أَرىI see الناسَthe people أَمّاas for مَنone who تَجَدَّدَis renewed وَصلُهُhis bond
أَرى الناسَ أَمّا مَن تَجَدَّدَ وَصلُهُ
فَغَثَّso he is lean وَأَمّاand as for مَنone who خَلاhas passed فَسَمينُso he is fat
فَغَثَّ وَأَمّا مَن خَلا فَسَمينُ
I see people thus: one whose bond is renewed
I see people, some with ties renewed, overfed,
Is lean, while one who has passed is fat.
And some whose bonds have dropped, grown lean instead.
وَإِنّيand indeed I لَأَستَغشيsurely feign sleep وَماthough not بِيَupon me نَعسَةٌdrowsiness
وَإِنّي لَأَستَغشي وَما بِيَ نَعسَةٌ
لَعَلَّperhaps لِقاهاmeeting her فيin المَنامِsleep يَكونُwill happen
لَعَلَّ لِقاها في المَنامِ يَكونُ
And I indeed feign sleep, though I am not drowsy,
And I lie down, though sleep does not descend;
Hoping that I may meet her in a dream.
Perhaps in dreams her image I'll apprehend.
تُخَبِّرُنيtell me الأَحلامُthe dreams إِنّيthat I أَراكُمُI see you (plural)
تُخَبِّرُني الأَحلامُ إِنّي أَراكُمُ
فَياso, oh لَيتَif only أَحلامَdreams المَنامِsleep يَقينُcertainty
فَيا لَيتَ أَحلامَ المَنامِ يَقينُ
Dreams tell me that I see you;
Dreams tell me I can see you once again,
So, oh, if only the dreams of sleep were certain!
If only dreams could match reality, then!
شَهِدتُI testify بِأَنّيto the fact that I لَمdid not أَخُنكِbetray you (feminine) مَوَدَّةًin affection
شَهِدتُ بِأَنّي لَم أَخُنكِ مَوَدَّةً
وَأَنّيand that I بِكُمof you (plural) حَتّىuntil المَماتِdeath ضَنينُjealously possessive
وَأَنّي بِكُم حَتّى المَماتِ ضَنينُ
I testify that I have not betrayed you in love,
I swear I've never wavered in my love,
And that I jealously cherish you until death,
Devoted til I die to you, sweet dove.
وَأَنَّand that فُؤاديmy heart لاnot يَلينُyields إِلىto هَوىlove
وَأَنَّ فُؤادي لا يَلينُ إِلى هَوى
سِواكِanyone other than you (feminine) وَإِنand even if قالواthey say بَلىyes سَيَلينُit will yield
سِواكِ وَإِن قالوا بَلى سَيَلينُ
And that my heart will not yield to love
My heart won't bend to any love but yours,
For anyone but you, even if they say, 'Yes, it will yield.'
Though people say in time it will be cured.