في ديرِ بيرةِ دادخينِ حُورٌ

في ديرِ بيرةِ دادخينِ حُورٌ

في الباعِ عنْ سلوانِهنَّ قصورُ

في الباعِ عنْ سلوانِهنَّ قصورُ

In the monastery of Bīrat Dādkhīn are houris;

In the monastery of Beerah Dākhin are maidens,

one's reach falls short of forgetting them.

With palaces above the slopes of Salwān.

فإذا تمثَّلَهُ الضميرُ رأيتهُ

فإذا تمثَّلَهُ الضميرُ رأيتهُ

وعليهِ أغصانُ الشبابِ تمورُ

وعليهِ أغصانُ الشبابِ تمورُ

And when the mind pictures it, you see it

When the heart pictures them, you see

with the boughs of youth swaying over it.

The boughs of youth upon them heavy with fruit.

ولطالما رتعتْ بهِ الظَّبْياتُ في

ولطالما رتعتْ بهِ الظَّبْياتُ في

أُنسٍ فليسَ يشنهنَّ نفورُ

أُنسٍ فليسَ يشنهنَّ نفورُ

And how often the gazelles grazed there in

Long has the wild deer grazed among them

friendly ease, with no skittishness to mar them.

In delight, no fear makes them shy.

كم راغبٍ في الراهباتِ لأنها

كم راغبٍ في الراهباتِ لأنها

بيضٌ مزنَّرةُ الخصورِ بكورُ

بيضٌ مزنَّرةُ الخصورِ بكورُ

How many a man longs for the nuns, for they are

How many a monk for the nuns mad longing

fair, girdled at the waist, and virginal.

For they are white, adorned at the waist with sashes.

المائلاتُ كأنهنَّ ذوابلٌ

المائلاتُ كأنهنَّ ذوابلٌ

المشرقاتُ كأنهنَّ بدورُ

المشرقاتُ كأنهنَّ بدورُ

Swaying, they are like slender spears;

Swaying as though they were branches,

radiant, they are like full moons.

Radiant as though they were full moons.

حورٌ يصرْنَ إلى جهنمَ في غدٍ

حورٌ يصرْنَ إلى جهنمَ في غدٍ

عجبي لهنَّ أفي جهنَّمَ حورُ

عجبي لهنَّ أفي جهنَّمَ حورُ

Houris who will go to Hell tomorrow—

Maidens - tomorrow to Hell will they hie!

how I marvel at them! Are there houris in Hell?

Strange that in Hell there should be houris!

عاينْتُ في شرفاتِهِ نوراً وَمِنْ

عاينْتُ في شرفاتِهِ نوراً وَمِنْ

عجبٍ بناءُ الكفرِ كيفَ ينيرُ

عجبٍ بناءُ الكفرِ كيفَ ينيرُ

I saw light in its balconies, and it is a

On its balconies I saw a light and from wonder -

wonder: how does a building of unbelief shine?

How can the abode of unbelief shine so bright?

ما ذاكَ نورٌ بلْ بقيةُ حسنِ مَنْ

ما ذاكَ نورٌ بلْ بقيةُ حسنِ مَنْ

قدْ كانَ يسكنُ فيهِ منذُ دهور

قدْ كانَ يسكنُ فيهِ منذُ دهور

That is no light, but the lingering beauty of those who

Not light was it, but the lingering grace of her

once dwelt there, ages ago.

Who once dwelt there for ages and ages.

أرجاؤهُ محبوبةٌ وسفوحُهُ

أرجاؤهُ محبوبةٌ وسفوحُهُ

مطلوبةٌ وبهاؤُهُ موفورُ

مطلوبةٌ وبهاؤُهُ موفورُ

Its precincts are beloved, and its slopes

Its sides are beloved, its hill-slopes

are sought after, and its splendor is abundant.

Desired, and its splendor abounds.

للهِ كم مرَّتْ لساكنِهِ بِهِ

للهِ كم مرَّتْ لساكنِهِ بِهِ

مِنْ ليلةٍ ما شانَها تكديرُ

مِنْ ليلةٍ ما شانَها تكديرُ

By God, how many passed there for its dweller—

O, how often unto its dweller came

nights unmarred by disturbance!

A night whose nature was but to vex!

