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Majnoun Layla -A Story of Love and Loyalty in the Umayyad Era - Learn Arabic Through Short Stories with English Subtitles

Learn Arabic Through Short Stories with English Subtitles - Listen, Read, and Do the Comprehension Quiz

 

Are you learning Arabic and looking for engaging content that improves your listening, reading, and comprehension? You're in the right place!

In this post, I’m sharing a short story in Arabic with English translation, based on Majnoun Layla, one of the most famous love stories in Arabic literature.

This story is part of my YouTube series, Learn Arabic through Short Stories for Beginners, with English Subtitles – designed for beginners and A1–B1 learners of Modern Standard Arabic (MSA).It includes:

  • 📖 Arabic text with tashkeel (vowel markings)

  • 📃 Full English translation

  • 📺 Subtitled video format for learners

  • 🌍 Real cultural insights + moral reflection

  • 🎧 Clear, slow narration, ideal for learners studying on their own or in class

Why Learn Arabic Through Stories?

Stories offer context, emotion, and repetition, exactly what language learners need! Instead of memorizing word lists, you hear real vocabulary used in natural sentence structures and meaningful themes.

Using comprehensible input through storytelling is a proven way to improve:

  • Arabic listening skills

  • Reading fluency

  • Vocabulary retention

  • Cultural awareness


Step 1: Watch the Full Story Here:



Step 2: Read the Full Story Here:


كانَ قَيْسُ بْنُ الْمُلَوَّحِ صَبِيًّا صَغِيرًا فِي الْعَصْرِ الْأُمَوِيِّ، عِنْدَمَا رَأَى لَيْلَى الْعامِرِيَّةَ فِي الْكُتَّابِ.

Qays ibn al-Mulawwah was a young boy during the Umayyad era when he saw Layla al-Amiriyya at the kuttab (traditional school).

 

وَمُنْذُ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ أَحَبَّهَا حُبًّا عَظِيمًا.

And from that day, he loved her deeply.

 

بَدَأَ قَيْسٌ يَكْتُبُ قَصَائِدَ الْحُبِّ لِـلَيْلَى، وَيُنْشِدُهَا فِي الطُّرُقَاتِ.

Qays began writing love poems for Layla and reciting them in the streets.

 

وَبِسَبَبِ حُبِّهِ الْكَبِيرِ، أَطْلَقَ عَلَيْهِ النَّاسُ لَقَبَ "مَجْنُون".

And because of his great love, people gave him the nickname "Majnoun" (the Madman).

 

طَلَبَ مَجْنُونٌ الزَّوَاجَ مِنْ لَيْلَى، وَلَكِنَّ أَبَاهَا رَفَضَ، وَزَوَّجَهَا لِرَجُلٍ آخَرَ كَبِيرٍ فِي السِّنِّ مِنْ قَرْيَةٍ أُخْرَى.

“Majnoun” asked to marry Layla, but her father refused and married her to another older man from a nearby village.

 

حَزِنَ مَجْنُونٌ حُزْنًا شَدِيدًا، وَتَرَكَ الْبَلَدَ، وَعَاشَ فِي الْبَرِّيَّةِ بَيْنَ الْحَيَوَانَاتِ، يَكْتُبُ الشِّعْرَ وَيَبْكِي حُبَّهُ لِـلَيْلَى.

“Majnoun” became deeply saddened, left the town, and lived in the wilderness among the animals, writing poetry and mourning his love for Layla.


أَمَّا لَيْلَى فَلَمْ تُحِبَّ زَوْجَهَا، وَبَقِيَ قَلْبُهَا مَعَ مَجْنُونٍ، وَلَكِنَّهَا ظَلَّتْ زَوْجَةً وَفِيَّةً.

As for Layla, she did not love her husband, and her heart remained with “Majnoun”, but she stayed a loyal wife.

 

مَرَّتِ السِّنُونُ، وَمَاتَ وَالِدَا مَجْنُونٍ.

The years passed, and Majnoun's parents died.

 

بَلَغَهُ الْخَبَرُ فِي الْبَرِّيَّةِ، وَزَادَ حُزْنُهُ، وَأَقْسَمَ أَنْ يَبْقَى وَحِيدًا فِي الصَّحْرَاءِ.

The news reached him in the wilderness, and his sorrow grew stronger, and he vowed to remain alone in the desert.

 

بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ، تُوُفِّيَ زَوْجُ لَيْلَى.

