعُ نُزوعاً عَن مَوَدَّتِها

لا أَستَطيعُ نُزوعاً عَن مَوَدَّتِها

وَيَصنَعُ الحُبُّ بي فَوقَ الَّذي صَنَعا

وَيَصنَعُ الحُبُّ بي فَوقَ الَّذي صَنَعا

I cannot tear myself away from loving her,

I cannot turn away from my affection for her,

and love does to me beyond all it has ever wrought.

And love does to me more than it has done before.

كَم مِن دَنيءٍ لَها قَد كُنتُ أَتبَعُهُ

كَم مِن دَنيءٍ لَها قَد كُنتُ أَتبَعُهُ

وَلَو صَحا القَلبُ عَنها كانَ لي تَبَعا

وَلَو صَحا القَلبُ عَنها كانَ لي تَبَعا

How many a lowly fellow of hers I used to follow!

How many a base man I have followed for her sake!

Had my heart come to its senses about her, it would have obeyed me.

And had my heart sobered from loving her, he would have followed me.

وَزادَني كَلَفاً في الحُبِّ أَن مُنِعَت

وَزادَني كَلَفاً في الحُبِّ أَن مُنِعَت

أَحَبُّ شَيءٍ إِلى الإِنسانِ ما مُنِعا

أَحَبُّ شَيءٍ إِلى الإِنسانِ ما مُنِعا

And being denied her only deepened my passion in love;

And being denied her increased my passion in love;

the dearest thing to a person is what is denied.

The dearest thing to a person is what is withheld.

اِقرَ السَلامَ عَلى لَيلى وَحَقَّ لَها

اِقرَ السَلامَ عَلى لَيلى وَحَقَّ لَها

مِنّي التَحيَّةُ إِنَّ المَوتَ قَد نَزَعا

مِنّي التَحيَّةُ إِنَّ المَوتَ قَد نَزَعا

Convey greetings to Layla, for she is owed

Convey greetings to Layla; she is rightly owed

a salutation from me: death has begun to tear me away.

A salutation from me; indeed, death has already wrenched life away.

أَماتَ أَم هُوَ حَيٌّ في البِلادِ فَقَد

أَماتَ أَم هُوَ حَيٌّ في البِلادِ فَقَد

قَلَّ العَزاءُ وَأَبدى القَلبُ ما جَزِعا

قَلَّ العَزاءُ وَأَبدى القَلبُ ما جَزِعا

Is he dead, or is he alive somewhere in the land? For

Has he died, or is he alive in the lands? For indeed,

solace has dwindled, and the heart has laid bare its anguish.

Consolation has grown scant, and the heart has revealed its anguish.