ولماand when تلاقيناwe met ولمand did not نُظهِرِreveal البكاweeping
ولما تلاقينا ولم نُظهِرِ البكا
حِذاراfor fear منof الواشِيthe talebearer ولمand did not نجدِfind اللفظاwords
حِذارا من الواشِي ولم نجدِ اللفظا
And when we met, we did not let our tears show,
When we met, we did not show our tears
For fear of the talebearer, and found no words;
Fearing the slanderer, we found no words
ولمand did not نُفْشِdivulge للألحاظto the glances مكنونَthe hidden part of حبّناour love
ولم نُفْشِ للألحاظ مكنونَ حبّنا
وأسرارِناand our secrets فيهwithin it فنستخدِمso that we might use اللحظاa glance
وأسرارِنا فيه فنستخدِم اللحظا
Nor did we confide our hidden love to our glances,
We did not reveal the secret of our love
And our secrets within it, so that we might use a glance.
To prying eyes, so we used glancing
رددناwe redirected إلىinto الأجسامthe bodies حَرَّthe heat of قلوبناour hearts
رددنا إلى الأجسام حَرَّ قلوبنا
فلماso when غداbecame سلطانthe sway of حُمَّائهاtheir fever فظّاharsh
فلما غدا سلطان حُمَّائها فظّا
We redirected the heat of our hearts into our bodies;
We returned our hearts' heat to our bodies
So when the sway of their fever grew harsh,
When the fever's sultan grew harsh
شكوناwe complained of أَذىthe pain of الحُمَّىthe fever جهاراopenly ولمand did not نَخَفْfear
شكونا أَذى الحُمَّى جهارا ولم نَخَفْ
رقيباa watcher ونِلناand we gained منfrom تلافُظناour exchange of words حظّاa share
رقيبا ونِلنا من تلافُظنا حظّا
We complained openly of the fever's pain, and did not fear
We complained openly of the fever's pain
A watcher, and gained a share from our exchange of words.
Unafraid of any watcher, we gained solace in our words