يا حبذا جلق الفيحا وناديها

وطيب عهد أويقات مضت فيها

Ah, how lovely are spacious Jilliq and her gathering place!

And the sweet memory of brief moments spent within her!

واها لعيش لنا بالبسط مر بها

حلوا وأيامنا بيض لياليها

Ah, for the life we spent in carefree joy within her,

sweet, while our days' nights shone white!

حيث المياه بها تسقي الرياض وقد

قامت على سوقها تجري سواقيها

Where her waters irrigate the gardens, which now

stand upon their stems as her channels flow.

ومن كمائمها تلك الغصون غدت

تلقي علينا نثاراً من اعاليها

And from their calyxes those branches have begun

to shower us with largesse from their heights.

والسحب حاكت بها من سندس حللا

بديعة الوشي قد رقت حواشيها

And the clouds have woven robes of fine silk there,

exquisitely embroidered, their borders delicate.

ومرسل الغيث قد حل النبات بها

والقطر ينهل سكبا في نواحيها

And the Sender of rain has adorned the plants within her,

and the rain pours down in torrents through her quarters.

واعين الطل در الدمع قد نثرت

والروض يضحك عجبا من تباكيها

And the eyes of dew have scattered pearly tears,

while the garden laughs, amazed at their feigned weeping.

وارضها كسماء في نضارتها

ونورها الشمرق الزاهي دراريها

And her earth is like a sky in its freshness,

and her tall, radiant blossoms are its brilliant stars.

وفي منازلها الحور الحسان بدت

كأنهن شموس في ضواحيها

And in her dwellings beautiful, wide-eyed maidens appeared,

as though they were suns in her outskirts.

والطير يطرب اذ تشدو صوادحها

ما ليس يطرب بالالحان شاديها

And the birds give delight when her songsters sing,

such as her singer cannot give with melodies.

وتحت ربوتها الانهار جارية

تجري لجينا على حصبا لآليها

And beneath her hill the rivers run,

flowing silver over her pearly pebbles.

ويعبق العرف من طيب النسيم بها

ويحجب الشمس عنا ظل واديها

And fragrance wafts there from the sweet breeze,

and her valley's shade screens the sun from us.

كأنها جنة قد زخرفت وزهت

حسنا وشادت طباقا في مبانيها

As though she were a paradise, adorned and radiant

with beauty, her buildings rising tier upon tier.

ان لم تكن اشبهتها في محاسنها

يوما فقد اشبهتها في معانيها

If she has not resembled it in its outward beauties

at any time, she has surely resembled it in its essence.

عروسها بحماة لست ابدلها

ولو ليّ مطيعا جاء عاصيها

Its bride I would not exchange for Hama,

even if its rebellious Asi came obediently to me.

من ذا الذي عن دمشق يبتغي بدلا

ومن بمصر وبغداد يضاهيها

Who would seek a substitute for Damascus,

and who could match her with Egypt and Baghdad?

وما رحيلي عنها عن رضاي وان

يكن فمن نكد الدنيا واهليها

My departure from her was not of my own will; and if

it happened, it was through the harshness of this world and its people.

ابيت اسجع بالشكوى وتنثرها

في الخد درا دموعي من مآقيها

I spend the night rhyming my plaint, and it is scattered

as pearls upon my cheek by my tears from the corners of my eyes.

لم تغن والله عن فقري بها فقري

كلا ولا رجعت درا قوافيها

By God, my eloquent phrases there have not relieved my poverty;

no indeed, nor have their rhymes brought pearls in return.

وليس الا وعود غير صادقة

حتى القيامة لا يرجى تقاضيها

And there is nothing but untruthful promises,

with no hope of exacting their fulfillment, even by the Resurrection.

فان هجوت فاخشى من عواقبها

وان مدحت فلا دنيا ارجيّها

If I lampoon, I fear its consequences,

and if I praise, I hope for no worldly gain.

والناس ماتوا جميعا والكرام مضوا

والمكرمات تولت مع مواليها

The people have all died, and the generous have passed away;

and noble deeds have departed with their patrons.

فهل عقيما غدا الدهر المشت بهم

ام هل لياليه قد شابت نواصيها

So has Time, which scattered them, grown barren,

or have the forelocks of its nights already turned gray?

وليس لي مخلص منها اروم سوى

رئيسها وامام العصر قاضيها

And I seek no deliverer from these woes except

her chief and the imam of the age—her judge.

فقل لراجي الوفا من غير نائله

يمم حماه واعط القوس باريها

So tell whoever hopes for fulfillment from any but its giver:

Make for his sanctuary, and give the bow to its maker.