أيامَ أغصانُ الزمانِ وريقةٌ

أيامَ أغصانُ الزمانِ وريقةٌ

والعيشُ غضٌّ والشبابُ نضيرُ

والعيشُ غضٌّ والشبابُ نضيرُ

In days when time's boughs were leafy,

Days when the boughs of time were in leaf

and life was tender, and youth was fresh,

And life was fresh and youth but a bud,

والحادثاتُ غوافلٌ عنْ أهلِهِ

والحادثاتُ غوافلٌ عنْ أهلِهِ

والجفنُ عما لا يحبُّ قريرُ

والجفنُ عما لا يحبُّ قريرُ

and calamities were heedless of its people,

When sorrows turned from its folk away

and the eyelid rested, spared what it did not love,

And the eyelid closed on what it did not love,

والغصنُ يرقصُ والحمامُ صوادحٌ

والغصنُ يرقصُ والحمامُ صوادحٌ

والريحُ فيها عنبرٌ وعبيرُ

والريحُ فيها عنبرٌ وعبيرُ

and the branch danced, and the doves sang out,

When the branch danced and ring-doves were calling

and in the wind were ambergris and perfume.

And the wind all ambergris and perfume,

هضباتُهُ منصوبةٌ مرفوعةٌ

هضباتُهُ منصوبةٌ مرفوعةٌ

حسناً وذيلُ نسيمِهِ مجرورُ

حسناً وذيلُ نسيمِهِ مجرورُ

Its hills stood upright, raised high

Its hills were uplifted, nobly elevated,

in beauty, and the hem of its breeze trailed along.

Comely its vale by the breeze combed and curled,

ومروجُهُ الخضرُ الضواحكُ تنثني

ومروجُهُ الخضرُ الضواحكُ تنثني

فيها الغصونُ وتستلذُّ دهورُ

فيها الغصونُ وتستلذُّ دهورُ

And its green, laughing meadows: there bent

Its meadows laughed in their greenery and swayed

the boughs, and ages were savored.

As the boughs bent while hours were beguiled,

ولنغمةِ الناقوسِ فيهِ غُنَّةٌ

ولنغمةِ الناقوسِ فيهِ غُنَّةٌ

وعليهِ منْ دونِ الهمومِ ستورُ

وعليهِ منْ دونِ الهمومِ ستورُ

And the note of the bell within it had a nasal resonance,

For the monastery bell there was music

and veils screened it from cares.

And o'er it a screen from all miseries.

طوراً تضجُّ بهِ القسوسُ وتراةً

طوراً تضجُّ بهِ القسوسُ وتراةً

تُجلى المدامُ مزاجُها كافورُ

تُجلى المدامُ مزاجُها كافورُ

At times the priests clamored within it, and at others

Now thronged by monks, now loud with scripture,

wine was unveiled, its admixture camphor.

Its sacramental wine like camphor distilled.

يا ديرُكمْ دارتْ بسفحِكَ راحةٌ

يا ديرُكمْ دارتْ بسفحِكَ راحةٌ

بالراحِ بلْ كمْ حلَّ فيك سرورُ

بالراحِ بلْ كمْ حلَّ فيك سرورُ

O monastery, how often a palm went round at your foot,

O monastery, yours was a joyous repose,

with wine—indeed, how often joy settled in you!

Nay, by the wind, how much bliss you have known!

حتى لقدْ كادتْ صخورُكَ بالهنا

حتى لقدْ كادتْ صخورُكَ بالهنا

يرقصْنَ لولا أنهنَّ صخورُ

يرقصْنَ لولا أنهنَّ صخورُ

Even your rocks, from sheer delight, nearly

Till even your rocks by delight so were stirred

danced—were it not that they were rocks!

They had danced but for being of stone.

يا ديرُ أينَ ظباؤُكَ البيضُ الألى

يا ديرُ أينَ ظباؤُكَ البيضُ الألى

بلحاظهنَّ فتونُها وفتورُ

بلحاظهنَّ فتونُها وفتورُ

O monastery, where are your fair gazelles, those

O monastery, where are your white gazelles

whose glances held their enchantment and languor?

With the languor of passion their glances' fire dimmed?

يا ديرُ كَمْ رتعت بربعِكِ كاعبٌ

يا ديرُ كَمْ رتعت بربعِكِ كاعبٌ

تسبي الحكيم وحسنُها منظورُ

تسبي الحكيم وحسنُها منظورُ

O monastery, how many a budding maiden lived at ease in your grounds,

O monastery, how many a witty rogue

captivating the sage, her beauty there to behold,

Has your cloister subdued though his beauty was plain?

روميةُ الألفاظِ هاروتيةُ ال

روميةُ الألفاظِ هاروتيةُ ال

ألحاظِ عقلُ مُحبِّها مسحورُ

ألحاظِ عقلُ مُحبِّها مسحورُ

Roman in speech, Hārūt-like in her

Latin in wording, a Houris in glance,

glances: her lover's mind was bewitched.

