إنني أشكُو فَواجي الأَلَمِ

إنني أشكُو فَواجي الأَلَمِ

لم يَعُد لي من جَلَد

لم يَعُد لي من جَلَد

I lament the sudden assaults of pain;

I complain of the torments of pain;

I have no endurance left.

No endurance remains to me.

زَجَّ بي جهلي بقاعِ النَدَمِ

زَجَّ بي جهلي بقاعِ النَدَمِ

والنُهَي مني شَرَد

والنُهَي مني شَرَد

My ignorance thrust me into the depths of regret,

My ignorance thrust me into the depths of remorse,

and reason fled from me.

And reason fled from me.

رَشَقَتني شَهوتي بالأَسهُمِ

رَشَقَتني شَهوتي بالأَسهُمِ

أورثَت قلبي لَدَد

أورثَت قلبي لَدَد

My desire pierced me with arrows

My lust shot me with arrows;

and left my heart in bitter obstinacy.

It bequeathed obstinacy to my heart.

غيرَ أَنِّي أَرتجي في مريمِ

غيرَ أَنِّي أَرتجي في مريمِ

صفوةِ اللَه الأَحَد

صفوةِ اللَه الأَحَد

Yet I place my hope in Mary,

Yet I place my hope in Mary,

the chosen one of God the One.

The chosen one of God, the One.

خَصَّها اللَهُ بأَسنَى النِعَمِ

خَصَّها اللَهُ بأَسنَى النِعَمِ

عِندَ ما منها وَرَد

عِندَ ما منها وَرَد

God singled her out for the loftiest blessings

God favored her with the most splendid blessings

when from her He came forth.

When He came forth from her.

مُرضِعٌ عذراءُ جَلَّت عن زَلَل

مُرضِعٌ عذراءُ جَلَّت عن زَلَل

إِنَّ ذا سِرٌّ سَرِي

إِنَّ ذا سِرٌّ سَرِي

A nursing mother, yet a virgin, exalted above all fault—

A nursing virgin, exalted above fault—

behold, this is a sublime mystery.

This is indeed a sublime mystery.

قَرَنَت بينَ البكارة والحَبَل

قَرَنَت بينَ البكارة والحَبَل

دونَ كلِّ البَشَرِ

دونَ كلِّ البَشَرِ

She united virginity and pregnancy,

She united virginity and pregnancy,

unlike all humankind.

Unlike all other mortals.

مثَّلوها بالمَنارة والجَبَل

مثَّلوها بالمَنارة والجَبَل

وبنَجمٍ سَحَري

وبنَجمٍ سَحَري

They likened her to the beacon and the mountain,

They likened her to the beacon and the mountain,

and to a star of dawn.

And to a star of dawn.

في حَشاها حَلَّ باري النَسَمِ

في حَشاها حَلَّ باري النَسَمِ

عاقداً منها جَسَد

عاقداً منها جَسَد

Within her womb dwelt the Creator of all souls,

In her womb dwelt the Maker of souls,

fashioning from her a body,

Fashioning a body from her,

آخِذاً إيَّاهُ من أزكى دَمِ

آخِذاً إيَّاهُ من أزكى دَمِ

بطبيعتنا اتَّحَد

بطبيعتنا اتَّحَد

taking it from the purest blood,

Taking it from the purest blood;

and uniting with our nature.

He united with our nature.

عاتقٌ حاملةٌ رُوحَ الوُجود

عاتقٌ حاملةٌ رُوحَ الوُجود

صُنعَ رُوحٍ قُدُسي

صُنعَ رُوحٍ قُدُسي

A maiden bearing the Spirit of the Loving One,

A maiden bearing the spirit of existence,

the handiwork of the Holy Spirit.

Through the work of the Holy Spirit.

فَهيَ أُمُّ اللَهِ والربِّ الوَدُود

فَهيَ أُمُّ اللَهِ والربِّ الوَدُود

تحتَ ثوبٍ أُنُسي

تحتَ ثوبٍ أُنُسي

Thus she is Mother of God, the loving Lord,

Thus she is the Mother of God and of the loving Lord,

beneath a human garment.

Beneath a human robe.

أَنصلَت حوّاءَ من تلكَ القُيودِ

أَنصلَت حوّاءَ من تلكَ القُيودِ

وجِوارِ اليَمبُسِ

وجِوارِ اليَمبُسِ

She freed Eve from those fetters

She freed Eve from those fetters

and from the precincts of Limbo.

And from Limbo's precincts.

قد علت قدراً جميعَ الأُمَمِ

قد علت قدراً جميعَ الأُمَمِ

ما لعُلياها أَمَد

ما لعُلياها أَمَد

In rank she rose above all nations;

She has surpassed all nations in rank;

her eminence has no bound.

Her exaltation has no limit.

أَنقَذَت من دامغاتِ النِقَمِ

أَنقَذَت من دامغاتِ النِقَمِ

آثماً مَيتَ الحَسَد

آثماً مَيتَ الحَسَد

She rescued from vengeance’s crushing blows

She rescued from crushing punishments

a sinner whom envy had slain.

A sinner whom envy had slain.

