خليليَّ من عليا دمشق سقيتما

خليليَّ من عليا دمشق سقيتما

فليس بمصرٍ للغريب خليلُ

فليس بمصرٍ للغريب خليلُ

My two friends from the heights of Damascus, may rain bless you both;

My two friends in lofty Damascus quenched me,

For in Egypt the stranger has no friend.

Yet in Egypt there's no friend for the stranger.

عسا أهلها عن هزَّة المجد والندى

عسا أهلها عن هزَّة المجد والندى

فما أحد منهم إليّ يميل

فما أحد منهم إليّ يميل

Its people have hardened against the stirrings of glory and generosity,

Would that its people turned from glory's tumult and dew,

So not one of them inclines toward me.

Yet none of them inclines towards me.

وأمسيت فرداً والهموم دجنَّةٌ

وأمسيت فرداً والهموم دجنَّةٌ

أراقب نجماً ما إليه وصول

أراقب نجماً ما إليه وصول

And evening finds me alone, my cares a thick darkness;

I became alone while cares besieged me,

I watch a star that cannot be reached.

I watch a star beyond my reach.

أيصبح عنّي أفلاً بعد ما قضى

أيصبح عنّي أفلاً بعد ما قضى

لهُ سهري أن لا يكون أفول

لهُ سهري أن لا يكون أفول

Will it be gone from me by morning, after the decree

Will it set after spending my vigils

My sleepless vigil made for it—that it should never set?

With no descent following its rising?

حسامٌ مضى في راحتي غير صيقلٍ

حسامٌ مضى في راحتي غير صيقلٍ

ولكنه في راحتيَّ كليل

ولكنه في راحتيَّ كليل

A sword that proved keen in the hands of one who was no polisher,

A sword passed by while I slept unpolished,

Yet in my own two hands it is blunt.

Yet in my sleep it was a blade bare.

وكنت خليقاً بالذي ظفروا بهش

وكنت خليقاً بالذي ظفروا بهش

ولولا لام فيه كاشحٌ وعذول

ولولا لام فيه كاشحٌ وعذول

And I was worthy of what they won [final word uncertain].

And I deserved what they obtained by strife

Otherwise, a spiteful foe and a faultfinder would have blamed me for it.

Had there been no blemish, battler, and insolent fool.

وأن أمرءا وأبعد مثلهم

وأن أمرءا وأبعد مثلهم

ومثلي جديرٌ بالملام كفيل

ومثلي جديرٌ بالملام كفيل

And that a man ... and distanced their like [text unclear],

And that a man, the furthest from them,

And one like me is deserving of blame, answerable for it.

And one like me deserves blame as a guardian.

وأين همُ مني إذا غاب حاسدٌ

وأين همُ مني إذا غاب حاسدٌ

فغادرتهُ لم يدر كيف يقول

فغادرتهُ لم يدر كيف يقول

And where do they stand beside me when an envious man is absent?

And where are they if an envier departs?

So I left him not knowing what to say.

He left not knowing how to speak.

وما كان إلاَّ مزنةً شمت برقها

وما كان إلاَّ مزنةً شمت برقها

فما بلَّ لي من راحتيه غليل

فما بلَّ لي من راحتيه غليل

He was only a raincloud whose lightning I watched,

It was merely lightning whose gleam they gloated over.

Yet my burning thirst was not quenched from his two palms.

No juice from their comfort reached my throat.

ولولاهما عفت الشآم وكان لي

ولولاهما عفت الشآم وكان لي

فرأتٌ بها دون الأنام ونيل

فرأتٌ بها دون الأنام ونيل

But for those two, I would have shunned al-Sham; I had

But for the two of them, Syria's honor was pure

An Euphrates and a Nile there, in place of all mankind.

And I had insight among mankind and bliss.

عليك سلام الله أمَّا رحيلنا

عليك سلام الله أمَّا رحيلنا

فدانٍ ولكنَّ الزمان طويل

فدانٍ ولكنَّ الزمان طويل

God's peace be upon you; as for our departure,

Peace be upon you, but our departure

It is near, but time is long.

Is near, though time is long.

وما عليك يوم لي بأرضك حاجةٌ

وما عليك يوم لي بأرضك حاجةٌ

وما كلّ يوم لي إليك رسول

وما كلّ يوم لي إليك رسول

And what is required of you on a day when I have a need in your land?

You need no day when I have want in your land

And not every day do I have a messenger to you.

Nor does a messenger come to you every day.