1. The wisdom of the Gospel has flashed from the Apostles,
While the blindness of disbelief and tyranny has darkened.
١. قد أومضت حكمةُ الإنجيل عن رُسُلٍ
وحندسُ الكفر والطغيان جَنَّا
2. It has guided the intelligent since it appeared with the Law,
While the madman continues stumbling in his folly.
٢. لقد هدَى مذ بدا بالشرع عاقلَه
وظل يخبط في عشواه من جُنَّا
3. Its religion established faith for people,
A tradition, sound in command, as it legislated.
٣. قد سن للناس إيماناً شريعتُهُ
سَنِيَّةٌ وصحيحُ الأمر ما سنّا
4. Through it our minds comprehended God's speech, so our minds
Were enlightened with an intellect that even jinn comprehend.
٤. به عقلنا كلامَ اللَه فانعقلت
عقولُنا بعقالٍ يَعقلُ الجِنّا
5. A faithful, solid text came to redeem
Our souls from misguidance in the darkness where we were.
٥. نصٌّ أمينٌ وثيقٌ جاء مفتدياً
نفوسَنا من ضلالٍ في الدجا كُنّا
6. Whoever disputes us after the truth came to us,
If he says "You have altered it," say to him "How?"
٦. من جاءنا بحقيقتْهِ يجادلُنا
إن قال غَيَّرْتَهُ قولنْ له أنَّى
7. Does the West know what one in the East altered?
If he says "I suspect lies," say "We are
٧. هل يعلم الغربُ من في الشرق غيَّرَه
إن قال هل كاذبٌ ظنِّي فقل إنّا
8. An arrow directed and the archer is safe and sound
Toward Iraq - you have sent it far from us.
٨. سهمٌ يوجَّهُ والرامي بذي سَلَمٍ
نحو العراق لقد أبعدتَه منّا
9. If your claim is true, bring what
Was before as we recited.
٩. إن كان صدقُك ذا يلقاك فأتِ بما
قد كان من قبلُ متلوّاً كما كُنّا
10. Since every speck of the world has a language,
Its Gospel is of honest meaning, and it is with us,
١٠. إذ كلُّ قطرٍ من الدنيا له لغةٌ
إنجيلُها صادق المعنى وهو معْنا
11. Before and after, yet its speaker did not convince you.
Its languages are proof of the correctness of the meaning.
١١. قبلاً وبَعداً فلم يقنعك قائلُه
لغاتُه شاهدٌ في صحة المعنى
12. How can you impugn God's speech, believing
Its contrary is a loss in which one is disgraced?
١٢. أنى تشين كلامَ اللَه معتقداً
خلافَه ذاك خُلفٌ فيه يُتْجنَّى
13. This is the truth, God's book which
Will guide you, then you will see us cling to it.
١٣. الحقُّ هذا كتابُ الله تَلحقُه
يهديك ثم ترانا فيه نَتْكَنَّى
14. Take the rising of the truth from our denomination's Gospel,
Proving, then take its tradition from us.
١٤. خذ طالعَ الحق عن إنجيل مذهبنا
مبرهِناً ثم خذ تقليدَه عنّا
15. This is the sun, and the enemies have bleary eyes,
And the sun is in the horizon, always far from us.
١٥. هذا هو الشمس والأعدا ذوو رمَدٍ
والشمسُ في الأفق تخلو كلما عنّا
16. No flaw in the sun if their vision is
Turned in envy, then they said "Its light is madness."
١٦. لا عيب في الشمس إن رُدَّت نواظرُهم
خواسياً ثم قالوا نورها جُنّا
17. The fresh spring does not cease to be crowded,
As for the bitter, it is desired with coercion.
١٧. فالمنهلُ العذبُ لا يَنفكُّ مزدحماً
أما الأجاجُ فبالإكراه يَتْمنَّى
18. My silence on the truth is not ignorance or a miracle,
But for a matter that called me to be careful.
١٨. صمتي عن الحق لا جهلاً ومعجزةً
لكن لأمرٍ دعاني فيه أَتْأنَّى
19. O wisdom of God, how little you benefit mankind,
If they understood you, guidance would not be a notion.
١٩. يا حكمةَ اللَه ما أغناكَ عن بشرٍ
لو يعقلونكَ ما كان الهدى ظنّا
20. Not all beauty pleases the eye in appearance,
No, nor does every poetry's sound become yearning.
٢٠. ما كلُّ حُسنٍ يروق العينَ منظرُه
كلا ولا كل نظمٍ صوتُه حَنّا
21. Listen to the preaching of what he declares spontaneously -
Matthew, Mark, Luke, then John.
٢١. اسمع مصيخاً لما يبديه مرتجلاً
مَتَّى ومَرقُسُ لوقا ثم يوحنا
22. Each with his Gospel relates his truth,
From the Holy Spirit, and what he relates we believe.
٢٢. كلٌّ بإنجيله يروي حقيقتَه
عن روح قُدسٍ وما يرويه صدقنا
23. They protected their teachings from those who guide us.
Their Gospel, and we did not protect anything else.
٢٣. صنّا تعاليمَهم من ذاك يُرشدُنا
إنجيلُهم ولغير الحق ما صُنّا
24. A people who illuminated four regions
With four, then said "So convey from us."
٢٤. قومٌ أناروا من الأقطار أربعةً
بأربعٍ ثم قالوا فانقلوا عنّا
25. I have become Christian through them,
Without them I was lost, worshiping jinn.
٢٥. إني غدوتُ مسيحيّاً بفضلهمِ
من دونهم كنتُ ضُلّاً أعبدُ الجِنّا