نأَوْاthey went far away فأدنَتْكَso brought you close منهُمُto them الذِّكَرُmemories
نأَوْا فأدنَتْكَ منهُمُ الذِّكَرُ
ومثَّلتْهُمand pictured them لقلبِكto your heart الفِكَرُthoughts
ومثَّلتْهُم لقلبِك الفِكَرُ
They went far away, yet memories drew you close to them.
And thoughts pictured them to your heart.
يَراهُمُsees them بالوِدَادِwith love قَلبِيmy heart علىdespite الthe (continued)
يَراهُمُ بالوِدَادِ قَلبِي على ال
بُعْدِdistance وإنand even if لمnot يُدركْهُمُreach them النّظَرُsight
بُعْدِ وإن لم يُدركْهُمُ النّظَرُ
My heart sees them with love, despite the
distance, though sight has not reached them.
وحَسرتيand my regret أنّنيthat I أناI myself المُعرضُthe one turning away النthe (continued)
وحَسرتي أنّني أنا المُعرضُ الن
نائِيdistant وماand not أعرَضواthey turned away ولاnor هَجرُوْاthey forsook
نائِي وما أعرَضوا ولا هَجرُوْا
And my regret is that I myself am the one who turns away, the
distant one; they neither turned away nor forsook me.
بعُدْتُI went far away عنهمfrom them إذwhen كلُّall عصرِهِمُtheir time
بعُدْتُ عنهم إذ كلُّ عصرِهِمُ
بهمthrough them ربيعٌspring ولَيلهُand its night سَحَرُthe hour before dawn
بهم ربيعٌ ولَيلهُ سَحَرُ
I went far from them when all their time
was spring through them, and its night the hour before dawn.
ونافَستنيand vied with me الأيامُthe days فيهِمfor them ومَجْand [start of 'harvest']
ونافَستني الأيامُ فيهِم ومَجْ
نى[end of 'harvest'] العيشِof life دانٍwithin reach وروضُهand its garden نَضِرُverdant
نى العيشِ دانٍ وروضُه نَضِرُ
And the days vied with me for them, while the harvest
of life was within reach, and its garden verdant.