هَل أَنتَ إِن بَكَرَ الأَحِبَّةُ غادي

هَل أَنتَ إِن بَكَرَ الأَحِبَّةُ غادي

أَم قَبلَ ذَلِكَ مُدلَجٌ بِسَوادِ

أَم قَبلَ ذَلِكَ مُدلَجٌ بِسَوادِ

Will you set out at dawn if your loved ones leave early,

Will you leave if lovers depart at dawn,

or depart before then, traveling through the darkness?

Or were you cloaked in darkness before then?

كَيفَ الثَواءُ بِبَطنِ مَكَّةَ بَعدَما

كَيفَ الثَواءُ بِبَطنِ مَكَّةَ بَعدَما

هَمَّ الَّذينَ تُحِبُّ بِالإِنجادِ

هَمَّ الَّذينَ تُحِبُّ بِالإِنجادِ

How can you stay in Mecca's valley after

How fares your abode in Mecca's belly, now that

those you love have resolved to journey to Najd?

Those you love scheme to abandon and flee?

هَمّوا بِبُعدٍ مِنكَ غَيرِ تَقَرُّبٍ

هَمّوا بِبُعدٍ مِنكَ غَيرِ تَقَرُّبٍ

شَتّانَ بَينَ القُربِ وَالإِبعادِ

شَتّانَ بَينَ القُربِ وَالإِبعادِ

They intend to go far from you, not draw near;

They plot to leave you, no thought of return-

how far apart are nearness and separation!

Worlds apart, nearness and distance to be!

لا كَيفَ قَلبُكَ إِن ثَوَيتَ مُخامِراً

لا كَيفَ قَلبُكَ إِن ثَوَيتَ مُخامِراً

سَقَماً خِلافَهُمُ وَحُزنُكَ بادي

سَقَماً خِلافَهُمُ وَحُزنُكَ بادي

No—how will your heart fare if you stay, harboring

What of your heart if you remain, lovesick,

illness after their departure, with your grief plain to see?

Ill with grief while they gladly take their leave?

قَد كُنتَ قَبلُ وَهُم لِأَهلِكَ جيرَةٌ

قَد كُنتَ قَبلُ وَهُم لِأَهلِكَ جيرَةٌ

صَبّاً تُطيفُ بِهِم كَأَنَّكَ صادي

صَبّاً تُطيفُ بِهِم كَأَنَّكَ صادي

Before, when they were your family's neighbors, you were

Once neighbors of your family, caring as kin-

lovesick, circling around them as though thirsty—

A spring shower that used to come and weave

هَيمانُ يَمنَعُهُ السُقاةُ حياضَهُم

هَيمانُ يَمنَعُهُ السُقاةُ حياضَهُم

حَيرانُ يَرقُبُ غَفلَةَ الوُرّادِ

حَيرانُ يَرقُبُ غَفلَةَ الوُرّادِ

maddened with thirst, barred by the water-keepers from their pools,

Through them-but shepherds now deny you rills,

bewildered, watching for the drinkers' moment of inattention.

As you watch for the water-bearers to thieve

فَالآنَ إِذ جُدَّ الرَحيلُ وَقُرِّبَت

فَالآنَ إِذ جُدَّ الرَحيلُ وَقُرِّبَت

بُزلُ الجِمالِ لِطِيَّةٍ وَبِعادِ

بُزلُ الجِمالِ لِطِيَّةٍ وَبِعادِ

And now, as departure is hastened and they bring forward

A moment's neglect. Exile looms, the camels

the mature camels for a journey and separation—

Are loaded, your friends begin to take their leave.

وَلَقَد أَرى أَن لَيسَ ذَلِكَ نافِعي

وَلَقَد أَرى أَن لَيسَ ذَلِكَ نافِعي

ما عِشتُ عِندَكِ في هَوىً وَوِدادِ

ما عِشتُ عِندَكِ في هَوىً وَوِدادِ

And I see indeed that this will do me no good,

I see it helps me not, what I have lived

as long as I live, in love and affection with you.

Loving you, enjoying your friendship's reprieve.