His lover's wits by her charms overthrown.

يا ديرُ كمْ راهبٍ لكَ ماهرٌ

يا ديرُ كمْ راهبٍ لكَ ماهرٌ

بتلاوةِ الإنجيلِ كانَ يدورُ

بتلاوةِ الإنجيلِ كانَ يدورُ

O monastery, how many a monk of yours, skilled

O monastery, how many priests declaimed

in reciting the Gospel, used to go about!

The Evangels, though save in your walls they ne'er stirred!

يا ديرُ إنْ تصمتْ فإنَّكَ ناطقٌ

يا ديرُ إنْ تصمتْ فإنَّكَ ناطقٌ

إنَّ النواعمَ ضمهنَّ قبورُ

إنَّ النواعمَ ضمهنَّ قبورُ

O monastery, though you are silent, you speak:

O monastery, though you are silent still

indeed, graves have enfolded the delicate women.

In you the beauties moulder in the tomb.

وتبدَّلت تلكَ المحاسنُ وانثنتْ

وتبدَّلت تلكَ المحاسنُ وانثنتْ

تلك القدورُ وخُرِّبَ المعمورُ

تلك القدورُ وخُرِّبَ المعمورُ

And those beauties changed, and bent were

Gone is that loveliness, those forms are dust,

those figures [text reads 'pots']; the inhabited place lay ruined.

Those mansions ruined, the peopled empty and bare,

فغدوتَ تندبُ بعدَ أهلِكَ باكياً

فغدوتَ تندبُ بعدَ أهلِكَ باكياً

بلسانِ حالٍ طيُّهُ منشورُ

بلسانِ حالٍ طيُّهُ منشورُ

So you were left lamenting and weeping after your people were gone,

So you groan for your former denizens now

through the tongue of your condition, its folds laid open.

With a grief no garment can properly cloak.

وإذا رأتْكَ العينُ تبكي رحمةً

وإذا رأتْكَ العينُ تبكي رحمةً

لخلوِّ ربعكَ والبكاءُ يَسيرُ

لخلوِّ ربعكَ والبكاءُ يَسيرُ

And when the eye sees you, it weeps in pity

And when the eye sees you grieve out of pity

for your empty abode—and weeping is easy.

For your empty quarters, natural seems your despair.

إنَّ التفكُّرَ في المعاهدِ نافعٌ

إنَّ التفكُّرَ في المعاهدِ نافعٌ

بلْ عاصمٌ والغافلونَ كثيرُ

بلْ عاصمٌ والغافلونَ كثيرُ

Indeed, reflection upon old haunts is useful;

To think on white hair is a useful thing,

indeed, a safeguard—yet the heedless are many.

A caution - though most remain heedless still.

قسماً بفَرَقِ محمدٍ وجبينهِ

قسماً بفَرَقِ محمدٍ وجبينهِ

فَهُما الضياءُ حقيقةً والنورُ

فَهُما الضياءُ حقيقةً والنورُ

I swear by the parting of Muhammad's hair and his brow,

I swear by Muhammad's noble lineaments

for they are truly radiance and light:

For in truth they are light and illumination.

لقد اتعظتْ بذا ولكني امرؤٌ

لقد اتعظتْ بذا ولكني امرؤٌ

عاصٍ على كسبِ الذنوبِ جسورُ

عاصٍ على كسبِ الذنوبِ جسورُ

I have indeed taken warning from this; yet I am a man

I have learnt by this, but still I am one

disobedient, bold in committing sins.

Whose wont is to sin and be bold in transgression.

مَنْ ذُخرُهُ في الحشرِ مثلُ محمدٍ

مَنْ ذُخرُهُ في الحشرِ مثلُ محمدٍ

لا يحزنَنَّ فذنبُهُ مغفورُ

لا يحزنَنَّ فذنبُهُ مغفورُ

Whoever has one like Muhammad as his treasure at the Gathering

He whose provision at Judgment is Muhammad

must never grieve, for his sin is forgiven.

Has nought to grieve him, his sin is forgiven.

فأعيدُ أمتِهِ بربِّ محمدٍ

فأعيدُ أمتِهِ بربِّ محمدٍ

أنْ يحزنوا ومحمدٌ مسرورُ

أنْ يحزنوا ومحمدٌ مسرورُ

So I seek protection [text reads 'repeat'] for his community with Muhammad's Lord,

So I pray, by Muhammad's Lord, that his nation

lest they grieve while Muhammad is glad.

Be not sorrowed, while Muhammad has bliss.