الجِسمُ مِنّي سَقيمٌ شَفَّهُ النَصَبُ

الجِسمُ مِنّي سَقيمٌ شَفَّهُ النَصَبُ

وَالقَلبُ ذو لَوعَةٍ كَالنارِ تَلتَهِبُ

وَالقَلبُ ذو لَوعَةٍ كَالنارِ تَلتَهِبُ

My body is sick, worn thin by weariness;

My body is frail, worn down by tribulation,

My body is frail, worn thin by suffering,

And my heart is anguished, like a fire ablaze.

My heart consumed with yearning like blazing fire.

And my heart holds anguish blazing like a fire.

إِنّي هَويتُ حَبيباً لَستُ أَذكُرُهُ

إِنّي هَويتُ حَبيباً لَستُ أَذكُرُهُ

إِلّا تَبادَرَ ماءُ العَينِ يَنسَكِبُ

إِلّا تَبادَرَ ماءُ العَينِ يَنسَكِبُ

Indeed, I have loved a beloved whom I never recall

I fell for a lover I no longer recall

I fell for a beloved whom I cannot mention

Without tears rushing from my eye and spilling.

Unless tears spill from my eyes like pouring rain.

Without my rushing tears beginning to pour.

البَدرُ صورَتُهُ وَالشَمسُ جَبهَتُهُ

البَدرُ صورَتُهُ وَالشَمسُ جَبهَتُهُ

وَلِلغَزالَةِ مِنهُ العَينُ وَاللَبَبُ

وَلِلغَزالَةِ مِنهُ العَينُ وَاللَبَبُ

The full moon is his form, and the sun his brow;

His face is the full moon, his brow the sun,

The full moon is his likeness, the sun his brow;

And his eyes and breast are those of a gazelle.

His eyes and lips gazelle-like in their beauty.

He has the gazelle's dark eyes and graceful neck.

مُزَنَّرٌ يَتَمَشى نَحوَ بيعَتِهِ

مُزَنَّرٌ يَتَمَشى نَحوَ بيعَتِهِ

إِلَهُهُ الإِبنُ فيما قالَ وَالصُلُبُ

إِلَهُهُ الإِبنُ فيما قالَ وَالصُلُبُ

Girdled, he strolls toward his church;

He walks robed to his church, his people's god,

Girded with a belt, he walks toward his church;

His god, so he said, is the Son and the crosses.

The divine Son, as scriptures and crosses tell.

His God, as he professes, is the Son and the Cross.

يا لَيتَني القَسُّ أَو مُطرانُ بيعَتِهِ

يا لَيتَني القَسُّ أَو مُطرانُ بيعَتِهِ

أَو لَتَني عِندَهُ الإِنجيلُ وَالكُتُبُ

أَو لَتَني عِندَهُ الإِنجيلُ وَالكُتُبُ

Oh, if only I were the priest or metropolitan bishop of his church,

Would that I were the priest or church attendant

Oh, would that I were the priest or bishop of his church,

Or if only I were the Gospel and the books in his keeping,

Or that I had the Bible and holy books!

Or that I were the Gospel and scriptures in his hands.

أَو لَيتَني كُنتُ قُرباناً يُقَرِّبُهُ

أَو لَيتَني كُنتُ قُرباناً يُقَرِّبُهُ

أَو كَأسَ خَمرَتِهِ أَو لَيتَني الحَبَبُ

أَو كَأسَ خَمرَتِهِ أَو لَيتَني الحَبَبُ

Or if only I were an offering he presents,

Would that I were an offering brought before him

Or would that I were the offering he presents,

Or the cup of his wine—or if only I were the bubbles,

Or the wine of his chalice—would that I were the crumbs!

Or the chalice of his wine, or the bubbles on the brim,

كَيما أَفوزَ بِقُربٍ مِنهُ يَنفَعُني

كَيما أَفوزَ بِقُربٍ مِنهُ يَنفَعُني

وَيَنجِلي سَقَمي وَالبَثُّ وَالكَرَبُ

وَيَنجِلي سَقَمي وَالبَثُّ وَالكَرَبُ

So I might win nearness to him that does me good,

Then I might gain closeness that benefits me,

That I might win a closeness to him that avails me,

And my sickness, sorrow, and distress might fade away.

Dispelling my illness, distress and anxiety.

And my sickness, sorrow, and distress would clear away.