إِلفانِtwo lovers كاناthey both were لِهَذاfor this الوَصلِthe union قَدalready خُلِقاthey both were created
إِلفانِ كانا لِهَذا الوَصلِ قَد خُلِقا
داماthey both remained عَلَيهِin it وَدامَand endured الحُبُّlove فَاِتَّفَقاso they were in harmony
داما عَلَيهِ وَدامَ الحُبُّ فَاِتَّفَقا
Two lovers had been created for this union.
Two companions were made for this union
Two lovers they were, created destined for this union,
They held to it, and love endured, so they were in harmony.
Long may it last, long may love unite them
They persisted within it, and love persisted, so they beat as one,
كاناthey both were كَغُصنَينِlike two branches فيin ساقٍa trunk فَشانَهُماthen marred them both
كانا كَغُصنَينِ في ساقٍ فَشانَهُما
رَيبُvicissitudes الزَمانِtime وَصَرفُand the reversals الدَهرِtime فَاِنفَلَقاso they both split apart
رَيبُ الزَمانِ وَصَرفُ الدَهرِ فَاِنفَلَقا
They were like two branches on one trunk; then they were marred
They were like two branches on one tree
They were like two branches upon a single stem, until they were marred
By time's vicissitudes and its reversals, and they split apart.
Time's harm and the days' change split them
By the trials of time and the turns of fate, so they were cleft apart,
وَاِصفَرَّand turned yellow عودٌa bough لَهاbelonging to it مِنfrom بَعدِafter خُضرَتِهِits greenness
وَاِصفَرَّ عودٌ لَها مِن بَعدِ خُضرَتِهِ
وَأَسقَطَand caused to fall البَينُseparation عَنfrom أَغصانِهِits branches الوَرَقاthe leaves
وَأَسقَطَ البَينُ عَن أَغصانِهِ الوَرَقا
And one of its boughs turned yellow after being green,
A sapling of theirs yellowed after greenness
And the wood turned yellow, withering after its lush greenness,
And separation made the leaves fall from its branches.
Separation stripped leaves off its boughs
And separation stripped the leaves from its branches,
باتَتspent the night عُيونُهُماtheir eyes لِلبَينِbecause of separation ساهِرَةًwakeful
باتَت عُيونُهُما لِلبَينِ ساهِرَةً
وَلِلفِراقِand because of parting وَلَولاand were it not for البَينُseparation ماnot اِفتَرَقاthey both parted
وَلِلفِراقِ وَلَولا البَينُ ما اِفتَرَقا
Their eyes stayed wakeful through the night because of separation
Their eyes kept sleepless, vigil for separation
Their eyes spent the night sleepless because of the severance,
And parting; but for separation, they would not have parted.
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.