أَلاAh! بِأَبيwith my father as ransom مَنthe one whose قَدindeed بَرىhas wasted away الجِسمَthe body حُبُّهُlove for him
أَلا بِأَبي مَن قَد بَرى الجِسمَ حُبُّهُ
وَمِنand the one who هُوَhe is مَوموقٌcherished إِلَيَّto me حَبيبُbeloved
وَمِن هُوَ مَوموقٌ إِلَيَّ حَبيبُ
Ah, may my father ransom the one whose love has wasted my body,
By the one whose body love has made lean
and the one cherished and beloved to me,
And whose longing for me does not cease
وَمَنand the one who هُوَhe لاnot يَزدادُincreases إِلّاexcept تَشَوُّقاًin yearning
وَمَن هُوَ لا يَزدادُ إِلّا تَشَوُّقاً
وَلَيسَand he does not يَرىsee إِلّاexcept عَلَيهِover him رَقيبُa watcher
وَلَيسَ يَرى إِلّا عَلَيهِ رَقيبُ
and the one whose yearning only grows,
And who sees none watching him but his own self-reproaching soul
and who never looks without a watcher over him.
Though they speak ill of me in her presence
وَإِنّيand indeed I وَإِنand even if أَحمَواthey forbade عَلَيَّto me كَلامَهاher speech
وَإِنّي وَإِن أَحمَوا عَلَيَّ كَلامَها
وَحالَتand stood in the way أَعادٍenemies دونَهاbarring access to her وَحُروبُand wars
وَحالَت أَعادٍ دونَها وَحُروبُ
And I, even if they have barred me from speaking with her,
And war and strife stand between us
and enemies and wars have barred the way to her,
Yet will I speak her praise, praising Layla with words
لَمُثنٍsurely a praiser عَلىof لَيلىLayla ثَناءًpraise بَريدُهُits messenger
لَمُثنٍ عَلى لَيلى ثَناءً بَريدُهُ
قَوافٍrhymed verses بِأَفواهِin the mouths of الرِجالِmen تَطيبُbecome sweet
قَوافٍ بِأَفواهِ الرِجالِ تَطيبُ
will surely praise Layla with praise whose messenger
That leave sweet tastes in the mouths of men
is rhymed verse, sweet upon men's lips.
Beware, Layla, lest strength and patience fail me
أَلَيلىO Layla اِحذَريbeware نَقضَunraveling القِوىthe strands لاlet not يَزَلcease
أَلَيلى اِحذَري نَقضَ القِوى لا يَزَل
عَلىdespite النَأيِdistance وَالهِجرانِand estrangement مِنكِof you نَصيبُa share
عَلى النَأيِ وَالهِجرانِ مِنكِ نَصيبُ
O Layla, beware unraveling the strands; let there remain
And separation and avoidance of you remain my fate
a share of you, despite distance and estrangement.
And be to those who slander a piercing blade
وَكونيand be عَلىtoward الواشينَthe talebearers لَدّاءَunyielding شَغبَةًquarrelsome
وَكوني عَلى الواشينَ لَدّاءَ شَغبَةً
كَماjust as أَناI لِلواشيtoward the talebearer أَلَدُّunyielding شَغوبُquarrelsome
كَما أَنا لِلواشي أَلَدُّ شَغوبُ
And be unyielding and quarrelsome toward the talebearers,
As I am to the slanderer a relentless foe
as I am unyielding and quarrelsome toward the talebearer.
Yet if you fear you'll not rule love one day
فَإِنso if خِفتِyou fear أَلّاthat not تَحكُميyou bind firmly مِرَّةَthe twisted cord of الهَوىlove
فَإِن خِفتِ أَلّا تَحكُمي مِرَّةَ الهَوى
فَرُدّيthen give back فُؤاديmy heart وَالمَزارُand the meeting-place قَريبُnear
فَرُدّي فُؤادي وَالمَزارُ قَريبُ
So if you fear you cannot bind love's cord firmly,
Then return my heart while the tomb is near
then give me back my heart, while the meeting-place is near.
By my life, by my people with whom, if harmed
بِنَفسيwith my life as ransom وَأَهليand my family مَنthe one who إِذاwhen عَرَضواthey assail لَهُhim
بِنَفسي وَأَهلي مَن إِذا عَرَضوا لَهُ
بِبَعضِwith some of الأَذىthe harm لَمdid not يَدرِknow كَيفَhow يُجيبُto answer
بِبَعضِ الأَذى لَم يَدرِ كَيفَ يُجيبُ
May my life and my family ransom the one who, when they assail him
They know not how to respond
with some harm, does not know how to answer,
Who have no innocent man's excuse, but are still
وَلَمand did not يَعتَذِرdefend himself عُذرَthe defense of البَريءِthe innocent وَلَمand did not يَزَلcease
وَلَم يَعتَذِر عُذرَ البَريءِ وَلَم يَزَل
بِهِin him رَعدَةٌa tremor حَتّىuntil يُقالَit is said مُريبُsuspicious
بِهِ رَعدَةٌ حَتّى يُقالَ مُريبُ
nor defends himself as an innocent man would, and keeps
Thunderstruck until called blameworthy
trembling until he is called suspicious.
Partial English translation: 17 of 18 Arabic lines translated.