وَقيتَ العَنا يا حادى الرَكبِ بالعيسِ

وَقيتَ العَنا يا حادى الرَكبِ بالعيسِ

تَحَمَّل تَحيّاتِ إِلى دارِ دَنّيس

تَحَمَّل تَحيّاتِ إِلى دارِ دَنّيس

May you be spared hardship, O driver of the caravan of white camels.

You passed by the grove, O guide of the caravan at Eisa,

Carry greetings to Dannis's house,

Bear my greetings to the house of Dannis.

وَحَيِّ نَدامايَ الذينَ أَلِفتُهُم

وَحَيِّ نَدامايَ الذينَ أَلِفتُهُم

بِها وَعُيونُ اللَهوِ تَرنو بِتأنيس

بِها وَعُيونُ اللَهوِ تَرنو بِتأنيس

and greet my drinking companions, whom I grew fond of

And greet those I befriended there,

there, while the eyes of pleasure gaze with friendly warmth;

And the eyes of pleasure glance at it gently.

وَأَيامَ لَذَّاتٍ تَقَضَّت بِقُربِهِم

وَأَيامَ لَذَّاتٍ تَقَضَّت بِقُربِهِم

رَكَضنا بِها خَيلَ السُرورِ بِلا كَيسٍ

رَكَضنا بِها خَيلَ السُرورِ بِلا كَيسٍ

and the days of delight that passed in their company,

And days of delights I spent being close to them,

when we galloped the steeds of joy without prudence,

We raced through them the horses of joy without bridle.

بِفُرسانِ أنسٍ يُقبِلونَ إِذا رَأوا

بِفُرسانِ أنسٍ يُقبِلونَ إِذا رَأوا

ظِباء كِناسٍ في ثيابِ الطَواويس

ظِباء كِناسٍ في ثيابِ الطَواويس

with knights of conviviality who approach when they see

With horsemen of intimacy who turn towards

gazelles of the covert in peacocks' robes.

Gazelles in cloaks, if they see them.

أَلا في سَبيلِ اللَهوِ نَفسٌ مَشوقَةٌ

أَلا في سَبيلِ اللَهوِ نَفسٌ مَشوقَةٌ

تَحِن لإنجِيلٍ وَقَرعِ نَواقيسِ

تَحِن لإنجِيلٍ وَقَرعِ نَواقيسِ

Ah, a yearning soul in the cause of pleasure

Verily for the sake of pleasure a passionate soul

longs for the Gospel and the ringing of church bells,

Yearns for the Bible and the ringing of bells.

وَتَصبو إِلىَ ذِكرِ الصُبوحِ وَفِتيَةٍ

وَتَصبو إِلىَ ذِكرِ الصُبوحِ وَفِتيَةٍ

شِعارُهُم سَدلُ الشُعورِ عَلى الروسِ

شِعارُهُم سَدلُ الشُعورِ عَلى الروسِ

and yearns for mention of morning wine and young men

And it aspires to the mention of dawn and youths

whose hallmark is hair hanging loosely over their heads.

Whose motto is the cascading of hair over heads.

إِذا ذَكَروا شَرعَ اليسوعِ تَمَسَّحوا

إِذا ذَكَروا شَرعَ اليسوعِ تَمَسَّحوا

بِآثارِهِم ما بَينَ حَبرٍ وَقسيّسِ

بِآثارِهِم ما بَينَ حَبرٍ وَقسيّسِ

When they mention the law of Jesus, they seek blessings

When they remember the law of Jesus, they wiped themselves

through their relics, from learned cleric to priest.

With its traces between ink and priest.

وَيسقونَ مَن راحٍ كَأَنَ نَسيمَها

وَيسقونَ مَن راحٍ كَأَنَ نَسيمَها

رَسولٌ إِلى قَلبِ المَشوقِ بِتَنفيسِ

رَسولٌ إِلى قَلبِ المَشوقِ بِتَنفيسِ

And they serve wine, as though its breeze were

And they serve drink to the one taking rest as if its breeze

a messenger to the yearning heart, bringing relief.

Were a messenger to the heart of the passionate one with ventilation.

