1. عَليلٌ غَريبٌ وَلا مُونِسُ

    يَحِنُّ لِرُؤياكَ يا تونِسُ

    An ailing stranger, with no companion,

    yearns for the sight of you, O Tunis.

  2. يَموتُ إِذا ما يَجُنّ الدُجى

    وَيَحيا إِذا نَصَلَ الحِندِسُ

    He dies when darkness falls,

    and lives when the deep darkness recedes.

  3. وَما حالَ مَن نَزَحَت دارُهُ

    وَقَرَّبَهُ لِلعَنا قُربُصُ

    And what is the plight of one whose home lies far away,

    and whom Korbous has drawn near to suffering?

  4. فَلاتَ اِقتِدارٌ وَلاتَ اِصطِبارٌ

    وَلاتَ اِفتِرارٌ وَمَن يَنبِسُ

    There is no strength, nor endurance,

    nor any smile—and who can utter a word?

  5. وَمِن دون هَذا تَطيشُ الحُلومُ

    وَتَدمى الكُلوم ولا تُحبَسُ

    And even less than this makes minds reel,

    and wounds bleed without being stanched.

  6. قَرارَةُ خِزيٍ وَمَرمى هَوانٍ

    وَنارُ الهُمومِ بِهِ تُقبَسُ

    A seat of disgrace and a target of humiliation,

    where the fire of cares is kindled.

  7. وَما تَقَعُ العَينُ إِلّا عَلى

    مَريضٍ ثيابَ الضَنى يَلبَسُ

    And the eye falls upon nothing but

    a sick man wearing the garments of wasting illness,

  8. وَزَمنى وَجَرحى يُسَقَّونَ مِن

    حَميمٍ تُحَمّ بِهِ الأَنفُسُ

    and invalids and the wounded, given drinks of

    scalding water that sets souls fevering.

  9. يُسَقَّون حَيناً وَلا يَحمَدونَ

    وَعُذرُهُم واضِحٌ إِن نَسوا

    At times they are given drink and offer no thanks;

    and their excuse is clear if they forget.

  10. تَرى كُلَّ ذي عِلَّةٍ خافِتاً

    يَئنّ إِذا ضَمَّهُ المِغمَسُ

    You see every sufferer faint-voiced,

    groaning when the bathing pool enfolds him.

  11. يُلينُ الجَليدَ وَيَشوي الجُلودَ

    كَذاتِ الوَقودِ إِذا يُلمَسُ

    It softens the hardy and scorches skin,

    like a fuel-fed fire when touched.

  12. وَحيناً تَراهُم كأهلِ الإِكامِ

    تَجوبُ الجِبالَ وَلا تَجلِسُ

    And at other times you see them like hill-folk,

    roaming the mountains and never sitting down.

  13. وَيَجنونَ مِن كُلِّ مُرٍّ بِها

    أُموراً تَجِفّ لَها الأَرؤُسُ

    And from every bitter thing there they gather

    things that make heads shrivel.

  14. وَيُضحونَ صَرعى خُمارٍ إِذا

    حَسَوها وَما دارَتِ الأَكؤُسُ

    And they are felled by a hangover when

    they sip it, though no cups have gone round.

  15. يُطيفُ بِأَطلالِهِ أَقوَدٌ

    أَشَمّ يُناجي السَما أَقعَسُ

    A towering mountain encircles its ruins,

    lofty-nosed, communing with the sky, arch-backed.

  16. يُطِلّ فَتَحسَبُهُ ظُلَّةً

    فَهَل قَومُ موسى هُنا عَرّسوا

    It overhangs, so you take it for a canopy—

    so did Moses' people camp here?

  17. وَمَن حَولِهِ البَحرُ لَكِن بِهِ

    عَواصِفُ صَرصَرَ لا تَهمِسُ

    And around it is the sea, but within it

    are howling tempests that do not whisper.

  18. كَأَنَّ بِشاطِئِهِ حَرّةً

    ثيابَ الحِداد لَها مَلبَسُ

    As though a freeborn woman were on its shore,

    with mourning garments for her attire.

