Was that Layla's Flame?

English Translation

Was that Layla's flame that shone through the veils of night upon Zusalam,
    or lightning's flash from the vales around Al-Alam and Zawra?

Have you but a sigh of dawn for me, O winds about Na'man?
     Have you but a sip to offer me, O waters of Wajra?

O driver of laden camels rolling up the wayless sands
     like a scroll of mighty writ beside the Sagebrush of Idam,

Turn aside at the guarded safeground -God be your shepherd!- and seek the way
     To yonder Lotus thicket, to the myrtle and laurel bay.

Then halt at Mount Sal and ask at the curling vale of Raqmateyn:
     Have the tamarisks grown and touched at last in the livening weep of the rain?

If you've crossed the river of Arqadi in the morn-light, I implore you
     By God, be unabashed and offer them my heartfelt "Salam"

Tell everybody this: I have left behind a heartfelt man
     Alive as a dead man, adding plague to plague through your domains.

From my heart like a burning bush there spreads a fire of more than flame.
     From my eyes the pouring tears are like a ceaseless season of rains.

For such is the lovers' law: not one limb of the mortal body
     Can ever be freed of pain when bound in love with a gazelle.

You ignoramus! You who defame and shame me for my love!
     Desist and learn. You would not blame me, had you known love as well.

My oath by the sacred union, by the ancient love and by
     That covenant's communion and all the things of times gone by:

No consolation, no replacement turned me away from loving
     For the whims of change and solace have no part in what I am.

Return the slumber to my eyes, and then perhaps I will see you
     Visit my bed in the recklessness of dream as a revenant shade.

Alas for our days at Kheyf! Had they but lasted each tenfold!
     Alas for me, alas at how the last day can never last.

If only my grief could cure me, oh if only the "oh" of my woe
     And my remorse could ever recover anything that has passed

Gazelles of the winding dell! Be kind and turn away from me
     For I have bound my gaze to look on nobody but my love

In deference to a Judge who has decreed a wondrous fatwa
     That my blood be shed in every month, the sacred and profane.

Deaf, he did not hear my plea. Dumb, he could not reply.
      He is stricken blind to the plight of one who is stricken with desire.

Ibn al Farid

Original Arabic

هَلْ نارُ لَيلَى بَدَتْ لَيلاً بِذي سَلَمِ أمْ بارِقٌ لاحَ في ٱلزَّوراءِ فٱلعَلَمِ

أَرْواحَ نَعْمانَ, هَلَّا نَسْمَةٌ سَحَراً وَماءَ وَجْرةَ, هَلَّا نَهْلَة ٌ بِفَمِ

يا سائِقَ ٱلظَّعْنِ يَطْوي البِيدَ مُعْتَسِفاً طيَّ ٱلسِّجِلِّ، بِذاتِ ٱلشِّيحِ مِن إضَمِ

عُجْ بٱلحِمَى يا رَعاكَ اللَّهُ، مُعتَمِداً خَمِيلَةَ ٱلضَّالِ ذاتَ ٱلرَّنْدِ وٱلخُزُمِ

وَقِفْ بِسَلْعٍ وَسَلْ بٱلجِزْعِ هَلْ مُطِرَتْ بٱلرَّقْمَتَينِ أُثَيلَاتٌ بِمُنْسَجِمِ

نَاشَدْتُكَ اللَّهَ إنْ جُزْتَ ٱلعَقِيقَ ضُحًى فاقْرَ ٱلسَّلامَ عَلَيهِمْ، غَيرَ مُحْتَشِمِ

وقُلْ تَرَكْتُ صَرِيعاً، في دِيارِكُمُ، حَيّاً كَمَيِّتٍ يُعِيرُ ٱلسُّقْمَ للسَّقَمِ

فَمِنْ فُؤادي لَهيبٌ نابَ عنْ قَبَسٍ، وَمنْ جُفوني دَمْعٌ فاضَ كٱلدِّيَمِ

وهذهِ سنَّةُ ٱلعشَّاقِ ما عَلِقوا بِشادِنٍ، فَخَلا عُضْوٌ منَ ٱلألَمِ

يالائماً لامَني في حبِّهِمْ سَفَهاً كُفَّ ٱلمَلامَ، فلو أحبَبْتَ لمْ تَلُمِ

وحُرْمَةِ ٱلوَصْلِ، وٱلوِدِّ ٱلعتيقِ، وبٱلْـعَهْدِ ٱلوَثيقِ وما قدْ كانَ في ٱلقِدَمِ

ما حُلتُ عَنْهُمْ بِسُلْوانٍ ولابَدَلٍ ليسَ ٱلتَّبدُّلُ وٱلسُّلوانُ منْ شِيَمي

رُدُّوا ٱلرُّقادَ لِجَفْني عَلَّ طَيفَكُمُ بِمَضْجَعي زائرٌ في غَفْلَةِ ٱلحُلُمِ

آهاً لأيّامِنا بٱلخَيْفِ، لَو بَقِيَتْ عَشراً وواهاً عَلَيها كَيفَ لمْ تَدمِ

هَيهاتَ وا أسَفي لو كانَ يَنْفَعُني أوْ كانَ يُجْدِي على ما فاتَ وانَدَمي

عَنِّي إلَيكُمْ ظِباءَ ٱلمُنْحَنَى كَرَماً عَهِدْتُ طَرْفيَ لم يَنْظُرْ لِغَيرِهِمِ

طَوعاً لِقاضٍ أتى في حُكمِهِ عَجَباً، أفتى بِسَفْكِ دمي في ٱلحِلِّ وٱلحَرَمِ

أصَمُّ لَمْ يُصْغِ للشّكوَى ، وأَبْكَمُ لَم يُحِرْجواباً وَعَنْ حالِ ٱلمَشوقِ عَمِي

Umar ibn `Alī ibn al-Fārid) (1181-1235)