إِذا ما شَرِبناها يَقولُ مُديرُها

إِذا ما شَرِبناها يَقولُ مُديرُها

قَراتسي سنيور أَفيفا أَيا موس

قَراتسي سنيور أَفيفا أَيا موس

Whenever we drink it, its server says:

When we drink it, its server says:

“Thank you, sir! Hurrah! Aya mus!”

"Greetings senior, long live sir."

فتَهتَز أَعطافُ النَدامى لَقَولِهِ

فتَهتَز أَعطافُ النَدامى لَقَولِهِ

كَما هَزت الإِنجيلُ أَسماعَ شِميِّسِ

كَما هَزت الإِنجيلُ أَسماعَ شِميِّسِ

Then the drinking companions' sides sway at his words,

So the sides of the boon companions shake for his words

as the Gospel stirred the ears of Shimayyis.

As the Bible shook the hearings of Shimis.

لك الخَير يا ماتيل بادِر بِأوبَةٍ

لك الخَير يا ماتيل بادِر بِأوبَةٍ

فَإِن أَبي لولو عَدوّ المَفاليسِ

فَإِن أَبي لولو عَدوّ المَفاليسِ

May good be yours, O Matil; hasten back,

Good for you O Mattil, set out repenting,

for Abi Lulu is an enemy of the penniless,

For my father Lulu is the enemy of the bankrupt.

وَإِن ابنَ قُسطَنطينَ حالَ وِدادُهُ

وَإِن ابنَ قُسطَنطينَ حالَ وِدادُهُ

لَعلك تَرثي أَن تَراني بِلا كيسِ

لَعلك تَرثي أَن تَراني بِلا كيسِ

and indeed the affection of Constantine's son has changed.

And the son of Constantine, his affection changed,

Perhaps you will take pity on seeing me without a purse.

Maybe you inherit to see me without purse.

فَأَنتَ كَبيرُ القَومِ غَيرَ مُدافَع

فَأَنتَ كَبيرُ القَومِ غَيرَ مُدافَع

تُلاقي بِنَشر للثياب بِتَنفيس

تُلاقي بِنَشر للثياب بِتَنفيس

For you are the undisputed chief of the company;

For you are the greatest of people, not objecting,

you offer welcome with garments spread, bringing relief.

You meet with spreading clothes with ventilation.

لَعَلَّ اللَيالي أَن تَعود إِليكُمُ

لَعَلَّ اللَيالي أَن تَعود إِليكُمُ

فَنَلبِس أَثوابَ الصَفا خَير مَلبوس

فَنَلبِس أَثوابَ الصَفا خَير مَلبوس

Perhaps the nights will return to you,

Maybe the nights will return to you,

and then we shall wear the robes of serenity, the finest attire,

And we wear the clothes of clarity, the best clothes.

وَنَلتَذ مِن بير الحِجارِ بِشَربَةٍ

وَنَلتَذ مِن بير الحِجارِ بِشَربَةٍ

وَيُقرَعُ سَمعي مِن خَميسٍ بِتَخميسِ

وَيُقرَعُ سَمعي مِن خَميسٍ بِتَخميسِ

and savor a draught from Bir al-Hijar,

And we enjoy from the wells of Al-Hijar a drink,

and Khamis's five-line verse will ring in my ear.

And my hearing gets rung from Thursday with pentatonic tunes.

هُوَ المَنزِلُ الرحب الرَفيعُ عِمادُهُ

هُوَ المَنزِلُ الرحب الرَفيعُ عِمادُهُ

عَلى الهضبَة الشماءِ مِن قَصرِ باديسِ

عَلى الهضبَة الشماءِ مِن قَصرِ باديسِ

It is the spacious abode, its pillars lofty,

It is the vast, lofty residence, its pillar

on the towering hill of Badis's palace.

On the plateau from the palace of Badis.

لَو أَنَّ لِسانَ الدينِ عاناهُ لَم يَقُل

لَو أَنَّ لِسانَ الدينِ عاناهُ لَم يَقُل

عَسى وَقفَةٌ بالرَكبِ يا حاديَ العيسِ

عَسى وَقفَةٌ بالرَكبِ يا حاديَ العيسِ

Had Lisan al-Din experienced it, he would not have said:

If the tongue of religion tested it, it wouldn't say:

“May there be a halt for the caravan, O driver of the white camels.”

"Maybe a stopover with the caravan, O guide of Eisa."