مَرحَباًwelcome بِالأَحِبَّةِto the loved ones القادِميناwho are arriving
مَرحَباً بِالأَحِبَّةِ القادِمينا
فَلَعَمريfor, by my life لَطالَindeed, it has lasted long ماthat (nominalizing particle) أَوحَشوناthey made us lonely
فَلَعَمري لَطالَ ما أَوحَشونا
Welcome to the loved ones arriving!
Welcome, O beloved ones who've arrived
For, by my life, they have left us lonely for so long.
By my life, your absence pained me for far too long
إِنَّماonly أَذكُرُI mention الجِوارَliving as neighbors إِذاwhen شَطّwent far away (verb continued below)
إِنَّما أَذكُرُ الجِوارَ إِذا شَطّ
واthey (plural ending of the preceding verb) ليَخفىso that it may remain hidden الهَوىlove عَلىfrom العالَميناall people
وا ليَخفى الهَوى عَلى العالَمينا
I mention our being neighbors only when they go far—
I only mention the neighbors when you journey afar
—away, so that love may stay hidden from all the world.
So my love for you is hidden from all people
وَإِذاand when الدارُthe house مَرَّةًonce جَمَعَتناbrought us together
وَإِذا الدارُ مَرَّةً جَمَعَتنا
قُلتُI said وَاحَسرَتاalas, my sorrow! عَلىfor الظاعِنيناthose departing
قُلتُ وَاحَسرَتا عَلى الظاعِنينا
And when the house brings us together once,
And when the house gathers us together again
I say, 'Alas for those departing!'
I'll say "Woe to those who slandered us"
وَالهَوىand love لَيسَnot يَعلَمُهُknows it إِلّاexcept اللَGod (first part of the split name)
وَالهَوى لَيسَ يَعلَمُهُ إِلّا اللَ
هُcompletion of the split name 'God' وَالناسُand people يُكثِرونَmultiply الظُنوناconjectures
هُ وَالناسُ يُكثِرونَ الظُنونا
And none knows love except
None know of our love except Allah
God, while people make many conjectures.
Yet people suspect much