1. The moon asked for light, dispelling the darkness
And wept, with overflowing tears
١. سلَ البَدرُ بِالضِياءِ الظَلاما
وَبَكى وَالدُموعُ كانَت هِياما
2. The star walked behind it humbly
As if the stars had become orphans
٢. وَمَشى النُجمُ خَلفَه بِخُشوعٍ
فَكَأَنَّ النُجومَ صارَت يَتامى
3. The loneliness of night, the tranquility, the silence
And the passing breeze was like words
٣. وحشةُ اللَيلِ وَالسَكينَةُ وَالصَم
تُ وَمرُّ النَسيمِ كانَ كلاما
4. So that existence was articulated by sorrow
And its words came as pains
٤. فَكَأَنَّ الوُجودَ أَنطَقَه الحُز
نُ فَجاءَت أَلفاظُه آلاما
5. And space gazed longingly at the high mountain
To whisper to the meadows and hills
٥. وَالفَضا شاخِصٌ إِلى الجَبلِ العال
لي يُناجي الربوعَ وَالآكاما
6. But the meadows answered with silence and tears
Not uttering a word out of respect
٦. فَتُجيبُ الرُبوعُ بِالصَمتِ وَالدَم
عِ وَلا تنبسُ الشفاهُ اِحتِراما
7. The cross of sins still lives
While the cross of peace has become decayed
٧. فَصَليبُ الآثامِ ما زالَ حَيّاً
وَصَليبُ السَلامِ صارَ رُغاما
8. Beyond the bushes a specter passed
Bearing sorrow in the heart and words
٨. ما وَراءَ الأَدغالِ مرَّ خيال
حَمَّلَ القَلبَ أَدمُعاً وَكَلاما
9. It walked the road slowly but
When it approached the cross it stumbled
٩. كانَ يَمشي الطَريقَ مَهلاً وَلكِن
عِندَما قارَبَ الصَليبَ تَرامى
10. This is Magdalene's sorrow, she came
To offer love to Christ as food
١٠. هذِهِ مجدليَّة الحُزن جاءَت
تَطرَحُ الحُبَّ لِلمَسيحِ طَعاما
11. She had always in life nourished Him with love
And watered Him from her passion as wine
١١. طالَما في الحَياةِ غذَّتهُ بِالحُ
بِّ وَروَّتهُ من هَواها مداما
12. Indeed death has an affliction and a heart
That chant life year after year
١٢. إِنَّ لِلمَوتِ مُهجَةً وَفُؤاداً
يَنشدانِ الحَياةَ عاماً فَعاما
13. Hearts do not die if the bees of heaven
Pour their passion into their depths
١٣. لا تَموتُ القُلوبُ إِن سَكَبَت في
جَوفِها أَنمُلُ السَماءِ غَراما
14. She looked at Him a farewell glance
And the tears of passion wept copiously
١٤. نَظَرَت نَظرَةَ الوَداعِ إِلَيهِ
فَبَكَت أَدمُع الهِيامِ سِجاما
15. She saw the wound on His forehead bleeding
She saw the pigeon above His cheeks
١٥. وَرَأَت مِن جَبينِهِ الجُرحَ يُدمي
وَرَأَت فَوقَ وُجنَتَيهِ الحِماما
16. She saw - how terrible what she saw!
The specter of the soul, tearful yet smiling
١٦. وَرَأَت يا لِهَولِ ما قَد رَأَتهُ
شَبَحَ الروحِ دامِعاً بَسّاما
17. The specter of love, carrying in its hands
The heart of a beautiful woman, pounding intensely
١٧. شَبح الحُبِّ حامِلاً في يَدَيهِ
قَلبَ حَسناءَ خافِقاً مُستَهاما
18. It is the symbol of Mary's heart, the symbol
Of a love that saw life as misery
١٨. هُو رَمز لِقَلب مَريَم رَمز
لِغَرامٍ رَأى الحَياةَ سآما
19. So it hid away sleeping in death but
It prepared eternity for itself there as a bed
١٩. فَتَوارى يَنامُ في المَوتِ لكِن
قَد أَعَدَّ الخُلودَ فيهِ مناما
20. Mary cried out with a wounded heart
"With injustice they carried out the execution!"
٢٠. صَرَخَت مَريمٌ بِقَلبٍ جَريحٍ
أَبِظُلمٍ قَد نَفَّذوا الإِعداما
21. You came to inspire in them the spirit of peace
Why did they strengthen sins with you?
