وَيْحَAlas for عَيْنِيmy eye لَمْdid not تَرْوَbecome quenched مِنْfrom مَاءِthe freshness of وَجْهٍa face
وَيْحَ عَيْنِي لَمْ تَرْوَ مِنْ مَاءِ وَجْهٍ
قَدْindeed سَقَاهُwatered it الشَّبَابُyouth مَاءَthe water of النَّعِيْمِbliss
قَدْ سَقَاهُ الشَّبَابُ مَاءَ النَّعِيْمِ
Alas for my eye, unquenched by the freshness of a face
Alas, my eyes have not seen
that youth has watered with the water of bliss.
A face quenched by the water of youth's paradise
مَاnot الْتَقَيْنَاwe met فَأَحْمَدُand so I thank اللَّهَGod إِلاَّexcept
مَا الْتَقَيْنَا فَأَحْمَدُ اللَّهَ إِلاَّ
مِثْلَlike مَاthe way تَلْتَقِيmeet جُفُونُthe eyelids of السَّلِيْمِthe snakebitten man
مِثْلَ مَا تَلْتَقِي جُفُونُ السَّلِيْمِ
We have met—and so I thank God—only
Whenever we meet, I praise God
as the eyelids of a snakebitten man meet.
As eyelids of the healthy meet