  19. فَلا البَرّ بَرّ بِزُوّارِهِ

    وَلا البَحرُ بَحرٌ وَلا يونِسُ

    Neither is the land kind to its visitors,

    nor is the sea bountiful, nor does it comfort.

  20. وَلا نُزهَةٌ غَيرَ عَينِ التيوسِ

    وَعَينَ السَلاحِفِ لا قُدِّسوا

    And there is no outing except to the Goats' Spring

    and the Turtles' Spring—may they never be hallowed!

  21. مَكانٌ سَحيقٌ وَحُزنٌ وَضيقٌ

    وَقَفرٌ يَسوقُ العَنا بَسبَسُ

    A far-off place, sorrow and distress,

    and a barren, desolate wilderness that brings suffering.

  22. فَقُل لِلأَحِبَّة لا مَسُّهُم

    هَوانٌ إِذا اِنتَظَمَ المَجلِسُ

    So tell my loved ones—may they not be touched

    by humiliation—when the gathering assembles,

  23. وَفاحَ العَبير وَلاحَ السُرورُ

    وَحَيّاهُم الوَردُ وَالنَرجَسُ

    and perfume wafts and joy appears,

    and roses and narcissi greet them:

  24. إِذا ما شَجاكُم ذِكرُ حَبيبٍ

    وَعِلقُ مَوَدَّتِهِ الأَنفُسُ

    if the memory of a beloved stirs your sorrow,

    and souls are the treasure of his affection,

  25. فَقولوا بِما تَعلَموا عَن أَخٍ

    مَحاسِنُهُ بَينَكُم تُدرَسُ

    then speak of what you know of a brother

    whose virtues are recounted among you.

  26. لَعَلَّ ادّكارَكُم مُنعِشٌ

    قواهُ الَّتي قارَبَت تَدرُسُ

    Perhaps your remembrance will revive

    his strength, which is close to fading away.

  27. فَيا فالِقَ الحَبِّ يا خالِقي

    وَأَنتَ هوَ المُسعِدُ المُنحِسُ

    So, O Cleaver of the grain, O my Creator,

    and You are He who grants good fortune and ill—

  28. سَألتُكَ يا رَبّ بِالمُصطَفى

    نَبيِّ الهُدى الطَيِّبِ المَغرِسِ

    I beseech You, Lord, by the Chosen One,

    the Prophet of guidance, of pure stock,

  29. وَبالآلِ وَالصَحبِ وَالتابِعينَ

    وَمَن في ثَرى بَدر قَد عَرّسوا

    and by the family, the companions, and the Followers,

    and those who have encamped in Badr's soil,

  30. وَبِالأَولياءِ الألى لَيلُهُم

    بِنورِ الهُدى نَيِّرٌ مُشمِسُ

    and by the saints whose night

    is radiant, sunlit with the light of guidance:

  31. تَدارَكَ عُبيدَك وَاِنظُر لَهُ

    بِعَين الرِضى فَبِها يُحرَسُ

    rescue Your lowly servant, and look upon him

    with an eye of favor, for by it he is guarded.

  32. وَعَجِّل شِفاهُ فَأَنتَ القَديرُ

    إِذا حارَ بُقراطُ أَو هرمسُ

    And hasten his healing, for You are almighty,

    when Hippocrates or Hermes is at a loss.

  33. وَجَمِّع بِأَحبابِهِ شَملَهُ

    فَقَد طالَ في قُربُصَ المحبِسُ

    And reunite him with his loved ones,

    for confinement in Korbous has lasted long.

  34. وَصَلِّ وَسَلِّم عَلى مَن بِهِ

    بُنود الطَواغيتِ قَد نُكِّسوا

    And bestow blessings and peace upon him through whom

    the banners of tyrants have been lowered,

  35. وَآلٍ وَصَحبٍ مَعَ التابِعينَ

    لَعَلّيَ في فَضلِهِم أُغمَسُ

    and upon his family and companions, with the Followers—

    that I may be immersed in their grace.