٢١. جِئتَ توحي روحَ السَلامِ إِلَيهِم
ما لَهُم عَزَّزوا بِكَ الآثاما
22. My darling, let the wounds of my heart
Be valleys where blood flows endlessly
٢٢. يا حَبيبي إِجعَل جُروحَ فُؤادي
أَن تُبَلّ الدماءُ مِنها أُواما
23. So I can water you from my blood with a cup
That carried in its rays the days
٢٣. فَأُرَوّيكَ من دِمائي بِكَأسٍ
حَملت في شُعاعِها الأَيّاما
24. My darling, why are the flowers somber
Veiling beauty with masks?
٢٤. يا حَبيبي ما لِلزُّهورِ حَزانى
مُطبِقاتٍ عَلى الجَمالِ الكِماما
25. And the streaming brook flows violently
Singing its sorrows in melodies
٢٥. وَالغَديرُ المُنسابُ يَجري رَهيباً
مُنشِداً في نحيبِه الأَنغاما
26. Why do my eyes veil lightly
And lightly chase after people?
٢٦. ما لِعَينَيَّ تَغشيانِ رُوَيداً
وَرُوَيداً تُطارِدانِ الأَناما
27. Ah, eyes live with love
And when they bloom, my days pass
٢٧. آه إِنَّ العُيونَ بِالحُبِّ تَحيا
فَإِذا فورِقَت تَصيرُ أَيّامي
28. I will come to you soon, so prepare
The tent of love among the basil’s blossoms
٢٨. سَأُوافيكَ عَن قَريبٍ فَهَيّء
خَيمَةَ الحُبِّ بَينَ زَهرِ الخُزامى
29. Then the flowers will recall a life
In which love set for us a system
٢٩. فَتعيد الزُهورُ ذكرَ حَياةٍ
سنَّ فيها لَنا الغَرامُ نظاما
30. At this, the head of Christ straightened
And the thorns surpassed the bones
٣٠. عِندَ هذا رَأس المَسيحِ اِستَقاما
فَإِذا الشَوك قَد تَخَطّى العِظاما
31. The thorny forehead weaving for the face
A wrap of blood and honey from the sting
٣١. وَالجَبينُ المشوكُ ينسجُ لِلوَج
هِ مِن المَصلِ وَالدِماءِ لثاما
32. And with the wings of nightfall death awoke
Weeping while the tears were overflowing
٣٢. وَبِجُنحِ الدُجى أَفاقَ المَو
تِ بَكيّاً وَالدَمع كان هِياما
33. And when the beloved saw her crying
He closed his eyelids for eternity and slept
٣٣. وَلَدُن أَبصَر الحَبيبَةَ تَبكي
أَطبَقَ الجفنَ في الخُلودِ وَناما
34. In the sky of eternity a tent of flowers
Where Jesus and Mary have settled
٣٤. في سَماءِ الخُلودِ خيمَةُ زَهرٍ
حَيثُ عيسى وَمريمٌ قَد أَقاما
35. A tent for love lined with affection
Its existence refusing to cease
٣٥. خيمَةٌ لِلهَوى يُبَطِّنُها الحُ
بُّ وَيَأبى وُجودُها الإِنصِراما
36. The two lovers lived in it long
And their hearts forgot their sorrows
٣٦. نعِمَ العاشِقانِ فيها طَويلاً
وَتَناسى قَلباهُما الأَسقاما
37. So the torment of the hours was eternity
And it was not just dreams
٣٧. فَعَذابُ الساعاتِ كانَت خُلوداً
أَبديّاً وَلم تَكُن أَحلاما
38. And Christ awoke from the intoxication of love
Dreaming the sky had become complete darkness
٣٨. وَاِستَفاقَ المَسيحُ من سُكرَةِ الحُ
بِّ يخالُ السَماءَ أَمسَت ضراما
39. He saw the universe in great turmoil
And saw crime in its peoples
٣٩. فَرَأى الكَونَ بِاِضطِرابٍ عَظيمٍ
وَرَأى في شُعوبِهِ الإِجراما
40.
The tradition of injustice - all walked in it
٤٠. سنَّةُ الظُلمِ سار كُلٌّ عَلَيها
وَغَدا العَدلُ شِرَّةً وَغُراما
41. And justice became evil and ruin
And the villain persisted in the bubble of vileness
٤١. وَاِستَمَرَّ اللَئيمُ في حوبَةِ اللُؤ
مِ فَأَمسَت كلُّ الشُعوب لئاما
42. And all the people became wicked
Their religion divided them - no peace
٤٢. فَرَّقَ الناسَ دينُهُم لا سَلامٌ
يَجعلُ الرفَ بَينَهُم وَالوئاما
43. To create harmony and concord between them
So the peace of harmony became wars
٤٣. فَسَلامُ الوَفاقِ صار حُروباً
وَصَليبُ الوِئامِ صارَ حُساما
44. And the cross of concord became swords
Today it wept for peace, but
٤٤. فَبَكى اليَوم لِلسَّلام وَلكِن
ما بكاهُ بِالأَمسِ كان خِصاما