وَلَمّاand when اِلتَقَيناwe met بَعدَafter حينٍa span مِنَof الحينِtime
وَلَمّا اِلتَقَينا بَعدَ حينٍ مِنَ الحينِ
حَلَفناwe swore بِأَنّاthat we لاnot نَعودُwe return إِلىto البَينِseparation
حَلَفنا بِأَنّا لا نَعودُ إِلى البَينِ
And when at last we met, after a long, long while,
And when we met after a span of time,
we swore that we would never return to parting.
We swore that we would never part again.
وَقُلتُand I said تَعالَيcome ياO شُرَيرَةُShurayra نَمتَزِجlet us mingle
وَقُلتُ تَعالَي يا شُرَيرَةُ نَمتَزِج
كَمِثلِjust like اِمتِزاجِthe mingling of الماءِwater وَالخَمرِand wine نِصفَينِhalf and half
كَمِثلِ اِمتِزاجِ الماءِ وَالخَمرِ نِصفَينِ
And I said, “Come, you little minx; let us blend,
And I said, “Come, O Shurayra, let us mingle,
like water mingling with wine, half and half.”
As water and wine mingle, half and half.”
وَقَدand indeed أَخرَسَتناsilenced us قُبلَةٌa kiss عَنfrom حَديثِناour talk
وَقَد أَخرَسَتنا قُبلَةٌ عَن حَديثِنا
إِلىuntil الصُبحِdawn حَتّىuntil غَرَّدَcrowed الديكُthe rooster صَوتَينِtwice
إِلى الصُبحِ حَتّى غَرَّدَ الديكُ صَوتَينِ
A kiss had already rendered us mute, keeping us from our talk
And a kiss had silenced us, ending our talk,
until dawn—until the cock had crowed twice.
Until dawn, when the rooster crowed twice.
وَطولُand the length of عِتابٍreproach فيat التَلاقيthe meeting يُريبُنيmakes me uneasy
وَطولُ عِتابٍ في التَلاقي يُريبُني
وَيُنبيand speaks بِعَجزٍof incapacity أَوor تَغَيُّرِa change in قَلبَينِtwo hearts
وَيُنبي بِعَجزٍ أَو تَغَيُّرِ قَلبَينِ
And prolonged reproach at reunion fills me with doubt,
And prolonged reproach at our meeting makes me uneasy,
and bespeaks incapacity—or a change in both hearts.
And speaks of incapacity, or a change in two hearts.
