بمعوديّةِ الدين العتيقِ

بمعوديّةِ الدين العتيقِ

بماري بطرسٍ بالجاثليقِ

بماري بطرسٍ بالجاثليقِ

By the baptism of the ancient faith,

With the antiquity of religion,

By the baptismal rites of the ancient faith,

By Mar Peter, by the Catholicos,

With Mary of Peter the Patriarch,

By Saint Peter, and by the Catholicos,

بشمعونٍ بيوحنّا بمتّى

بشمعونٍ بيوحنّا بمتّى

بماري سرجسِ القسّ الشفيقِ

بماري سرجسِ القسّ الشفيقِ

By Simon, by John, by Matthew,

With Simeon, John, Matthew,

By Simon, by John, and by Matthew,

By Mar Sergius, the compassionate priest,

With Mary of Sergius the kind priest,

By Saint Sergius, the priest compassionate,

بمارةِ مريم وبيوم فِصح

بمارةِ مريم وبيوم فِصح

وبالقربانِ والخمرِ العتيقِ

وبالقربانِ والخمرِ العتيقِ

By Lady Mary and by Easter Day,

With the day of Easter

By the Lady Mary, and by Easter Day,

And by the Eucharist and the aged wine,

And the old wine and bread,

By the Holy Eucharist, and wine aged long,

وبالصُلبان ترفعها رماحٌ

وبالصُلبان ترفعها رماحٌ

تلالا حين تومضُ بالبريقِ

تلالا حين تومضُ بالبريقِ

And by the crosses that spears raise aloft,

With the crosses raised on spears

By crosses hoisted high upon the staffs,

Glittering when they flash with brilliance,

That flash with light over the hills,

That shimmer when they flash with brilliant light,

وبالناقوس بالبيتِ اللواتي

وبالناقوس بالبيتِ اللواتي

تقام بها الصلاةُ لدى الشروقِ

تقام بها الصلاةُ لدى الشروقِ

And by the bell, by the house in which

With the bells, the houses of prayer

By the church bell within the house of prayer,

Prayer is held at sunrise,

Where dawn prayers are held,

Where morning prayers are held at break of dawn,

بقلّاباتِ دومة بالمقاسي

بقلّاباتِ دومة بالمقاسي

ومذبحِها بها الحسن الأنيق

ومذبحِها بها الحسن الأنيق

By Duma's qallabat, by al-Maqasi,

With the pulpits of Domeh, its altar

By Dumat’s cells where ascetics endure,

And its altar, where beauty is exquisite,

With its elegant beauty,

And by its altar, elegant and fair,

بداودَ وما يتلونَ منهُ

بداودَ وما يتلونَ منهُ

بترجيع يُردّدُ في الحلوقِ

بترجيع يُردّدُ في الحلوقِ

By David and what they recite from him,

With David and those who recite him

By David, and the Psalms that they recite,

With melodic refrains repeated in the throats,

Chanting in the throats,

In chanting echoes rolling in their throats,

ورهبان الصوامع في ذُراها

ورهبان الصوامع في ذُراها

مقامهمُ على جهدٍ وضيق

مقامهمُ على جهدٍ وضيق

And the monks of the hermitages, at their summits,

And the monks of monasteries in their cells

By hermits in their mountain cells on high,

Their dwelling amid hardship and distress,

Despite hardship and distress,

Who dwell in hardship and in narrow straits,

بروح القدس إذ فهمَ ابنُ رضوى

بروح القدس إذ فهمَ ابنُ رضوى

ورأسِ يحنّا برنسه حليقِ

ورأسِ يحنّا برنسه حليقِ

By the Holy Spirit, when the son of Radwa understood,

With the Holy Spirit when the son of Ridwa understood

By the Holy Spirit, as Ibn Radwa knew,

And by John's head, his hood shorn,

And John's head was shaved clean,

And John’s own head, with shaven tonsure bare,

بزكّى بل بمتّى بل بيحيى

بزكّى بل بمتّى بل بيحيى

وإمساكٍ بذي الدين الوثيقِ

وإمساكٍ بذي الدين الوثيقِ

By Zacchaeus—nay, by Matthew—nay, by John,

With Zakkiyah, Matthew, John,

By Zechariah, Matthew, nay, by John,

And by abstinence, by the bearer of the steadfast faith,

And upholding the solid faith,

And holding fast to faith that binds so tight,

بميلادِ المسيحِ بيوم ذبح

بميلادِ المسيحِ بيوم ذبح

وباعوثٍ لتأدية الحقوقِ

وباعوثٍ لتأدية الحقوقِ

By Christ's birth, by the day of sacrifice,

With Christ's birth, the day of slaughter

By Christ’s nativity, by Passion’s day,

And by Ba'uth, for fulfilling obligations,

And payment of dues,

And Eastertide to pay the rites their due,

وأيام الشعانين المبدّى

وأيام الشعانين المبدّى

وشَمعلةِ النصارى في الطريق

وشَمعلةِ النصارى في الطريق

And the days of Palm Sunday, brought forth,

And Palm Sunday's beginnings

By days of Palms, displayed for all to see,

And the Christians' candle-bearing along the road,

And the Christians' candles on the road,

And Christians bearing candles in the street,

بنوح والسفينةِ حين تسعى

بنوح والسفينةِ حين تسعى

على الجودي لمعاً كالبروقِ

على الجودي لمعاً كالبروقِ

By Noah and the ark when it moves,

