جَوَانِحنَاour bosoms نَحْوَtoward اللِّقَاءِmeeting جَوَانِحٌinclining
جَوَانِحنَا نَحْوَ اللِّقَاءِ جَوَانِحٌ
وَمِقْدَارُand the distance مَاwhat lies بَيْنَbetween الدَّيَارِthe dwellings قَرِيبُshort
وَمِقْدَارُ مَا بَيْنَ الدَّيَارِ قَرِيبُ
Our hearts incline toward reunion, yearning for it.
Our bosoms incline toward meeting,
And the distance between our homes is slight.
And the distance between the dwellings is short.
وَتَمْضِيand pass اللَّيَالِيthe nights وَالتَّزَاوُرُand visiting one another مُعْوِزٌhard to obtain
وَتَمْضِي اللَّيَالِي وَالتَّزَاوُرُ مُعْوِزٌ
عَلَىin spite of الرَّغمِreluctance مِنَّاon our part إِنَّindeed ذَاthis لَغَرِيبُis truly strange
عَلَى الرَّغمِ مِنَّا إِنَّ ذَا لَغَرِيبُ
Yet the nights pass, while visits remain hard to come by—
And the nights pass, while visits to one another remain elusive,
against our will; truly, how strange this is.
Against our will—this is strange indeed.
فديتكmay I be your ransom عجلهاhasten it العشيthis evening زيارةa visit
فديتك عجلها العشي زيارة
ولوand even if مثلas brief as ماردthe turning back of اللحاظthe glances مريبa wary person
ولو مثل مارد اللحاظ مريب
I would ransom you—make haste with a visit this evening,
May I be your ransom—hasten a visit this evening,
though even the semblance of what glances seek may arouse suspicion.
Even if only as brief as a wary person's glance back.
وَإِنَّand indeed لِقَاءًa meeting جَلَّrose above عَنْbeyond ضَرْبِsetting مَوْعِدٍan appointment
وَإِنَّ لِقَاءً جَلَّ عَنْ ضَرْبِ مَوْعِدٍ
لأَكْرَمُsurely the noblest مَاwhat يُهْدِيgives as a gift الأَرِيبَthe discerning person أرِيبُa discerning person
لأَكْرَمُ مَا يُهْدِي الأَرِيبَ أرِيبُ
For a meeting too exalted to be fixed by appointment
And a meeting above the need to set a time
is the noblest gift one discerning soul can offer another.
Is surely the noblest gift one discerning person gives another.
