إذاwhen ماan emphatic particle اِجتَمعناwe meet فالطَويلُthen the long span منof المدىthe span of time
إذا ما اِجتَمعنا فالطَويلُ من المدى
قَصيرٌshort وانand if غبناwe are apart القَصيرُthe short span طَويلُlong
قَصيرٌ وان غبنا القَصيرُ طَويلُ
When we meet, the long span of time
When we are together, long distances seem short.
Is short; and if we are apart, the short is long.
When we are apart, short distances seem long.
كأنَّas though التناءيseparation مُستَعيرٌborrowing منfrom اللقاreunion
كأنَّ التناءي مُستَعيرٌ من اللقا
بِهِin it قِصَرٌbrevity وَذَلِكَand that طولُlength
بِهِ قِصَرٌ وَذَلِكَ طولُ
As though separation were borrowing from reunion—
It's as if being together is borrowed from meeting -
In it is brevity, and that is length.
By it, shortness becomes long.