أَعِن مؤمِناً صَبّا

أَعِن مؤمِناً صَبّا

عَسى تنفع الذكرى

عَسى تنفع الذكرى

Help a lovesick believer;

Help a believer, O morning breeze

perhaps the reminder will help.

Perhaps the memory will benefit

فَقيدُ الصبر مَفقودُ

فَقيدُ الصبر مَفقودُ

من الأَهلينَ وَالأَصحاب

من الأَهلينَ وَالأَصحاب

Bereft of patience, he is missing

The bond of patience is lost

from family and companions.

From both family and friends

سَقيمٌ عادَه عيدُ

سَقيمٌ عادَه عيدُ

أَسىً مذ فارَقَ الأَحباب

أَسىً مذ فارَقَ الأَحباب

A sick man, visited by a festival

He became ill when the feast returned

of sorrow since he parted from his loved ones.

In sorrow since parting from loved ones

لَهُ في القرب تَبعيدُ

لَهُ في القرب تَبعيدُ

فَما الظَنُّ بِهِ إِذ غاب

فَما الظَنُّ بِهِ إِذ غاب

Even in nearness, he is kept at a distance;

For him closeness is exile

what, then, of him when he is absent?

So what is imagined when he was absent

جَفَت وُدّه القُربى

جَفَت وُدّه القُربى

وَلَم يَسأل الأَجرا

وَلَم يَسأل الأَجرا

His kin have spurned his affection,

His kin's affection has dried up

and he asked for no reward.

And he did not ask for reward

دِمَشقُ الغادَةُ الحَسنا

دِمَشقُ الغادَةُ الحَسنا

لوصف النهر بِالصَبِّ

لوصف النهر بِالصَبِّ

Damascus, the beautiful maiden,

Damascus the beautiful, the good

with the river described as a lovesick lover.

Describing the river as pure

عَلى مِصرَ زَهَت حُسنا

عَلى مِصرَ زَهَت حُسنا

وَلكن مَوطني حسبي

وَلكن مَوطني حسبي

She outshone Egypt in beauty,

She boasted beauty over Egypt

but my homeland is enough for me.

But my homeland is enough for me

وَقالوا إِنَّها أَدنى

وَقالوا إِنَّها أَدنى

نعم أَدنى إِلى قَلبي

نعم أَدنى إِلى قَلبي

And they said, "She is lower";

And they said it is nearer

yes, nearer to my heart.

Yes, nearer to my heart

وَقَد سأَلوا الرّبّا

وَقَد سأَلوا الرّبّا

فَقال اِهبطوا مصرا

فَقال اِهبطوا مصرا

And they had asked the Lord,

And they asked the Lord

so He said, "Go down to Egypt."

So He said, "Go down to Egypt"

حكت جنّة رضوان

حكت جنّة رضوان

دِمَشق الشام إِعجابا

دِمَشق الشام إِعجابا

The garden of Riḍwān mirrored

Paradise told of Riḍwān

Damascus of Syria in admiration.

Damascus the Levant, it marveled

فكم مِن زهر بُستانِ

فكم مِن زهر بُستانِ

حبا القمريُّ إِطرابا

حبا القمريُّ إِطرابا

How many a garden blossom

So how many flowers of the garden

has the turtledove graced with rapture!

The light of the moon delighted

وَكَم مِن صدر إِيوانِ

وَكَم مِن صدر إِيوانِ

بِقَلب الماء قَد طابا

بِقَلب الماء قَد طابا

And how many an iwan's breast

And how many breasts of the courtyard

has grown lovely in the heart of the water!

With the heart of water became pleasant

فَما أَطيبَ القلبا

فَما أَطيبَ القلبا

وَما أَرحبَ الصدرا

وَما أَرحبَ الصدرا

How delightful the heart,

So how pleasant is the heart

and how spacious the breast!

And how spacious is the breast

عَلى القَدر وَالمَعنى

عَلى القَدر وَالمَعنى

فَكَم عَن نازِل أَغضى

فَكَم عَن نازِل أَغضى

In rank and in substance,

About fate and purpose

how often he overlooked a guest's faults!

So how many complained of residence

سما فَضلاً همى مُزنا

سما فَضلاً همى مُزنا

وَلمّا أَن سما أَرضى

وَلمّا أَن سما أَرضى

He rose in excellence and poured like rainclouds;

Naming excellence, caring made weary

and when he rose high, he brought contentment.

And when excellence named pleased

فَيا نُعماه ما أَهنا

فَيا نُعماه ما أَهنا

وَسَيفَ العَزمِ ما أَمضى

وَسَيفَ العَزمِ ما أَمضى

Oh, how delightful his bounty!

So oh, its gentleness, how it soothed

And the sword of resolve—how keen!

And the sword of resolve, how it accomplished

هدى وحبا صحبا

هدى وحبا صحبا

فكم طالِبٍ يُقرا

فكم طالِبٍ يُقرا

He guided and gave gifts to companions;

Guidance, love, companionship

how many a seeker is offered hospitality!

So how many a seeker recites

أَحبّايَ اِرحَموا شكوى

أَحبّايَ اِرحَموا شكوى

غَريبٍ من محبيكُم

غَريبٍ من محبيكُم

My beloveds, have mercy on the lament

My loved ones, have mercy on my complaint

of a stranger among those who love you.

A stranger among your loving ones

وَجودوا لي من الرَجوى

وَجودوا لي من الرَجوى

بوعدٍ مِن تلاقيكم

بوعدٍ مِن تلاقيكم

And grant me generously some hope

Bestow on me some of what I hope for

with a promise of meeting you.

With a promise of meeting you

فَهَل عَن منّكم سَلوى

فَهَل عَن منّكم سَلوى

لنفس تلفَت فيكم

لنفس تلفَت فيكم

Is there solace apart from your bounty

Is there no query from you

for a soul that has wasted away for you?

For a soul that longs among you

وَلا تُكثِروا العتبا

وَلا تُكثِروا العتبا

لعلّ لَها عذرا

لعلّ لَها عذرا

And do not multiply reproaches;

And do not overblame

perhaps it has an excuse.

Perhaps it has an excuse