Qays ibn al‑Mulawwah (c. 530 – c. 600 CE) is the historic figure behind the timeless love legend of Majnūn and Layla. His story has inspired countless poets, musicians, painters and filmmakers across the Arab world and beyond. While the romantic narrative grew over centuries, the surviving verses attributed to Qays provide a rare glimpse into the sensibility of a desert‑born poet who turned his own heartbreak into a universal language of longing.

Many university scholars have uploaded critical excerpts. Search for "Majnun Layla: A Critical Edition of his Poetry" by Dr. Abdullah al-Ghazal. The author often permits free PDF downloads for research purposes.

If you are looking for the text or a PDF download, here are the best reliable sources:

While Project Gutenberg is famous for Western classics, its Arabic section (under Kitab al-Aghani – The Book of Songs) contains chapters dedicated to Qays’ poems. You can download these as PDFs.