قد أومضت حكمةُ الإنجيل عن رُسُلٍ

قد أومضت حكمةُ الإنجيل عن رُسُلٍ

وحندسُ الكفر والطغيان جَنَّا

وحندسُ الكفر والطغيان جَنَّا

The Gospel's wisdom has flashed forth through apostles,

The wisdom of the Gospel has flashed from the Apostles,

while the deep darkness of unbelief and tyranny spread its shroud.

While the blindness of disbelief and tyranny has darkened.

لقد هدَى مذ بدا بالشرع عاقلَه

لقد هدَى مذ بدا بالشرع عاقلَه

وظل يخبط في عشواه من جُنَّا

وظل يخبط في عشواه من جُنَّا

Since it appeared, it has indeed guided those who understand it through the law,

It has guided the intelligent since it appeared with the Law,

while the madman kept stumbling in his blindness.

While the madman continues stumbling in his folly.

قد سن للناس إيماناً شريعتُهُ

قد سن للناس إيماناً شريعتُهُ

سَنِيَّةٌ وصحيحُ الأمر ما سنّا

سَنِيَّةٌ وصحيحُ الأمر ما سنّا

It has prescribed faith for people; its law

Its religion established faith for people,

is sublime, and what it ordained is sound.

A tradition, sound in command, as it legislated.

به عقلنا كلامَ اللَه فانعقلت

به عقلنا كلامَ اللَه فانعقلت

عقولُنا بعقالٍ يَعقلُ الجِنّا

عقولُنا بعقالٍ يَعقلُ الجِنّا

Through it we understood God's word, and thus were tethered

Through it our minds comprehended God's speech, so our minds

our minds, with a tether that binds the jinn.

Were enlightened with an intellect that even jinn comprehend.

نصٌّ أمينٌ وثيقٌ جاء مفتدياً

نصٌّ أمينٌ وثيقٌ جاء مفتدياً

نفوسَنا من ضلالٍ في الدجا كُنّا

نفوسَنا من ضلالٍ في الدجا كُنّا

A faithful, reliable text came to redeem

A faithful, solid text came to redeem

our souls from error—we had dwelt in darkness.

Our souls from misguidance in the darkness where we were.

من جاءنا بحقيقتْهِ يجادلُنا

من جاءنا بحقيقتْهِ يجادلُنا

إن قال غَيَّرْتَهُ قولنْ له أنَّى

إن قال غَيَّرْتَهُ قولنْ له أنَّى

Whoever comes to us arguing about its truth:

Whoever disputes us after the truth came to us,

if he says, 'You altered it,' say to him, 'How?'

If he says "You have altered it," say to him "How?"

هل يعلم الغربُ من في الشرق غيَّرَه

هل يعلم الغربُ من في الشرق غيَّرَه

إن قال هل كاذبٌ ظنِّي فقل إنّا

إن قال هل كاذبٌ ظنِّي فقل إنّا

Does the West know who altered it in the East?

Does the West know what one in the East altered?

If he says, 'Is my conjecture false?' say, 'Yes.'

If he says "I suspect lies," say "We are

سهمٌ يوجَّهُ والرامي بذي سَلَمٍ

سهمٌ يوجَّهُ والرامي بذي سَلَمٍ

نحو العراق لقد أبعدتَه منّا

نحو العراق لقد أبعدتَه منّا

An arrow is aimed, its archer at Dhu Salam,

An arrow directed and the archer is safe and sound

toward Iraq—you have indeed sent it far from us.

Toward Iraq - you have sent it far from us.

إن كان صدقُك ذا يلقاك فأتِ بما

إن كان صدقُك ذا يلقاك فأتِ بما

قد كان من قبلُ متلوّاً كما كُنّا

قد كان من قبلُ متلوّاً كما كُنّا

If this truth of yours comes to you, then produce what

If your claim is true, bring what

was recited before, as we used to recite it.

Was before as we recited.

إذ كلُّ قطرٍ من الدنيا له لغةٌ

إذ كلُّ قطرٍ من الدنيا له لغةٌ

إنجيلُها صادق المعنى وهو معْنا

إنجيلُها صادق المعنى وهو معْنا

For every region of the world has a language;

Since every speck of the world has a language,

its Gospel is true in meaning, and it is with us,

Its Gospel is of honest meaning, and it is with us,

قبلاً وبَعداً فلم يقنعك قائلُه

قبلاً وبَعداً فلم يقنعك قائلُه

لغاتُه شاهدٌ في صحة المعنى

لغاتُه شاهدٌ في صحة المعنى

before and after; yet its speaker has not persuaded you.

Before and after, yet its speaker did not convince you.

Its languages testify to the soundness of the meaning.

Its languages are proof of the correctness of the meaning.

أنى تشين كلامَ اللَه معتقداً

أنى تشين كلامَ اللَه معتقداً

خلافَه ذاك خُلفٌ فيه يُتْجنَّى

خلافَه ذاك خُلفٌ فيه يُتْجنَّى

How can you malign God's word while believing

How can you impugn God's speech, believing

its opposite? That is a contradiction in which slander is committed.

Its contrary is a loss in which one is disgraced?

الحقُّ هذا كتابُ الله تَلحقُه

الحقُّ هذا كتابُ الله تَلحقُه

يهديك ثم ترانا فيه نَتْكَنَّى

يهديك ثم ترانا فيه نَتْكَنَّى

This is the truth—God's book; if you follow it,

This is the truth, God's book which

it guides you; then you see us taking our name from it.

