1. What was, was
In the hills of Lebanon

2. Pale as a ghost
Dark brown

3. Withered as a sword
Or concealed

4. The dream clouded his eyes
And love trembled on his lips

5. The sweat of revelation on his temples
It poured from his blood

6. His heart, how far from sins
Were his passions, his nights

7. And if his passion tried to hide
His dreams spoke of his secret

8. And his songs
While the nymphs were sleepless

9. Their green faded
And the drunken moon

10. In the river
With the hills in colors

11.
What was, was

12. The sparrow rose early
Before the appointed time

13. And the light awoke
In the valley

14. While the morning breeze was still intoxicated
Beating the kettle drums and rebelling

15. Gently stroking the rivers
Without wrinkling them

16. And the dew awoke on the grapes
Like a child's smile

17. The sun's lips feeding it
Quenching its hoarded treasure

18. When kissing it

19. The eyelids, the fleeting aroma
All the colors

20. For the poet
All the melodies

21.
What was, was

22. These tablets
In the Lebanese hills

23. Like passion and comfort
And the qiblah

24. The garden of shadows outlined
The bride of light brought to life

25. Luxuriant even infernal
Green carpets laid in its valley

26. His imagination wandered in it
The poet of dreams and love

27. Quenched by its sweet river
His imagination took dyes

28. From the blood of the heart

29. His verdant love
From the harvest of sorcery

30. Cloudy, sleepless
For the dawn

31. Perplexed, confused

32. What was, was
The bulbul sang

33. The seeds were wounded
So the evening was deserted

34. And the morning

35. The branches said to the river one day
Where is our chanter

36. His magical throat has not sung to us

37. And the channels said to the flowers
Where is he who whispered to us

38. Filled our goblets
His shadow does not flow in us

39.
And hungry passion said to incense

40. I do not see who
Used to herd me

41.
What was, was

42. Live on, branches
Live on, river

43. Passion is irrigating
And poetry

44.
So the vines in the vineyard swooning

45. Dew on them unlawfully
Like the suckling of love, languid

46. Drops of it on dreams

47. The spray of fragrance and melodies
The murmur of the generous stream

48. Milk, wine, and ambergris
Were carried from the shore of dreams

49. To the atoms of perfume

50. So the intoxicated evening
From the blood of vines

51. Kept raving
As it was

52.
With the light's creation

53. Harut never ceased
To spread rubies

54. In the guarded horizon

55. And in its guiding pavilion
The night breathes its lamps

56. And in the valley, the bed of love
Remained a swing for the birds

57.
All that passed by us remains

58. Fixed in color as it was
Only souls sometimes

59. Depending on their rise or fall
Give things colors

60.
Passion is faith

61. That remained fresh
In the poet's blood

62. As it was

63. In the land of secrets
Where no desire

64. The flowers said
To the meadows

65. Look, mother, look
Passion still in his eyes