فَبِها عادَ إلى ذاكَ الجنان

فَبِها عادَ إلى ذاكَ الجنان

مهلك الجنس الدني

مهلك الجنس الدني

Through her, he returned to that Paradise—

Thus through her he returned to that Paradise—

the man who had doomed the lowly human race—

He who had ruined the lowly race.

واكتَسَى خِلعةَ ثوبِ الأُرجُوان

واكتَسَى خِلعةَ ثوبِ الأُرجُوان

حائِزَ القَدرِ السَني

حائِزَ القَدرِ السَني

and donned the honor-robe of purple,

And he donned the purple robe of honor,

attaining exalted rank.

Attaining exalted rank.

شَرَعَت تَهتِفُ بُوقاتُ الأَمان

شَرَعَت تَهتِفُ بُوقاتُ الأَمان

من إِلهٍ مُحسِنٍ

من إِلهٍ مُحسِنٍ

The trumpets of salvation began to peal,

The trumpets of safety began to sound,

sent by a beneficent God.

From a benevolent God.

فانجَلَت عنا بُسُور الغُمَمِ

فانجَلَت عنا بُسُور الغُمَمِ

وانتَفَى عنَّا الكَمَد

وانتَفَى عنَّا الكَمَد

Then the clouds’ scowling gloom cleared from us,

And the gloom of sorrows cleared away from us,

and grief departed from us;

And anguish departed from us.

واغتَدَينا في سُرورٍ مُعلَمِ

واغتَدَينا في سُرورٍ مُعلَمِ

طالَ ما طالَ الأَبَد

طالَ ما طالَ الأَبَد

we awoke to manifest joy

And we came into manifest joy,

for as long as eternity endures.

Lasting as long as eternity endures.

مريماً لَبِّي اثيماً هاتفاً

مريماً لَبِّي اثيماً هاتفاً

نائحاً مضنىً شَجي

نائحاً مضنىً شَجي

My sinful heart calls out to Mary,

O Mary, answer a sinner calling out,

lamenting, afflicted, and grief-stricken:

Wailing, worn out, sorrowful.

عبدُكِ المِسكِينُ أَضحَى ذارفاً

عبدُكِ المِسكِينُ أَضحَى ذارفاً

مَدمَعاً كاللُجَجِ

مَدمَعاً كاللُجَجِ

Your wretched servant has become a weeper,

Your wretched servant is now shedding

shedding tears like surging seas.

Tears like the deep seas.

لا تَخالي فيهِ ذنباً سالفاً

لا تَخالي فيهِ ذنباً سالفاً

بكِ منهُ يَرتجي

بكِ منهُ يَرتجي

Do not hold his former sin against him;

Do not count against him any past sin;

through you he hopes for deliverance from it.

Through you he hopes for release from it.

إِحطِمي الأَعداءَ عنهُ يَسلَمِ

إِحطِمي الأَعداءَ عنهُ يَسلَمِ

وادرِكِيهِ بالمَدَد

وادرِكِيهِ بالمَدَد

Crush his enemies, that he may be safe,

Crush his enemies, that he may be safe,

and come to his aid with succor.

And reach him with aid.

وانقِذِيهِ من لَظىً مُحتدِمِ

وانقِذِيهِ من لَظىً مُحتدِمِ

فسِواكِ ما قَصَد

فسِواكِ ما قَصَد

Rescue him from the raging blaze,

And save him from a raging blaze,

for he has sought none but you.

For he has sought none but you.

يا سَماءً لم تُطاوِلها سَما

يا سَماءً لم تُطاوِلها سَما

إِنَّكِ العرشُ السَمِي

إِنَّكِ العرشُ السَمِي

O Heaven whom no other heaven could rival,

O heaven that no heaven has rivaled,

you are indeed the exalted throne.

You are indeed the exalted throne.

حُزتُ قدراً في الاعالي أَعظَما

حُزتُ قدراً في الاعالي أَعظَما

فاقَ شأوَ العِظَم

فاقَ شأوَ العِظَم

You attained the greatest rank on high,

I have attained a greater rank on high,

surpassing the utmost reach of grandeur.

Surpassing the utmost reach of greatness.

فامنَحيني مَحو ذنبي كَرَما

فامنَحيني مَحو ذنبي كَرَما

يا مَعينَ الكَرَمِ

يا مَعينَ الكَرَمِ

Graciously grant that my sin be erased,

So graciously grant me the erasure of my sin,

O fount of generosity.

O wellspring of generosity.

وارتضِيني بعضَ أدنَى الخَدَمِ

وارتضِيني بعضَ أدنَى الخَدَمِ

واسعِفيني بالرَشَد

واسعِفيني بالرَشَد

Accept me as one of the lowliest servants,

And accept me as one of the lowliest servants,

and aid me with right guidance.

And help me with right guidance.

إِنَّ في بدءٍ وفي مُختَتَمِ

إِنَّ في بدءٍ وفي مُختَتَمِ

أنتِ لي خيرُ السَّدَد

أنتِ لي خيرُ السَّدَد

Indeed, at beginning and at end,

For at the beginning and at the end,

you are my finest support.

You are my best guide.