لستُI do not أنسىforget ليالياًnights قدalready تَقضَّتْhave passed
لستُ أنسى ليالياً قد تَقضَّتْ
بوِصالٍin union وطِيبand sweetness عَيْشٍof life بمغْنَىin an abode
بوِصالٍ وطِيب عَيْشٍ بمغْنَى
I do not forget nights that have passed
In union and the sweetness of life in an abode.
كمhow often قضَيْناwe fulfilled بهاin them لُبانةَa longing أُنْسٍfor companionship
كم قضَيْنا بها لُبانةَ أُنْسٍ
وظفرْناand we won بكُلِّall of ماwhat نَتمنّىwe wish for
وظفرْنا بكُلِّ ما نَتمنّى
How often in them we fulfilled our longing for companionship,
And won all that we wished for.
حيثwhere غُصْنُthe bough الشّبابِof youth رَيّانُlush منfrom ماwater (first part of the split word)
حيث غُصْنُ الشّبابِ رَيّانُ من ما
ءِcompletion of the split word 'water' صِباهُits early youth معَwith الهوَىlove يتَثنَّىsways
ءِ صِباهُ معَ الهوَى يتَثنَّى
Where youth's bough was lush with the water
Of its early youth, swaying with love.
قدindeed أتَتْthey came بَغتةًsuddenly وولّتْand they departed سِراعاًswiftly
قد أتَتْ بَغتةً وولّتْ سِراعاً
كطُّروقِlike a night visit الخيالِof a phantom مُذْwhen زارَit visited وَهناlate at night
كطُّروقِ الخيالِ مُذْ زارَ وَهنا
They came suddenly and departed swiftly,
Like a phantom's night visit, when it came late at night.
أتُرىdo you suppose هلwhether تَعودُthey will return ليto me بالتدانيdrawing near
أتُرى هل تَعودُ لي بالتداني
ومُحالٌthough it is impossible جَمْعيmy reunion بهاwith them أوor تُثَنّىthey be repeated
ومُحالٌ جَمْعي بها أو تُثَنّى
Will they, I wonder, return and draw near to me,
Though reunion with them, or their recurrence, is impossible?
غيرَbut أنّيthat I أُعلِّلُI console النَّفْسَthe soul عنهاover their absence
غيرَ أنّي أُعلِّلُ النَّفْسَ عنها
بالأمانيwith hopes الكِذابِfalse وَهْماًin delusion ووَهْناand in weakness
بالأماني الكِذابِ وَهْماً ووَهْنا
Yet I console my soul over their absence
With false hopes, in delusion and weakness.
أتمنَّىI wish for تلكthose اللّياليnights المُنيراradiant (first part of the split word)
أتمنَّى تلك اللّيالي المُنيرا
تِfeminine plural ending of 'radiant' وجَهْدُand the utmost effort المُحِبِّof the lover أَنto يتَمنّىwish
تِ وجَهْدُ المُحِبِّ أَن يتَمنّى
I wish for those radiant nights,
And all a lover can do is wish.