وَلَقَد مَنَحتُ الوُدَّ مِنّي لَم يَكُن

وَلَقَد مَنَحتُ الوُدَّ مِنّي لَم يَكُن

مِنكُم إِلَيَّ بِما فَعَلتُ أَيادي

مِنكُم إِلَيَّ بِما فَعَلتُ أَيادي

And indeed, I have bestowed my love, yet there have been no

The affection I gave was not returned-

favors from you to me in return for what I have done.

No act of yours resembled my naïve

إِنّي لَأَترُكُ مَن يَجودُ بِنَفسِهِ

إِنّي لَأَترُكُ مَن يَجودُ بِنَفسِهِ

وَمُوَكَّلٌ بِوِصالِ كُلِّ جَمادِ

وَمُوَكَّلٌ بِوِصالِ كُلِّ جَمادِ

Indeed, I forsake whoever offers themselves freely,

Gifts. I leave those who boast of generosity

and am obsessed with union with every unfeeling one.

While Fate controls all meetings, each eve.

يا لَيلَ إِنّي واصِلي أَو فَاِصرِمي

يا لَيلَ إِنّي واصِلي أَو فَاِصرِمي

عَلِقَت بِحُبِّكُمُ بَناتُ فُؤادي

عَلِقَت بِحُبِّكُمُ بَناتُ فُؤادي

O Layla, truly—join me, or else break with me—

O night, join me to them or keep us apart!

the daughters of my heart are bound by love for you.

For love of them pierces my soul, I do grieve.

كَم قَد عَصيتُ إِلَيكِ مِن مُتَنَصِّحٍ

كَم قَد عَصيتُ إِلَيكِ مِن مُتَنَصِّحٍ

خانَ القَرابَةَ أَو أَعانَ أَعادي

خانَ القَرابَةَ أَو أَعانَ أَعادي

How many a would-be adviser have I defied for your sake,

How often I ignored well-meaning advice

who betrayed kinship or aided my enemies!

Shunned kin, aided hostile hands to weave

وَتَنوفَةٍ أَرمي بِنَفسي عَرضَها

وَتَنوفَةٍ أَرمي بِنَفسي عَرضَها

شَوقاً إِلَيكِ بِلا هِدايَةِ هادي

شَوقاً إِلَيكِ بِلا هِدايَةِ هادي

And across many a trackless waste I fling myself,

Ruin. Desire draws me to Teenova, though it

longing for you, without a guide's guidance.

May destroy me, lacking a guide to relieve

ما إِن بِها لي غَيرَ سَيفي صاحِبٌ

ما إِن بِها لي غَيرَ سَيفي صاحِبٌ

وَذِراعُ حَرفٍ كَالهِلالِ وِسادي

وَذِراعُ حَرفٍ كَالهِلالِ وِسادي

I have no companion there but my sword,

My madness. With me only my sword and the strength

and a lean she-camel's crescent-like foreleg is my pillow,

Of one hand, slender as the moon's curving glaive.

بِمُعَرَّسٍ فيهِ إِذا ما مَسَّهُ

بِمُعَرَّسٍ فيهِ إِذا ما مَسَّهُ

جِلدي خُشونَةُ مَضجَعٍ وَبِعادِ

جِلدي خُشونَةُ مَضجَعٍ وَبِعادِ

at a night-resting place where, whenever it is touched

My resting place pricks my skin when I lie down,

by my skin, there is a rough bed and remoteness,

Now that longing and exile my mind do cleave.

قَمنٍ مِنَ الحَدَثانِ تُمسي أُسدُهُ

قَمنٍ مِنَ الحَدَثانِ تُمسي أُسدُهُ

هُدءَ الظَلامِ كَثيرَةَ الإيعادِ

هُدءَ الظَلامِ كَثيرَةَ الإيعادِ

exposed to the blows of fate, whose lions at evening grow

My camel hides snarling lions in her womb,

full of menace in the hush of darkness.

Who haunt the darkness with promises to thieve

بِالوَجدِ أَغدَرُ ما يَكونُ وَبِالبُكا

بِالوَجدِ أَغدَرُ ما يَكونُ وَبِالبُكا

وَبِرِحلَةٍ مِن طِيَّةٍ وَبِلادِ

وَبِرِحلَةٍ مِن طِيَّةٍ وَبِلادِ

As treacherous as can be in longing and in weeping,

My soul. With passion, tears and distant roads

and in a journey away from a destination and lands.

I rave.