غزالَ العمر في خلل الديار

غزالَ العمر في خلل الديار

فِداكَ مع اللحى شكلُ الجواري

فِداكَ مع اللحى شكلُ الجواري

O gazelle of the monastery, amid the dwellings,

O gazelle of a lifetime found amongst the dwellings,

May maidens’ beauty, along with beards, be your ransom,

May the beauty of maidens and the dignity of gray beards be your ransom,

وكلّ مزنّر الكشحين منه

وكلّ مزنّر الكشحين منه

سريع في الحشا مجرى السوار

سريع في الحشا مجرى السوار

and every girdled-waisted youth of his kind,

And every one whose waist is girdled with the monk's sash,

swift through the heart as a bracelet slides.

Which moves through the heart as swiftly as a bracelet glides,

إذا ما راح من قلّايتيهِ

إذا ما راح من قلّايتيهِ

لهيكلهِ وآذنَ بابتكارِ

لهيكلهِ وآذنَ بابتكارِ

Whenever he leaves his two monastic cells

When he departs from his monastic cell,

for his sanctuary and announces an early start,

Heading to his altar, signaling the early prayer,

فكبّرَ ثم قدّسَ ثم صلّى

فكبّرَ ثم قدّسَ ثم صلّى

مقادسةُ الأساقفةِ الكِبار

مقادسةُ الأساقفةِ الكِبار

and then God is magnified, then hallowed, then prayed to

He magnifies God, then sanctifies, then prays,

by the holy men among the great bishops,

With the consecration of the high bishops.

سمعتُ له بمن عندي حنيناً

سمعتُ له بمن عندي حنيناً

حنينَ النبتِ بالبلدِ القفارِ

حنينَ النبتِ بالبلدِ القفارِ

I hear those with me yearning for him—

I heard within me a moaning for his sake,

the yearning of plants in a barren land.

Like the yearning of withered plants in a barren land.

يقلّدُ في ترائبهِ صليباً

يقلّدُ في ترائبهِ صليباً

ومستلب الذوائبِ بالشعار

ومستلب الذوائبِ بالشعار

He hangs a cross upon his breast,

He adorns his upper chest with a cross,

and his forelocks are shorn as a distinguishing mark.

And his locks are shorn by the ritual rule.

أعارَ الدر ما انتظمت عليهِ

أعارَ الدر ما انتظمت عليهِ

مضاحكهُ منافسة التجار

مضاحكهُ منافسة التجار

Pearls, whenever strung upon him, are lent

He lent to pearls the order they possess,

by his smiling teeth the power to set merchants vying.

His smiling mouth provoking the merchants' envy.

فذاك وإن عصبتُ له برأسي

فذاك وإن عصبتُ له برأسي

عصابةَ شهرةٍ من قول زار

عصابةَ شهرةٍ من قول زار

That one—even if, for his sake, I bind about my head

He is the one—even if I bind upon my head for him

a headband of notoriety from a detractor’s words—

The headband of infamy due to a critic's words—

أحبُّ إليّ من نعتِ المطايا

أحبُّ إليّ من نعتِ المطايا

إلى البيت المحرم ذي الستار

إلى البيت المحرم ذي الستار

is dearer to me than describing riding-camels

Who is dearer to me than urging riding-camels

bound for the sacred, curtained House,

Towards the Sacred House with its veiled drapes,

وطوفي بالصفاء ومروَتيه

وطوفي بالصفاء ومروَتيه

ومسح الركن مع رمي الجمار

ومسح الركن مع رمي الجمار

and my circling al-Safa and its two Marwas,

And dearer than my circling between al-Safa and its Marwa,

and touching the Corner along with casting pebbles.

And touching the Holy Corner, and casting the pebbles.

سأجعل حجّتي ماسرجسايا

سأجعل حجّتي ماسرجسايا

رضيتُ بذاك حجّي واعتماري

رضيتُ بذاك حجّي واعتماري

I shall make Masarjisaya my pilgrimage;

I shall make my pilgrimage to the church of Mar Sargis,

I accept that as my Hajj and my lesser pilgrimage.

Content with that as my Hajj and my Umrah,

ودومةَ مشعري والديرَ رُكني

ودومةَ مشعري والديرَ رُكني

وأحلقُ لِمّتي بالنوبهارِ

وأحلقُ لِمّتي بالنوبهارِ

And Duma my sacred station, and the monastery my Corner;

Making Dumah my sacred rite, and the monastery my Holy Corner,

and I shall shave my locks at Nawbahar.

And I shall shave my locks at al-Nawbahar.