كَيفَhow بِصاحِبٍwith a friend إِنif أَدنُI draw near مِنهُto him
كَيفَ بِصاحِبٍ إِن أَدنُ مِنهُ
يَزِدنيhe increases it for me فيin مُباعَدَةٍdistance ذِراعاby a cubit
يَزِدني في مُباعَدَةٍ ذِراعا
How can I deal with a friend who, if I draw near to him,
How am I to deal with a friend who, if I draw near him,
adds a cubit to the distance he keeps from me?
Increases the distance between us by a cubit?
وَإِنand if أَمدُدI stretch out لَهُto him فيin الوَصلِfriendship ذَرعيmy arm's reach
وَإِن أَمدُد لَهُ في الوَصلِ ذَرعي
يَزِدنيhe increases it for me فَوقَbeyond قيسِthe measure of الذَرعِthe arm's reach باعاby a fathom
يَزِدني فَوقَ قيسِ الذَرعِ باعا
And if I reach out my arm to him in fellowship,
And if I stretch out my arm to him in friendship,
he widens the distance beyond a cubit’s measure to a fathom.
He draws back a fathom beyond my arm's reach.
أَبَتrefused نَفسيmy soul لَهُwith him إِلّاanything but وِصالاًcloseness
أَبَت نَفسي لَهُ إِلّا وِصالاً
وَتَأبىand refuses نَفسُهُhis soul إِلّاanything but اِنقِطاعاseparation
وَتَأبى نَفسُهُ إِلّا اِنقِطاعا
My soul refuses to offer him anything but closeness,
My soul has insisted on nothing but closeness with him,
while his soul refuses anything but separation.
While his soul insists on nothing but separation.
كِلاناboth of us جاهِدٌstriving أَدنوI draw near وَينأىand he draws away
كِلانا جاهِدٌ أَدنو وَينأى
كَذَلِكَthus ماas long as اِستَطَعتُI am able وَماand as long as اِستَطاعاhe is able
كَذَلِكَ ما اِستَطَعتُ وَما اِستَطاعا
We both strive: I draw near, and he draws away—
Both of us strive: I draw near, and he draws away,
thus, as far as I am able, and as far as he is able.
And so it goes, as long as I can and he can.
