قلْSay للإمامto the imam الذيwho لولاwere it not for عواطفهhis kind favors
قلْ للإمام الذي لولا عواطفه
ماnot كانَwould have been فيin الشامSyria ليfor me عنaway from مصرEgypt سلوانsolace
ما كانَ في الشام لي عن مصر سلوان
Tell the imam, without whose kindness
Tell the Imam who, were it not for his kindness,
I would have had no solace in Syria for being far from Egypt,
I would have no solace in Damascus for Egypt
أيامthe days when طمويهTamwayh ليfor me مستنزهٌa place of recreation أنقٌdelightful
أيام طمويه لي مستنزهٌ أنقٌ
وللمبشرand for the bearer of glad tidings قلبthe heart الصبّof the yearning lover حلوانa reward for glad tidings
وللمبشر قلب الصبّ حلوان
Those days when Tamwayh was my delightful retreat,
In the days of the Fatimids, Damascus was to me a pleasant resort
And the yearning lover's heart was a reward for the bearer of glad tidings.
And the hearts of young men were sweet and tender
فإنso if يكنthere is بدمشقin Damascus اليومtoday ليfor me وطنٌa home
فإن يكن بدمشق اليوم لي وطنٌ
فكلّthen every أرضٍland لمدحيfor my praise فيكof you أوطانhomelands
فكلّ أرضٍ لمدحي فيك أوطان
So if I have a home in Damascus today,
If today Damascus is a homeland for me
Then all lands are homes for my praise of you.
Then every land where I praise you is a homeland
وإنand if يكنhas قدindeed بكىwept جفنthe eyelid السحابof the clouds فقدthen indeed
وإن يكن قد بكى جفن السحاب فقد
بكىwept منfrom البردthe cold ليof mine أنفٌa nose وأجفانand eyelids
بكى من البرد لي أنفٌ وأجفان
And if the clouds' eyelid has wept, then indeed
And if the eyelid of the clouds has wept
My nose and eyelids have wept from the cold.
It wept from the cold for my nose and eyelids
فهلso, will ببعضwith some الفراجيrobes اليومtoday تعتقyou set free ليfor me
فهل ببعض الفراجي اليوم تعتق لي
عتيقةan old robe ليfor me بهاwith it فيin العمرlife أزمانlong stretches of time
عتيقة لي بها في العمر أزمان
Will you then, with some robes today, set free for me
Will some joys today ransom for me
An old robe in which I have spent long years of my life?
A lifetime that I have spent in this world?
أميلI lean aside خوفfor fear of ازْدحامthe jostling الناسof people تحطّمهاshattering it
أميل خوف ازْدحام الناس تحطّمها
كأننيas though I مثلlike بعضsome of الناسthe people سكرانdrunk
كأنني مثل بعض الناس سكران
I lean aside, fearing the crowd's jostling will shatter it,
I fear the crush of people will destroy them
As though I, like some people, were drunk.
As if I were like some men, drunk
لاnever زلتyou cease ياO كعبةKaaba المعروفof generosity تمنحنيyou grant me
لا زلت يا كعبة المعروف تمنحني
منof كسوةٍclothing ليfor me بهاthrough it فيin المدحpraise أركانpillars
من كسوةٍ لي بها في المدح أركان
May you never cease, O Kaaba of generosity, to grant me
You are still, O Kaaba of kindness, granting me
Clothing that gives my praise its pillars.
Some clothes with which I establish the pillars of praise
Sol 6.1