Translation:
If only they understood the subtleties of Layla’s love
Her love would be all they needed to experience of love
If he meets someone from Layla’s neighborhood
he’ll abase himself before him and fall to pieces
If not for her, he wouldn’t have been abased
Kissing this wall and that
until he becomes carried away in love for her
winking at other than her, while she has her disguises
Original:
وَلَوْ فَهِمُوا دَقَائِقَ حُبِّ لَيْلَىٰ
كَفَاهُمِ فِي صَبَابَتِهِ اخْتِبَارَا
إِذْ يَبْدُو امْرُؤٌ بحَيِّ لَيْلَىٰ
يَذِلُّ لَهُ وَيَنْكَسِرُ انْكِسَارَا
وَلَوْلاَهَا لَمَا أَضْحَى ذَلِيلاً
يُقَبِّلُ دَا الجِدَارَا وَدَا الجِدَارَا
إِلَى أَنْ صَارَ غَيِّبًا فِي هَوَاهَا
يُشِيرُ لِغَيْرِهَا وَلَهَا أَشَارَا
Translation:
The slave to love is well-pleased with his madness.
Let him wear out his life even as he will.
Reprove him not; your blame will nothing serve:
Forsaking love is not his religion.
I swear by him for whom ‘Aqīq is mentioned–
a lover’s oath by his beloved—none
But ye are mine; yet have I to repent me
Remissness in loving, waveringness.
Why, when I hear the dove coo in the glade,
Why yearn I ever at his sorrowing?
And though his way is weeping without tears,
When the lover weeps, the tears pour from his eyes.
translation from Martin Lings’ Sufi Poetry: A Medieval Anthology p. 88
Original:
رَضِىَ المُتَيّمُ فِي الهَوىٰ بِجُنونِهِ
خَلُّوهُ يَفْنَىٰ عُمْرِهِ بفُنُونِهِ
لا تَعْذِلُوهُ فَلَيْسَ يَنْفَعْ عَذْلُكُمْ
ليس السلو عن الهوى من دينه
قَسَمًا بَمَنْ ذُكِرَ العَقِيقَ لأجْلِهِ
قَسَمَ المُحِبِ بِحُبِّهِ ويَمِينِهِ
مَالي سِواكُمُ غَيْرَ أني تائِبٌ
عَن فَاتِراتِ الحُبِّ أو تَلوينِهِ
مالي إذا هَتَفَ الحَمامُ بأيْكةٍ
أبداً أحِنْ لشَجْوِهِ وشِجُونِهِ
وإذا البُكَاءُ بِغَيْرِ دَمْعٍ دأبُهُ
والصَبُّ يَجْرِي دَمْعِهِ بِعِيونِهِ
