رعى اللَه ديراً كنتُ فيه مُسلِّماً

رعى اللَه ديراً كنتُ فيه مُسلِّماً

على مَن عليها قَبلُ جبريلُ سَلَّما

على مَن عليها قَبلُ جبريلُ سَلَّما

May God watch over a monastery where I offered greetings

May God watch over the monastery where once I lived as a devout Muslim

To her whom Gabriel had greeted before.

At whose doors, before me, Gabriel himself once came to call

فمن صيدنايا كان مطلعُ نوره

فمن صيدنايا كان مطلعُ نوره

فأحسن ببدرٍ طلَّ من ذلكَ الحمى

فأحسن ببدرٍ طلَّ من ذلكَ الحمى

For from Saydnaya its light arose;

So whoever comes to Siddnaiya, source of his light,

How lovely the full moon that appeared from that sanctuary!

Let blessings rain down upon him like the full moon over that fevered desert

فإن سَما شاغورِ طاقةِ صورةٍ

فإن سَما شاغورِ طاقةِ صورةٍ

مُجَسَّمَةٍ تُبدي شموساً وأنجُما

مُجَسَّمَةٍ تُبدي شموساً وأنجُما

For Shaghour's sky is a niche with an image

For though his likeness rose to the pinnacle of heavenly spheres

In bodily form, revealing suns and stars.

Giving form to the formless, suns to the infinite stars

فكنتُ بعقلٍ ناطق متعجِّباً

فكنتُ بعقلٍ ناطق متعجِّباً

وكان لساني عن بيانيَ أبكما

وكان لساني عن بيانيَ أبكما

So I marvelled with an articulate mind,

I was amazed, though wit and wisdom filled me utterly

And my tongue was mute, unable to express myself.

That my tongue grew silent, all speech now beyond me

فلم تر قبلي ناطقاً متبكِّماً

فلم تر قبلي ناطقاً متبكِّماً

ولم تر بعدي صامتاً متكلِّما

ولم تر بعدي صامتاً متكلِّما

So before me you have seen no speaker struck dumb,

Never before have you seen one as talkative fall quiet

Nor after me have you seen a silent one speaking.

Never after one as silent find voice again