اللَهُ يَعلَمُ وَالأَيّامُ دائِرَةٌ

اللَهُ يَعلَمُ وَالأَيّامُ دائِرَةٌ

وَالمَرءُ ما بَينَ إيحاشٍ وَإِيناسِ

وَالمَرءُ ما بَينَ إيحاشٍ وَإِيناسِ

God knows—while the days wheel round—

God knows, while the days turn,

and man stands between estrangement and companionship,

and one lives between loneliness and companionship,

أَنّي أُحِبُّكِ حُبّاً لَو تَضَمَّنَهُ

أَنّي أُحِبُّكِ حُبّاً لَو تَضَمَّنَهُ

سَلمى سُمِيُّكِ دُكَّ الشاهِقُ الراسي

سَلمى سُمِيُّكِ دُكَّ الشاهِقُ الراسي

that I love you with a love which, if it were borne by

that I love you with a love that, if borne by

Salmā, your namesake—the towering, rooted mountain—would be leveled:

Salmā, your namesake, would crush that towering, firmly rooted mountain;

حُبّاً تَلَبَّسَ بِالأَحشاءِ فَاِمتَزَجا

حُبّاً تَلَبَّسَ بِالأَحشاءِ فَاِمتَزَجا

تَمازُجَ الماءِ بِالصَهباءِ في الكَأسِ

تَمازُجَ الماءِ بِالصَهباءِ في الكَأسِ

a love that possessed my innermost being, until the two intermingled

a love that entwined itself with my innards, and the two mingled

as water mingles with red wine in the cup.

as water mingles with tawny wine in the cup.