إِلفانِ كانا لِهَذا الوَصلِ قَد خُلِقا

داما عَلَيهِ وَدامَ الحُبُّ فَاِتَّفَقا

Two companions were made for this union

Two lovers they were, created destined for this union,

Long may it last, long may love unite them

They persisted within it, and love persisted, so they beat as one,

كانا كَغُصنَينِ في ساقٍ فَشانَهُما

رَيبُ الزَمانِ وَصَرفُ الدَهرِ فَاِنفَلَقا

They were like two branches on one tree

They were like two branches upon a single stem, until they were marred

Time's harm and the days' change split them

By the trials of time and the turns of fate, so they were cleft apart,

وَاِصفَرَّ عودٌ لَها مِن بَعدِ خُضرَتِهِ

وَأَسقَطَ البَينُ عَن أَغصانِهِ الوَرَقا

A sapling of theirs yellowed after greenness

And the wood turned yellow, withering after its lush greenness,

Separation stripped leaves off its boughs

And separation stripped the leaves from its branches,

باتَت عُيونُهُما لِلبَينِ ساهِرَةً

وَلِلفِراقِ وَلَولا البَينُ ما اِفتَرَقا

Their eyes kept sleepless, vigil for separation

Their eyes spent the night sleepless because of the severance,

And for parting - had it not been for parting, they'd not parted

And the farewell; for were it not for the Parting, they would not have parted.