وَلَمّا اِلتَقَينا وَالرّقيب بِنَجْوةٍ

وَلَمّا اِلتَقَينا وَالرّقيب بِنَجْوةٍ

وَقَد حانَ مِن شَمسِ النّهارِ مَغيبُ

وَقَد حانَ مِن شَمسِ النّهارِ مَغيبُ

And when we met, with the watcher far away,

When we met, the watcher being distracted,

And the time had come for the day's sun to set,

And the sun was setting in the evening glow,

أَبَحْنا الهَوى ما شاءَ مِنّا وَرُوِّيَتْ

أَبَحْنا الهَوى ما شاءَ مِنّا وَرُوِّيَتْ

عُيونٌ ظِماءٌ في الهَوى وَقُلوبُ

عُيونٌ ظِماءٌ في الهَوى وَقُلوبُ

We granted love whatever it wished of us, and quenched were

We expressed our love however we wished,

Eyes thirsty for love, and hearts.

Thirsty eyes were quenched, and hearts were fulfilled.

فَلَم تَكُ إِلّا ساعةً ثُمَّ زعزع ال

فَلَم تَكُ إِلّا ساعةً ثُمَّ زعزع ال

تَلاقي شمالٌ لِلنّوى وجنوبُ

تَلاقي شمالٌ لِلنّوى وجنوبُ

So it lasted but an hour; then shaken was the

It lasted barely an hour before fate shook

Meeting by separation's north wind and south wind.

Our meeting - the South wind blew North.

ولولا النّوى ما كان للدهر زلّةٌ

ولولا النّوى ما كان للدهر زلّةٌ

ولا لِلَّيالي الماضياتِ عيوبُ

ولا لِلَّيالي الماضياتِ عيوبُ

And were it not for separation, Time would have no failing,

If not for fate, time would have no missteps,

Nor would the nights gone by have any flaws.

Nor past nights any faults.