نَغَمات عودي لا تُملُّ لأنها

نَغَمات عودي لا تُملُّ لأنها

شعرٌ يفيض عواطفاً وشعورا

شعرٌ يفيض عواطفاً وشعورا

The melodies of my oud never grow tiresome, for they are

The melodies of my oud do not weary, for they

The melodies of my oud never tire, for they are

Poetry overflowing with emotion and feeling.

Are poetry overflowing with emotions and feelings.

poetry overflowing with emotions and feeling.

نغماتُ عودي لا تملُّ لأنها

نغماتُ عودي لا تملُّ لأنها

لغة الملائك إذ تُناجي الحورا

لغة الملائك إذ تُناجي الحورا

The melodies of my oud never grow tiresome, for they are

The melodies of my oud do not weary, for they

The melodies of my oud never tire, for they are

The language of angels as they commune with the houris.

Are the language of angels conversing with huris.

the language of angels whispering to the houris.

همستْ بها الأرواح في ملكوتها

همستْ بها الأرواح في ملكوتها

شدْواً أرقَّ من الصبا وزفيرا

شدْواً أرقَّ من الصبا وزفيرا

Spirits whispered through them in their heavenly realm,

The spirits have whispered in it in their domain

Souls whispered them in their heavenly realm,

A song more tender than the east wind, and a sigh.

A song more delicate than youth and breeze.

a song gentler than the morning breeze and its sigh.

يوحي إليَّ من الخيال بدائعاً

يوحي إليَّ من الخيال بدائعاً

ويهزُّ أعطافي هوىً وسرورا

ويهزُّ أعطافي هوىً وسرورا

It inspires me with wonders born of imagination,

It evokes in me wonderful imagination,

It inspires me with the wonders of imagination,

And stirs my limbs with passion and joy.

And stirs in me passion and joy.

and sways my whole being with passion and joy.

في ظلمة الأحزان من نغماته

في ظلمة الأحزان من نغماته

نفسي الحزينة تستعير النورا

نفسي الحزينة تستعير النورا

In the darkness of sorrow, from its melodies

In the darkness of sorrows, from its melodies

In the darkness of sorrow, from its melodies,

My grieving soul borrows light.

My saddened soul borrows light.

my grieving soul borrows light.

أحنو عليه معانقاً متنهداً

أحنو عليه معانقاً متنهداً

فكأنني أمٌّ تضمُّ صغيرا

فكأنني أمٌّ تضمُّ صغيرا

I bend tenderly over it, embracing it and sighing,

I lean towards it embracing and sighing,

I bend over it, embracing it and sighing,

As though I were a mother clasping her little one.

As if I were a mother holding her little one.

as though I were a mother holding her little one.

وأبثُّه شكوى الهوى فأخاله

وأبثُّه شكوى الهوى فأخاله

يبكي عليّ متيماً مهجورا

يبكي عليّ متيماً مهجورا

I confide to it love's lament, and imagine it

And I tell it the love's complaints, imagining

I pour out to it my complaints of love, and imagine it

Weeping over me, lovesick and forsaken.

It weeping for me, yearning and abandoned.

weeping for me, an infatuated and forsaken lover.

سله عن الزمن الخئون وأهله

سله عن الزمن الخئون وأهله

تَرَه عليماً بالزمان خبيرا

تَرَه عليماً بالزمان خبيرا

Ask it about treacherous time and its people;

Ask it about the gloomy time and its people,

Ask it about the treacherous era and its people,

You will find it knowledgeable about time, well versed in it.

You'll find it knowledgeable of times, experienced.

you will find it wise and well-versed in the ways of time.

شهد القرون الماضيات وصافحت

شهد القرون الماضيات وصافحت

أوتارُه السفاحَ والمنصورا

أوتارُه السفاحَ والمنصورا

It witnessed the bygone centuries, and hands were clasped

It witnessed past eras and shook hands

It witnessed the bygone centuries, as its strings

By its strings with al-Saffah and al-Mansur.

With its strings with killers and kings.

shook hands with As-Saffah and Al-Mansur.

ورأى حضارة جِلقٍ وجلالها

ورأى حضارة جِلقٍ وجلالها

والملك في تلك الربوع كبيرا

والملك في تلك الربوع كبيرا

And it saw Jilliq's civilization and its grandeur,

And saw the civilization of Jilq and its glory,

It saw the civilization of Jilliq and its majesty,

And kingship, mighty in those lands.

