أعلى العهدِ القَديمِ

أعلى العهدِ القَديمِ

شِيَمُ الظَّبْيِ الرَّخيمِ

شِيَمُ الظَّبْيِ الرَّخيمِ

Still faithful to the ancient covenant—

Are they still true to the old covenant—

are the tender gazelle’s ways?

the ways of the soft-voiced gazelle?

أم جفاني إذ رآني

أم جفاني إذ رآني

واللَّيالي من خُصومي

واللَّيالي من خُصومي

Or did he shun me when he saw me,

Or did he shun me when he saw me,

with the nights among my foes?

with the nights among my foes?

ليس ذا الدّهرُ على خُلْ

ليس ذا الدّهرُ على خُلْ

قٍ لخَلْقٍ بمُقيم

قٍ لخَلْقٍ بمُقيم

This age does not remain in one state

This age never keeps the same

for any creature.

disposition toward any creature.

زائرٌ زارَ منَ البَحْ

زائرٌ زارَ منَ البَحْ

رِ به وَفْدُ الغُيوم

رِ به وَفْدُ الغُيوم

A visitor came from the sea,

A visitor was brought on a visit from the

borne by the clouds’ envoy.

sea by the clouds’ delegation.

ثُمَّ لمّا أنْ مَلا فا

ثُمَّ لمّا أنْ مَلا فا

هُ من الدُّرِّ اليَتيم

هُ من الدُّرِّ اليَتيم

Then, once he had filled his mouth

Then, when he had filled

with peerless pearls,

his mouth with peerless pearls,

قبَّل الأرضَ به بَيْ

قبَّل الأرضَ به بَيْ

نَ يدَيْ عبدِ الرَّحيم

نَ يدَيْ عبدِ الرَّحيم

he kissed the earth with that mouth

he kissed the earth with it

before ʿAbd al-Rahim.

before ʿAbd al-Raḥīm.

لا ترَى غيرَ كريمٍ

لا ترَى غيرَ كريمٍ

عارفاً قدْرَ كريم

عارفاً قدْرَ كريم

You see none but one noble man

You see none but a generous man

who knows another noble man’s worth.

recognizing a generous man’s worth.