بين الأراك وبين ذي سلم

بين الأراك وبين ذي سلم

القيت خوف نواك بالسلم

القيت خوف نواك بالسلم

Between the arak groves and Dhū Salam,

Between al-Arak and Dhi Salam,

through surrender I cast off the fear of your estrangement.

I surrendered for fear of your departure.

الله يا سلام في رجلٍ

الله يا سلام في رجلٍ

أبقيته لحماً على وضم

أبقيته لحماً على وضم

For God’s sake, O Salām—what of a man

For God's sake, O Salam, show mercy to a man

whom you have reserved for death upon a butcher’s block?

whom you have left as flesh upon a butcher's block.

أعدت جفونك جسمه فرمت

أعدت جفونك جسمه فرمت

بفتورها فيه وبالسقم

بفتورها فيه وبالسقم

You trained your eyelids on his body; they shot

Your eyelids infected his body, then cast

their languor into him, and sickness too.

their languor and sickness into him.

ورميته بسهام بينك إذ

ورميته بسهام بينك إذ

عيرته بالشيب والعدم

عيرته بالشيب والعدم

And you shot him with the arrows of your parting, when

And you shot him with the arrows of your separation, when

you taunted him for gray hair and destitution.

you taunted him for his gray hair and poverty.

فحدا ركاب مناه نحو فتى

فحدا ركاب مناه نحو فتى

ذي همةٍ تعلو على الهمم

ذي همةٍ تعلو على الهمم

So he urged the mounts of his hopes toward a noble youth

So he urged the camels of his hopes toward a young man

of such high resolve that it soars above all resolves.

whose ambition soars above all ambitions.