يا سَيِّدي وَأَخي لَقَد أَذكَرتَني

يا سَيِّدي وَأَخي لَقَد أَذكَرتَني

عَهدَ الصِبى وَوَعَظتَني وَنَصَحتَ لي

عَهدَ الصِبى وَوَعَظتَني وَنَصَحتَ لي

O my lord and brother, you have indeed reminded me of

O my master and brother, you reminded me

the days of youth, admonished me, and counseled me.

Of the days of my childhood, and admonished and advised me.

أَذكَرتَني وادي دِمَشقَ وَظِلَّهُ الـ

أَذكَرتَني وادي دِمَشقَ وَظِلَّهُ الـ

ـضافي عَلى صافي البَرودِ السَلسَلِ

ـضافي عَلى صافي البَرودِ السَلسَلِ

You reminded me of the valley of Damascus and its shade,

You reminded me of the valley of Damascus and its

spreading over clear, cool, sweet-flowing water.

Shady dwellings by the clear, flowing streams.

وَوَصَفتَ لي زَمَنَ الرَبيعِ وَقَد بَدا

وَوَصَفتَ لي زَمَنَ الرَبيعِ وَقَد بَدا

هرمُ الزَمانِ إِلى شَبابٍ مُقبِلِ

هرمُ الزَمانِ إِلى شَبابٍ مُقبِلِ

And you described springtime to me, when it seemed

And you described to me the season of spring, when

time's old age was giving way to approaching youth.

The wheel of time turns towards flourishing youth.

وَتَجاوَبَ الأَطيارِ فيهِ فَمُطرِبٌ

وَتَجاوَبَ الأَطيارِ فيهِ فَمُطرِبٌ

يُلهي الشَجِيَّ وَنائِحٌ يُشجي الخَلي

يُلهي الشَجِيَّ وَنائِحٌ يُشجي الخَلي

And the birds answered one another there: an enchanting singer

The birds sing out joyfully,

diverts the sorrowful, while a mourner saddens the carefree.

A warbler to enchant the listener, a mourner to make the heart ache.

يُغني النَديمَ عَنِ القِيانِ غِناؤُها

يُغني النَديمَ عَنِ القِيانِ غِناؤُها

فَالعَندَليبُ بِها رسيلُ البُلبُلِ

فَالعَندَليبُ بِها رسيلُ البُلبُلِ

Their song frees the drinking companion from needing singing girls;

Their singing entertains the boon companion,

for there the nightingale is the bulbul's partner.

The nightingale is the messenger of the bulbul.

فَكَأَنَّها أَخَذَت عَن اِبنِ مقلّدٍ

فَكَأَنَّها أَخَذَت عَن اِبنِ مقلّدٍ

قَولَ المُسَرَّجِ في الثَقيلِ الأَوَّلِ

قَولَ المُسَرَّجِ في الثَقيلِ الأَوَّلِ

So it is as though they had learned from Ibn Muqallad

It is as if they learned from Ibn Muqlid

al-Musarraj's song in the First Heavy rhythm.

His words in the first slow mode.

وَمدامَةً مِن صَيدِنا يا نَشرُها

وَمدامَةً مِن صَيدِنا يا نَشرُها

مِن عَنبَرٍ وَقَميصُها مِن صَندَلِ

مِن عَنبَرٍ وَقَميصُها مِن صَندَلِ

And wine from Saydnaya, whose fragrance

And a doe of our hunting, with its scent

is of ambergris, and whose robe is of sandalwood;

Of ambergris and its shirt of sandalwood,

مِسكِيَّةَ النَفحاتِ يَشرُفُ أَصلُها

مِسكِيَّةَ النَفحاتِ يَشرُفُ أَصلُها

عَن بابِلٍ وَيجلُّ عَن قُطرَبُّلِ

عَن بابِلٍ وَيجلُّ عَن قُطرَبُّلِ

musky in its wafts, its origin is nobler

Musky in its exhalations, its origin from

than Babylon, and loftier than Qutrabbul.

Babylon, outshining even Qutrubbul.

وَتَقولُ أَهلُ دِمَشقَ أَكرَمُ مَعشَرٍ

وَتَقولُ أَهلُ دِمَشقَ أَكرَمُ مَعشَرٍ

وَأَجَلُّهُم وَدِمَشقُ أَفضَلُ مَنزِلِ

وَأَجَلُّهُم وَدِمَشقُ أَفضَلُ مَنزِلِ

And you say: the people of Damascus are the most generous company,

And the people of Damascus say it is the noblest

and the most esteemed, and Damascus the finest abode.

City, the greatest dwelling.

وَصَدَقتَ إِنَّ دِمَشقَ جَنَّةُ هَذِهِ الـ

وَصَدَقتَ إِنَّ دِمَشقَ جَنَّةُ هَذِهِ الـ

ـدُنيا وَلكِنَّ الجَحيمَ أَلَذُّ لي

ـدُنيا وَلكِنَّ الجَحيمَ أَلَذُّ لي

And you spoke truly: Damascus is the paradise of this

And you spoke truly, Damascus is the paradise of this

world; yet hell is sweeter to me.

World, but for me hell is sweeter.

لا الحاكِمُ المصرِيُّ يَنفُذُ حُكمُهُ

لا الحاكِمُ المصرِيُّ يَنفُذُ حُكمُهُ

فيها عَلَيَّ وَلا العَواني الموصِلي

فيها عَلَيَّ وَلا العَواني الموصِلي

Neither the Egyptian ruler's authority holds sway

Neither the Egyptian ruler nor the ruler of Mosul

over me there, nor that of al-‘Awani of Mosul.

Can enforce their rule over me there.

هَيهاتَ أَن آوي دِمَشقَ وَمُلكُها

هَيهاتَ أَن آوي دِمَشقَ وَمُلكُها

يُعزى إِلى غَيرِ المَليكِ الأَفضَلِ

يُعزى إِلى غَيرِ المَليكِ الأَفضَلِ

Far be it from me to seek refuge in Damascus while its sovereignty

Far be it that I should take refuge in Damascus and its kingdom

is ascribed to anyone but King al-Afdal.

Be ascribed to other than the most righteous king.

وَمِنَ العَجائِبِ أَن يَقومَ بِها أَبو

وَمِنَ العَجائِبِ أَن يَقومَ بِها أَبو

بَكرٍ وَقَد عَلِمَ الوَصِيَّةَ في عَلي

بَكرٍ وَقَد عَلِمَ الوَصِيَّةَ في عَلي

And it is a wonder that power there should be held by Abu

And of wonders, that Abu Bakr

Bakr, though he knew the testament concerning Ali.

Should rule it, when he knows the bequest is to Ali.

مَهلاً أَبا حَسنٍ فَتِلكَ سَحابَةٌ

مَهلاً أَبا حَسنٍ فَتِلكَ سَحابَةٌ

صَيفِيَّةٌ عَمّا قَليلٍ تَنجَلي

صَيفِيَّةٌ عَمّا قَليلٍ تَنجَلي

Be patient, Abu Hasan, for that is a cloud

Wait, Abu Hasan, that is but

of summer, soon to clear away.

A summer cloud, soon to disperse.