With Noah and the ark sailing

By Noah and the Ark that sailed the surge,

Upon al-Judi, gleaming like lightning,

Gleaming like lightning on the waves,

On Judi’s mount, gleaming like lightning flash,

بهيكلِ أسقفٍ وبما يليه

بهيكلِ أسقفٍ وبما يليه

ونشرِ البندِ والعلمِ الخفوقِ

ونشرِ البندِ والعلمِ الخفوقِ

By a bishop's sanctuary and by what adjoins it,

With a bishop's church and what follows it

By Bishop’s altar and what lies beyond,

And the unfurling of the banner and the fluttering flag,

And spreading the edict and the fluttering banner,

The spread of banners and the fluttering flags,

وما صلّى وصامَ بطورسينا

وما صلّى وصامَ بطورسينا

أشعيا عند مفترقِ الصديق

أشعيا عند مفترقِ الصديق

And by the praying and fasting on Mount Sinai

And what Isaiah prayed and fasted

By him who prayed and fasted at Mount Sinai,

Of Isaiah, at the friend's parting-place,

At the hermitage of the Siddiq,

Isaiah at the parting of the ways,

بمر دغدي إذا يتلو بصوتٍ

بمر دغدي إذا يتلو بصوتٍ

كصوتِ الزير مع وتَر نطوقِ

كصوتِ الزير مع وتَر نطوقِ

By Mar Daghdi, when he recites in a voice

With Mar Daghdih reciting in a voice

By Mar Daghdi, chanting with a voice,

Like the sound of the treble string beside a singing string,

Like the humming of a lute's strings,

Deep as the oud’s low string that seems to speak,

بكنس الروم والشامات حتّى

بكنس الروم والشامات حتّى

وباللكامِ والدير الشهيقِ

وباللكامِ والدير الشهيقِ

By the churches of the Byzantines and the Syrian lands, even—

With the Roman and Syrian churches

By chapels of the Greeks and Levantine lands,

And by al-Lukkam and the towering monastery,

And the sublime monastery,

By Lukkam’s peaks and convents soaring high,

بقشطنطينة البلدِ المفدّى

بقشطنطينة البلدِ المفدّى

وبيعةِ أسهري عند الطحيقِ

وبيعةِ أسهري عند الطحيقِ

By Qushtantina, the cherished city,

With Constantinople, the redeemed city

By Constantinople, city ransomed dear,

And the church of As-hari near al-Tahiq,

And the pledge of Ash'ari at dawn,

And Ashri's church amidst the thronging crowd,

بقيصرَ والملوكِ هلمّ جرّاً

بقيصرَ والملوكِ هلمّ جرّاً

إلى ساممسّما سمو الرفيق

إلى ساممسّما سمو الرفيق

By Caesar and the kings, and so on,

With Caesar and the kings, come, dragging

By Caesar and the kings, and all their line,

To Sammassama—the companion's exaltation,

To Samma's lofty companion,

Unto the highest comrade of them all,

وبالنظرِ المفتّر حين ترنو

وبالنظرِ المفتّر حين ترنو

وبالزنارِ في الخصر الدقيق

وبالزنارِ في الخصر الدقيق

And by the enervating gaze when you look,

And with the wandering gaze when it looks

And by the languid glance with which you gaze,

And by the girdle around your slender waist,

And the belt around the slim waist,

And by the zunnar round your slender waist,

بحرمةِ وجنتيكَ وحسن وجهٍ

بحرمةِ وجنتيكَ وحسن وجهٍ

تتيهُ بهِ وبالقدّ الرشيقِ

تتيهُ بهِ وبالقدّ الرشيقِ

By the sanctity of your cheeks and the beauty of a face

With the sanctity of your cheeks and a beautiful face

By sanctity of cheeks and lovely face,

That you glory in, and by your graceful stature,

That makes me lose my way, and the slender stature,

Wherein you glory, and your graceful form,

وبالطيبِ المركب فيك ألّا

وبالطيبِ المركب فيك ألّا

رحمتَ تحرّقي وجفوفَ ريقي

رحمتَ تحرّقي وجفوفَ ريقي

And by the perfume blended in you—will you not

With the perfume compounded in you, have mercy,

And by the perfume blended in your skin,

Pity my burning and the dryness of my saliva?

Don't burn my feelings and parch my saliva,

Have mercy on my burning, parched with thirst.

أما والقربُ من بعد التنائي

أما والقربُ من بعد التنائي

يمين فتىً لقائلهِ عشيقِ

يمين فتىً لقائلهِ عشيقِ

Indeed, by nearness after separation—

Yet closeness after estrangement

Nay, by the drawing near after the far,

An oath of a youth beloved to its utterer—

Is the right of a lover addressed by his beloved,

A young man’s oath, sworn to his lover true,

لقد أصبحتَ زينةَ كلّ عيدٍ

لقد أصبحتَ زينةَ كلّ عيدٍ

ودينٍ مع جفائكَ والعقوقِ

ودينٍ مع جفائكَ والعقوقِ

You have indeed become the adornment of every feast,

You have become the adornment of every feast

You have become the jewel of every feast,

And every faith, despite your coldness and ingratitude.

And faith, despite your aloofness and disdain.

And every faith, despite your cruel disdain.