أَراق سِجالَهُ بالرَّقتين

أَراق سِجالَهُ بالرَّقتين

جنوبيٌّ صَخوبُ الجانبينِ

جنوبيٌّ صَخوبُ الجانبينِ

It poured its bucketfuls over ar-Raqqatayn—

He shed his tears with tenderness,

a southerly storm, roaring on both flanks.

A southerner, slender of both sides.

ولا اعتزلت عزاليه المصلى

ولا اعتزلت عزاليه المصلى

بلى خرَّتْ على الخرّارتين

بلى خرَّتْ على الخرّارتين

Nor did its spouts shun al-Musalla;

Though I did not seclude myself in cloisters for prayer,

indeed, they poured down on al-Kharraratayn.

Indeed, my tears fell on both cheeks.

وأهدى للرصيفِ رصيفَ مُزن

وأهدى للرصيفِ رصيفَ مُزن

يُعاودوه طرير الطُّرتين

يُعاودوه طرير الطُّرتين

And it gifted ar-Rasif a close-packed bank of rainclouds

And he brought to the pavement a pavement of delight,

that return to it, fair along both fringes.

Revisiting it with the twittering of turtledoves.

معاهدُ بل مآلفُ باقياتٌ

معاهدُ بل مآلفُ باقياتٌ

بأكرمِ معهدين ومألفين

بأكرمِ معهدين ومألفين

Familiar haunts—rather, cherished abodes—remain

Covenants, nay intimate friends are lasting ones,

in the noblest two haunts and two abodes.

With the noblest covenant and intimacy.

يُضاحكها الفراتُ بكلِّ فَجٍ

يُضاحكها الفراتُ بكلِّ فَجٍ

فيضحكُ عن نَضارٍ أو لُجين

فيضحكُ عن نَضارٍ أو لُجين

The Euphrates exchanges smiles with them through every broad passage,

The Euphrates makes fun of every creek,

and smiles, revealing gold or silver.

Then it laughs with freshness or muddiness.

كأن الأرضَ م صُفْرِ وحُمْرٍ

كأن الأرضَ م صُفْرِ وحُمْرٍ

عروسٌ تُجتلى في حُلّتين

عروسٌ تُجتلى في حُلّتين

As though the earth, in yellows and reds,

As if the land were saffron and red,

were a bride displayed in two robes.

A bride adorned in two gowns.

كأن عناق نهري ديرِ زكَّى

كأن عناق نهري ديرِ زكَّى

إذا اعتنقا عِناقُ مُتيَّمين

إذا اعتنقا عِناقُ مُتيَّمين

As though the embrace of Dayr Zakka's two rivers,

As if the embrace of my river and pure monastery,

when they embrace, were the embrace of two lovesick lovers.

When they embrace, is the embrace of two inseparable friends.

وَقَتْ ذاك البليخَ يدُ الليالي

وَقَتْ ذاك البليخَ يدُ الليالي

وذاك النيلَ من متجاورين

وذاك النيلَ من متجاورين

May the hand of nights protect that Balikh

That long night has captured the hand of nights,

and that Nile—those two neighbors.

And that Nile from two adjoining ones.

أقاما كالسوارين استدارا

أقاما كالسوارين استدارا

على كتفيه أو كالدُّملجين

على كتفيه أو كالدُّملجين

They settled like two bracelets that curved

They stood like two bracelets

around its shoulders, or like two armlets.

Round his shoulders or like two clasped hands.

أبا متنزَّهِي في ديرِ زكَّى

أبا متنزَّهِي في ديرِ زكَّى

ألم تكُ نزهتي بك نزهتين

ألم تكُ نزهتي بك نزهتين

O father of my pleasure-ground in Dayr Zakka,

My father, taking a stroll in the pure monastery,

was not my delight in you a twofold delight?

Was not your stroll with me two strolls?

أردَد بين وردِ نداكَ طَرْفاً

أردَد بين وردِ نداكَ طَرْفاً

يُردَّد بين وردِ الوجنتين

يُردَّد بين وردِ الوجنتين

I turn my gaze among the roses of your bounty,

I send a glance between your roses,

roaming between the roses of both cheeks

Which sends it back between the roses of (both) cheeks.

ومبتسم كنظمي أُقحُوانٍ

ومبتسم كنظمي أُقحُوانٍ

جلاه الطلُّ بين شقيقتين

جلاه الطلُّ بين شقيقتين

and a smiling mouth like two strings of chrysanthemums,

And smiling like my string of pearls

polished by dew between two anemones.

Washed by dew between two rills.

ويا سفنَ الفراتِ بحيث تَهوي

ويا سفنَ الفراتِ بحيث تَهوي

هُوِيَّ الطير بين الجلهتين

هُوِيَّ الطير بين الجلهتين

And O ships of the Euphrates, where you swoop

And O ships of the Euphrates, whichever way you sail,

as birds swoop between the two banks,

Sail between the two shores!

تَطارَدُ مُقبلاتٍ مدبراتٍ

تَطارَدُ مُقبلاتٍ مدبراتٍ

على عَجَلٍ تَطارُدَ عسكرين

على عَجَلٍ تَطارُدَ عسكرين

chasing one another, coming and going,

Some coming, some going,

in haste, as two armies chase each other:

Hastening as if two armies racing.

تُرانا واصليكِ كما عَهدنا

تُرانا واصليكِ كما عَهدنا

وصالاً لا ننغّصُهُ ببَين

وصالاً لا ننغّصُهُ ببَين

will you see us joining you as we once did,

They remind me of you, as we knew you,

in a union we do not spoil with parting?

A union we embitter not with estrangement.

ألا يا صاحبيَّ خُذا عنانَيْ

ألا يا صاحبيَّ خُذا عنانَيْ

هوايَ سَلمتُما من صاحبين

هوايَ سَلمتُما من صاحبين

Come now, my two companions, take the two reins

Oh my two friends, take my reins,

of my passion—may you both be safe, you two companions!

I have surrendered my passion to two companions.

لقد غصبتنيَ الخمسون فتكي

لقد غصبتنيَ الخمسون فتكي

وقامتْ بين لذاتي وبيني

وقامتْ بين لذاتي وبيني

Indeed, fifty years have robbed me of my reckless daring,

Fifty has indeed wronged me,

and stood between my pleasures and me.

And stood between my pleasures and me.

وكان اللهوُ عندي كابنِ أُمي

وكان اللهوُ عندي كابنِ أُمي

فصرنا بعد ذاك لِعَلَّتين

فصرنا بعد ذاك لِعَلَّتين

And pleasure was to me like a son of my own mother,

Amusement for me was like a son,

so afterward we became brothers of different mothers.

But after that we were for various ailments.