وَرُبَّand many a يَومٍday أَخَذناwe took فيهِon it لَذَّتَناour pleasure
وَرُبَّ يَومٍ أَخَذنا فيهِ لَذَّتَنا
مِنَfrom الزَمانِtime بِلاwithout خَوفٍfear وَلاnor وَجَلِdread
مِنَ الزَمانِ بِلا خَوفٍ وَلا وَجَلِ
And many a day we took our pleasure
from time, with neither fear nor dread.
كُنّاwe were نُؤَمِّلُهُhoping for it فيin الدَهرِa lifetime واحِدَةًonce
كُنّا نُؤَمِّلُهُ في الدَهرِ واحِدَةً
فَجاءَناso it came to us بِالَّذيwith what يوفيsurpasses عَلىabove الأَمَلِhope
فَجاءَنا بِالَّذي يوفي عَلى الأَمَلِ
We had hoped for it just once in a lifetime,
and it brought us more than we had hoped.
وَرُبَّand many a لَيلٍnight مَنَعناwe barred مِنfrom أَوائِلِهِits first hours
وَرُبَّ لَيلٍ مَنَعنا مِن أَوائِلِهِ
إِلىuntil الصَباحِmorning جَوازَthe passage of النَومِsleep بِالمُقَلِthrough the eyes
إِلى الصَباحِ جَوازَ النَومِ بِالمُقَلِ
And many a night we barred, from its first hours
until dawn, sleep's passage through our eyes.
بِتناwe spent the night ضَجيعَينِtwo bedfellows فيin ثَوبِthe robe of الظَلامِdarkness كَماjust as
بِتنا ضَجيعَينِ في ثَوبِ الظَلامِ كَما
لَفَّentwined الغُصَينَينِthe two little branches مَرُّthe passing of الريحِthe wind بِالأُصُلِat dusk
لَفَّ الغُصَينَينِ مَرُّ الريحِ بِالأُصُلِ
We lay all night together in darkness's robe, as
the wind's sweep at dusk entwined two slender branches.
طَوراًat times عِناقاًin an embrace كَأَنَّas though القَلبَthe heart مِنfrom كَثَبٍnearby
طَوراً عِناقاً كَأَنَّ القَلبَ مِن كَثَبٍ
يَشكوcomplains إِلىto القَلبِthe heart ماwhat فيهِis within it مِنَof الغُلَلِburning thirsts
يَشكو إِلى القَلبِ ما فيهِ مِنَ الغُلَلِ
At times embracing, as though one heart, close by,
complained to the other of the burning thirst within.
وَتارَةًand at other times رَشَفاتٌsips لاno اِنقِضاءَend لَهاto them
وَتارَةً رَشَفاتٌ لا اِنقِضاءَ لَها
شُربَlike the drinking of النَزيفِthe parched man طَوىhe joined عَلّاًa second draught عَلىupon نَهَلِa first draught
شُربَ النَزيفِ طَوى عَلّاً عَلى نَهَلِ
And at others, sips without end,
like a parched man drinking, joining a second draught to the first.
وَكَمand how many سَرَقناwe stole عَلىin defiance of الأَيّامِthe days مِنof قُبَلٍkisses
وَكَم سَرَقنا عَلى الأَيّامِ مِن قُبَلٍ
خَوفَfor fear of الرَقيبِthe watcher كَشُربِlike the drinking of الطائِرِthe bird الوَجِلِfrightened
خَوفَ الرَقيبِ كَشُربِ الطائِرِ الوَجِلِ
And how many kisses we stole in defiance of the days,
for fear of the watcher, like a frightened bird drinking.