After that, Layla's husband died.

 

وَبِحَسَبِ التَّقَالِيدِ، اضْطُرَّتْ لَيْلَى أَنْ تَنْتَظِرَ سَنَتَيْنِ فِي الْحِدَادِ دُونَ أَنْ تَرَى أَحَدًا.

And according to tradition, Layla had to wait two years in mourning without seeing anyone.

 

لَمْ تُطِقْ لَيْلَى هَذِهِ الْعُزْلَةَ، وَمَاتَتْ مِنَ الْحُزْنِ وَالْفِرَاقِ.

Layla could not bear this isolation and died from sadness and separation.

 

عِنْدَمَا عَلِمَ مَجْنُونٌ بِمَوْتِهَا، ذَهَبَ إِلَى قَبْرِهَا، وَبَكَى طَوِيلًا حَتَّى مَاتَ هُوَ أَيْضًا جَانِبَهَا.

When “Majnoun” learned of her death, he went to her grave, wept for a long time, and died beside her.

 

وَكَانَ مِمَّا قَالَهُ مَجْنُونٌ فِي أَشْعَارِهِ:

And among the verses “Majnoun” said in his poetry:

 

أَمُرُّ عَلَى الدِّيَارِ دِيَارِ لَيْلَى

I pass by the walls, the walls of Layla,

وَأُقَبِّلُ ذَا الْجِدَارَ وَذَا الْجِدَارَ

اAnd I kiss this wall and that wall,

وَمَا حُبُّ الدِّيَارِ شَغَفْنَ قَلْبِي

It is not the love of the walls that has filled my heart,

وَلَكِنْ حُبُّ مَنْ سَكَنَ الدِّيَارَا

But the love of the one who lived inside the walls.


العِبْرَةُ مِنَ القِصَّةِ:

الحُبُّ الحقيقيُّ لا يَتَغَيَّرُ مع الزمانِ أو المكانِ.الوَفاءُ والإخلاصُ يبقيانِ حتى لو فَرَّقَتِ الحياةُ بين الأحبَّةِ.وأحيانًا، لا تكونُ النِّهايةُ كما نحلمُ، ولكنَّ الذكرى تبقى خالدةً في القلوبِ.


Moral of the story:

True love does not change with time or place. Loyalty and devotion remain even if life separates loved ones. Sometimes, the ending is not as we dream, but the memory remains forever in the hearts.


Step3: Comprehension Quiz:

Test your understanding of the story!


Multiple Choice Questions:

. ماذا كانَ يَفْعَلُ مَجْنُونُ لَيْلى فِي الصَّحْرَاءِ؟

(What was Majnoun Layla doing in the desert?)

أ) يَصْطادُ الحَيواناتِ

ب) يَكْتُبُ الشِّعْرَ عَنْ لَيْلى

ج) يَبْحثُ عَنْ كَنْزٍ

 

٢. كَيْفَ عَلِمَ "مَجْنُونٌ" بِمَوْتِ وَالِدَيْهِ؟

(How did Majnoun learn about the death of his parents?)

أ) بَلَغَهُ الخَبَرُ في الصَّحْراءِ

ب) رآهُمْ في حُلْمٍ

ج) عادَ إلى المَنْزِلِ وعَرِفَ بِذَلِكَ

 

٣. ماذا فَعَلَ مَجْنُونُ لَيْلى بَعْدَ مَوْتِها؟

(What did Majnoun Layla do after her death?)

أ) عادَ إلى بيْتِهِ

ب) تزوَّجَ فَتاةً أُخْرى

ج) ذهبَ إلى قَبْرِها وَبَكى حَتّى ماتَ

 

 

Fill in the Blanks

_______ مَجْنُونٌ الزَّوَاجَ مِنْ لَيْلَى، وَلَكِنَّ أَبَاهَا رَفَضَ، وَزَوَّجَهَا لِرَجُلٍ آخَرَ كَبِيرٍ فِي السِّنِّ مِنْ قَرْيَةٍ أُخْرَى.

أ) أحَبَّ

ب) طَلَبَ

ج) رَفَضَ

 


Answers

ب

أ

ج

ب

 


  • Arabic stories for language learners

  • Arabic short story with English subtitles

  • Modern Standard Arabic listening practice

  • Learn Arabic through stories

  • Arabic moral stories with translation

  • Arabic for beginners with audio

  • Arabic reading with tashkeel

  • Arabic listening practice MSA


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