Will guide you, then you will see us cling to it.

خذ طالعَ الحق عن إنجيل مذهبنا

خذ طالعَ الحق عن إنجيل مذهبنا

مبرهِناً ثم خذ تقليدَه عنّا

مبرهِناً ثم خذ تقليدَه عنّا

Take truth's rising light from the Gospel of our faith,

Take the rising of the truth from our denomination's Gospel,

proving it; then receive its tradition from us.

Proving, then take its tradition from us.

هذا هو الشمس والأعدا ذوو رمَدٍ

هذا هو الشمس والأعدا ذوو رمَدٍ

والشمسُ في الأفق تخلو كلما عنّا

والشمسُ في الأفق تخلو كلما عنّا

This is the sun, and its enemies have inflamed eyes;

This is the sun, and the enemies have bleary eyes,

and the sun stands alone on the horizon whenever it appears.

And the sun is in the horizon, always far from us.

لا عيب في الشمس إن رُدَّت نواظرُهم

لا عيب في الشمس إن رُدَّت نواظرُهم

خواسياً ثم قالوا نورها جُنّا

خواسياً ثم قالوا نورها جُنّا

There is no fault in the sun if their eyes are turned back

No flaw in the sun if their vision is

repulsed, and then they say, 'Its light is veiled.'

Turned in envy, then they said "Its light is madness."

فالمنهلُ العذبُ لا يَنفكُّ مزدحماً

فالمنهلُ العذبُ لا يَنفكُّ مزدحماً

أما الأجاجُ فبالإكراه يَتْمنَّى

أما الأجاجُ فبالإكراه يَتْمنَّى

For the sweet-water spring is always crowded,

The fresh spring does not cease to be crowded,

while bitter salt water is desired only under compulsion.

As for the bitter, it is desired with coercion.

صمتي عن الحق لا جهلاً ومعجزةً

صمتي عن الحق لا جهلاً ومعجزةً

لكن لأمرٍ دعاني فيه أَتْأنَّى

لكن لأمرٍ دعاني فيه أَتْأنَّى

My silence about the truth is not from ignorance or inability,

My silence on the truth is not ignorance or a miracle,

but because of a matter that prompted me to take my time.

But for a matter that called me to be careful.

يا حكمةَ اللَه ما أغناكَ عن بشرٍ

يا حكمةَ اللَه ما أغناكَ عن بشرٍ

لو يعقلونكَ ما كان الهدى ظنّا

لو يعقلونكَ ما كان الهدى ظنّا

O wisdom of God, how free you are of need for mortals!

O wisdom of God, how little you benefit mankind,

If they understood you, guidance would not be conjecture.

If they understood you, guidance would not be a notion.

ما كلُّ حُسنٍ يروق العينَ منظرُه

ما كلُّ حُسنٍ يروق العينَ منظرُه

كلا ولا كل نظمٍ صوتُه حَنّا

كلا ولا كل نظمٍ صوتُه حَنّا

Not every beauty's appearance delights the eye,

Not all beauty pleases the eye in appearance,

no, nor does every verse sound melodious.

No, nor does every poetry's sound become yearning.

اسمع مصيخاً لما يبديه مرتجلاً

اسمع مصيخاً لما يبديه مرتجلاً

مَتَّى ومَرقُسُ لوقا ثم يوحنا

مَتَّى ومَرقُسُ لوقا ثم يوحنا

Listen attentively to what is expressed extemporaneously by

Listen to the preaching of what he declares spontaneously -

Matthew and Mark, Luke, then John.

Matthew, Mark, Luke, then John.

كلٌّ بإنجيله يروي حقيقتَه

كلٌّ بإنجيله يروي حقيقتَه

عن روح قُدسٍ وما يرويه صدقنا

عن روح قُدسٍ وما يرويه صدقنا

Each, in his Gospel, recounts its truth

Each with his Gospel relates his truth,

from the Holy Spirit, and we have believed what he recounts.

From the Holy Spirit, and what he relates we believe.

صنّا تعاليمَهم من ذاك يُرشدُنا

صنّا تعاليمَهم من ذاك يُرشدُنا

إنجيلُهم ولغير الحق ما صُنّا

إنجيلُهم ولغير الحق ما صُنّا

We preserved their teachings; thereby we are guided by

They protected their teachings from those who guide us.

their Gospel; we preserved them only for the truth.

Their Gospel, and we did not protect anything else.

قومٌ أناروا من الأقطار أربعةً

قومٌ أناروا من الأقطار أربعةً

بأربعٍ ثم قالوا فانقلوا عنّا

بأربعٍ ثم قالوا فانقلوا عنّا

Men who illumined four regions

A people who illuminated four regions

with four Gospels, then said, 'So transmit from us.'

With four, then said "So convey from us."

إني غدوتُ مسيحيّاً بفضلهمِ

إني غدوتُ مسيحيّاً بفضلهمِ

من دونهم كنتُ ضُلّاً أعبدُ الجِنّا

من دونهم كنتُ ضُلّاً أعبدُ الجِنّا

I have become a Christian thanks to them;

I have become Christian through them,

without them I was astray, worshipping the jinn.

Without them I was lost, worshiping jinn.