And the great king in those lands.

and the vast greatness of the kingdom in those lands,

إذ ماء جلقَ كالرحيق عذوبة

إذ ماء جلقَ كالرحيق عذوبة

وظباءُ جلّق كالشموس سفورا

وظباءُ جلّق كالشموس سفورا

When Jilliq's water was as sweet as nectar,

When Jilq's water was sweet like nectar,

when the water of Jilliq was as sweet as nectar,

And Jilliq's gazelles were like suns, unveiled.

And Jilq's antelopes radiant like suns.

and the gazelles of Jilliq shone unveiled like suns.

سلب الزمان ملوكَ غسانٍ بها

سلب الزمان ملوكَ غسانٍ بها

تاجاً يُشعُ سناؤهُ وسريرا

تاجاً يُشعُ سناؤهُ وسريرا

There, time robbed the kings of Ghassan

Time robbed Ghassan's kings in it

Time robbed the kings of Ghassan within it

Of a crown whose radiance shone, and a throne.

Of a crown whose brilliance and throne shone.

of a radiantly glowing crown and a royal throne.

يا لاثماً فيها الثرى من حُبّه

يا لاثماً فيها الثرى من حُبّه

أعلمتَ أنك تلثم الكافورا؟

أعلمتَ أنك تلثم الكافورا؟

O you who kiss the soil there out of love,

Oh kissing its soil passionately,

O you who kiss the soil there out of love,

Do you know that you are kissing camphor?

Did you know you were kissing camphor?

did you know that you are kissing camphor?

ومعانقاً أغصانها من شوقه

ومعانقاً أغصانها من شوقه

أعلمت أنك قد ضممتَ خُصورا

أعلمت أنك قد ضممتَ خُصورا

And you who embrace its branches out of longing,

And embracing its branches fervently,

And you who embrace its branches out of longing,

Do you know that you have clasped waists?

Did you know you were hugging slender waists?

did you know that you are holding waists?

هذا صلاحُ الدين فاخشعْ، إنه

هذا صلاحُ الدين فاخشعْ، إنه

ملكُ الملوك مسالماً ومُغيرا

ملكُ الملوك مسالماً ومُغيرا

This is Salah al-Din: bow in reverence, for he is

This is Salahuddin, so bow in humility,

This is Saladin; stand in reverence, for he is

The king of kings, in peace and on the attack.

He is the king of kings, peaceful and warrior.

the king of kings, both in peace and in battle.

طافَ الجلال به مليكاً فاتحاً

طافَ الجلال به مليكاً فاتحاً

حيّاً، وطاف بلحده مقبورا

حيّاً، وطاف بلحده مقبورا

Majesty encircled him as a conquering king,

Glory revolved around him conquering alive,

Majesty encompassed him as a conquering king

In life, and encircled his tomb when he lay buried.

And around his grave buried dead.

in life, and hovered around his tomb in death.

فالثم ثراه فقد لثمتَ خميلةً

فالثم ثراه فقد لثمتَ خميلةً

للمكرمات وقد نشقتَ عبيرا

للمكرمات وقد نشقتَ عبيرا

So kiss his soil, for you have kissed a leafy grove

So kiss his soil for you would have kissed a beloved

So kiss his earth, for you have kissed a garden

Of noble deeds, and breathed in fragrance.

Of graciousness and you would have inhaled perfume.

of noble deeds, and inhaled its sweet fragrance.

واهتفْ لدى القبر النديّ مردّداً

واهتفْ لدى القبر النديّ مردّداً

بفنائِه التهليلَ والتكبيرا

بفنائِه التهليلَ والتكبيرا

And cry out beside the dewy grave, repeating

And chant at the generous tomb repeating

And cry out at the dewy tomb, echoing

In its courtyard, 'There is no god but God' and 'God is greatest.'

Glorifications and testimonies of God's oneness.

in its courtyard the Tahleel and the Takbeer.

ليثُ المعامعِ وهو أوّل آسرٍ

ليثُ المعامعِ وهو أوّل آسرٍ

صِيدَ الفوارسِ كيف صار أسيراً؟

صِيدَ الفوارسِ كيف صار أسيراً؟

The lion of raging battles, the foremost captor

The lion of shining swords, the first captive

The lion of the battles, the foremost captor

Of proud knights—how did he become a captive?

Of horsemen, how did he become captive?

of the proudest knights—how has he become a captive?