تَذَكَّرتُ لَيلى أَن تَغَنَّت حَمامَةٌ

تَذَكَّرتُ لَيلى أَن تَغَنَّت حَمامَةٌ

وَأَنّى بِلَيلى وَالفُؤادُ قَريحُ

وَأَنّى بِلَيلى وَالفُؤادُ قَريحُ

I remembered Layla when a dove sang,

I recalled Layla when a dove sang,

but how can I reach Layla, with my heart wounded?

But how can I attain Layla when my heart is sick?

يَمانِيَّةٌ أَمسَت بِنَجرانَ دارُها

يَمانِيَّةٌ أَمسَت بِنَجرانَ دارُها

وَأَنتَ عِراقِيٌّ هَواكَ نَزوحُ

وَأَنتَ عِراقِيٌّ هَواكَ نَزوحُ

She is Yemeni; her home is now in Najran,

She who dwells in Najran is of Yemen,

while you are Iraqi, and your beloved is far away.

While you are an Iraqi far away.

وَمِن دونِ لَيلى سَبسَبٌ مُتَماحِلٌ

وَمِن دونِ لَيلى سَبسَبٌ مُتَماحِلٌ

يُجيبُ صَداهُ اليَومَ حينَ يَصيحُ

يُجيبُ صَداهُ اليَومَ حينَ يَصيحُ

And between you and Layla lies a broad, far-stretching waste,

Beyond Layla is an abandoned camp,

whose echo answers today when someone calls.

Whose echo answers when it calls out.

يَظَلُّ بِها سِربُ القَطا مُتَحَيِّراً

يَظَلُّ بِها سِربُ القَطا مُتَحَيِّراً

إِذا ماجَ بَحرُ الآلِ وَهُوَ يَلوحُ

إِذا ماجَ بَحرُ الآلِ وَهُوَ يَلوحُ

A flock of sandgrouse remains bewildered there

The flock of wild doves wanders about confused,

when the sea of mirage surges as it shimmers.

When the sea of kin stirs and beckons.

تَجوبُ مِنَ البَيداءِ كَدراءَ جَونَةً

تَجوبُ مِنَ البَيداءِ كَدراءَ جَونَةً

سَماوِيَّةٌ عُجلي النَجاءِ طَموحُ

سَماوِيَّةٌ عُجلي النَجاءِ طَموحُ

A dusky, dark-plumed bird crosses the wilderness,

She roams the desert vigorously,

a bird of Samawah, swift in flight and far-ranging.

A heavenly one eager for success.

تَبادَرَ جَوناً تَنسُجُ الريحُ مَتنُهُ

تَبادَرَ جَوناً تَنسُجُ الريحُ مَتنُهُ

لَهُ حَبَبٌ في جانِبَيهِ يَسيحُ

لَهُ حَبَبٌ في جانِبَيهِ يَسيحُ

She races to a dark pool whose surface the wind weaves;

She races the wind as it weaves her sail,

bubbles flow along both its sides.

With loved ones on either side waving.

عَلَيهِ دِفاقٌ في الغُدَيّاتِ وارِدٌ

عَلَيهِ دِفاقٌ في الغُدَيّاتِ وارِدٌ

وَآخَرُ في بُردِ العَشيِّ يَروحُ

وَآخَرُ في بُردِ العَشيِّ يَروحُ

A teeming flock comes to it in the early mornings,

With visitors in the mornings and others

and another comes in the cool of evening.

Leaving in the cool of night.

فَعَبَّت وَعَبَّ السِربُ حَتّى إِذا اِرتَوَت

فَعَبَّت وَعَبَّ السِربُ حَتّى إِذا اِرتَوَت

ذَكَرنَ فِراخاً دونَهُنَّ طُروحُ

ذَكَرنَ فِراخاً دونَهُنَّ طُروحُ

She drank deeply, and the flock drank, until she had drunk her fill;

She raced and so did the flock until sated,

they remembered chicks a great distance away from them.

Remembering chicks left behind.

مَلَأنَ أَداوي لَم يَشِنهُنَّ خارِزٌ

مَلَأنَ أَداوي لَم يَشِنهُنَّ خارِزٌ

بِسَيرٍ وَلا يُلغي بِهِنَّ جُروحُ

بِسَيرٍ وَلا يُلغي بِهِنَّ جُروحُ

They filled waterskins no leather-stitcher had marred

They filled their craws fearing no harm

with a leather thong; no wounds are found in them.

From traveling or incurable wounds.

فَطِرنَ يُبادِرُ الضِياءَ تَقَدَّمَت

فَطِرنَ يُبادِرُ الضِياءَ تَقَدَّمَت

عَلَيهُنَّ مِغلاةُ النَجاءِ طَموحُ

عَلَيهُنَّ مِغلاةُ النَجاءِ طَموحُ

Then they flew, racing the daylight; she led the way,

They set out to meet the light lead

ahead of them, far-ranging and exceedingly swift in flight,

By the eager and towering group.

إِلى اِبنِ ثَلاثٍ بِالفَلاةِ كَأَنَّما

إِلى اِبنِ ثَلاثٍ بِالفَلاةِ كَأَنَّما

بِجَنبيهِ مِن لَفحِ السُمومِ جُروحُ

بِجَنبيهِ مِن لَفحِ السُمومِ جُروحُ

to a chick three nights old in the wilderness, as though

To a three month old chick in the waste, as though

his two flanks bore wounds from the simoom’s scorching blast.

His sides were wounded by the poison's blaze.

فَظَلَّت تُسَقّيهِ نِطافَ إِداوَةٍ

فَظَلَّت تُسَقّيهِ نِطافَ إِداوَةٍ

لَهُ غَبقَةٌ مِن فَضلِها وَصَبوحُ

لَهُ غَبقَةٌ مِن فَضلِها وَصَبوحُ

So she kept giving him drops from a waterskin;

She kept feeding him sips of medicine,

from its surplus he had an evening draught and a morning drink.

As dawn's first glow and left overs sustain him.