مَتىwhen ماever اِلتَوىbent away بِالظاعِنينَwith those departing نَزيعُa far-stretching road
مَتى ما اِلتَوى بِالظاعِنينَ نَزيعُ
فَلِلعَينِthen for the eye غَربٌa flood of tears وَالفُؤادِand for the heart صُدوعُrifts
فَلِلعَينِ غَربٌ وَالفُؤادِ صُدوعُ
Whenever a far-stretching road bends away with those departing,
The eye pours tears, and the heart is riven.
وَلَيسَand is not زَمانٌa time بِالكُمَيتَينِat al-Kumaytayn راجِعاًreturning
وَلَيسَ زَمانٌ بِالكُمَيتَينِ راجِعاً
وَلَيسَnor is there إِلىto ذاكَthat الزَمانِtime رُجوعُany return
وَلَيسَ إِلى ذاكَ الزَمانِ رُجوعُ
And the days at al-Kumaytayn will not return,
Nor is there any return to that time.
وَقالواand they said لَهُto him لاlet not يولَعَنَّtake firm hold بِكَof you الهَوىpassion
وَقالوا لَهُ لا يولَعَنَّ بِكَ الهَوى
بَلىyes indeed إِنَّtruly هاذاthis فَاِعلَمَنَّso know for certain وُلوعُinfatuation
بَلى إِنَّ هاذا فَاِعلَمَنَّ وُلوعُ
And they told him, “Let passion not take hold of you.”
Yes, indeed, this—know it well—is infatuation.
لَيالِيَnights when لاnot سِرّيmy secret لَدَيهِنَّwith them شائِعٌdivulged
لَيالِيَ لا سِرّي لَدَيهِنَّ شائِعٌ
وَلاnor أَناI لِلمُستَودَعاتِof entrusted secrets مُضيعُneglectful
وَلا أَنا لِلمُستَودَعاتِ مُضيعُ
Nights when my secret was not divulged by them,
Nor did I neglect the secrets entrusted to me.
أَباO father of مالِكٍMalik لاno بُدَّescape أَنّيthat I am قارِعٌa striker
أَبا مالِكٍ لا بُدَّ أَنّي قارِعٌ
لِعَظمِكَat your bone إِنّيindeed I am لِلعِظامِof bones قَروعُa mighty striker
لِعَظمِكَ إِنّي لِلعِظامِ قَروعُ
O Abu Malik, I am bound to strike
Your bone; I am a mighty striker of bones.
أَتَغضَبُare you angry لَمّاwhen ضَيَّعَsquandered القَينُthe smith عِرضَهُhis honor
أَتَغضَبُ لَمّا ضَيَّعَ القَينُ عِرضَهُ
وَأَنتَwhile you لِأُمٍّof a mother دونَfor less than ذاكَthat مُضيعُneglectful
وَأَنتَ لِأُمٍّ دونَ ذاكَ مُضيعُ
Are you angry now that the smith has squandered his honor,
While you neglect a mother for less than that?
أَصابَreached قَرارَthe depths اللُؤمِof baseness فيin بَطنِthe womb of أُمِّهِhis mother
أَصابَ قَرارَ اللُؤمِ في بَطنِ أُمِّهِ
وَراضَعَand suckled ثَديَthe breast اللُؤمِof baseness فَهوَso he is رَضيعُa nursling
وَراضَعَ ثَديَ اللُؤمِ فَهوَ رَضيعُ
He reached the depths of baseness in his mother's womb,
And suckled at baseness's breast, so he is its nursling.