يا راحِلين بِقَلبي وَالنُهى أَفَلا

يا راحِلين بِقَلبي وَالنُهى أَفَلا

تَرون نَجم سُروري بَعدَكُم أَفَلا

تَرون نَجم سُروري بَعدَكُم أَفَلا

O you departing with my heart and reason, do you not

O my companions, though we parted, don't you see

See that the star of my joy has set since you left?

The star of my joy has not set since you left

أَحباب قَلبيَ لا كانَ الوداعُ وَلا

أَحباب قَلبيَ لا كانَ الوداعُ وَلا

كانَ الفراق وَلا كانَ البِعاد وَلا

كانَ الفراق وَلا كانَ البِعاد وَلا

Beloved of my heart, may farewell never have been, nor

My beloved friends, there was no farewell

Parting, nor distance, nor...

No separation, no distance between us

كُنتُم وَكُنّا كَأَغصان الرِياض إِذا

كُنتُم وَكُنّا كَأَغصان الرِياض إِذا

غَنَّت بَلابلها مِلنا بِها جَذلا

غَنَّت بَلابلها مِلنا بِها جَذلا

You and we were like the boughs of gardens: when

You were like garden branches, when

Their nightingales sang, we swayed with them in delight.

Their nightingales sang, we delighted in their trilling

بِنتُم فَبانَ اِصطِباري بَعدَكُم لَهفاً

بِنتُم فَبانَ اِصطِباري بَعدَكُم لَهفاً

كَأَنَّ ما قيلَ قَد أَضحى لَنا مَثَلا

كَأَنَّ ما قيلَ قَد أَضحى لَنا مَثَلا

You parted, and after you my patient endurance parted in anguish.

You left, and my patience after you was like burning longing

As though what was said had become a proverb for us:

As if what was said had become for us an example

لَولا مُفارقة الأَحباب ما وجدت

لَولا مُفارقة الأَحباب ما وجدت

لَها المَنايا إِلى أَرواحنا سُبُلا

لَها المَنايا إِلى أَرواحنا سُبُلا

Were it not for parting from loved ones, never would

If not for the parting of loved ones, death

Death find paths for itself to our souls.

Would have not found its way to our souls

لا فَرَّق اللَه شَملاً مِن أَحبّتنا

لا فَرَّق اللَه شَملاً مِن أَحبّتنا

عَلى الصَفا وَالوَفا يا طالَما اِشتَمَلا

عَلى الصَفا وَالوَفا يا طالَما اِشتَمَلا

May God never scatter a gathering of our loved ones,

May God not separate a fellowship of our loved ones

That has embraced sincerity and fidelity—oh, for so long!

United in loyalty and faithfulness, they gathered

كُنّا نُغازل غِزلان النَقا فَإِذا

كُنّا نُغازل غِزلان النَقا فَإِذا

بِتنا وَباتَت سَهرنا نَنتَقي الغَزَلا

بِتنا وَباتَت سَهرنا نَنتَقي الغَزَلا

We courted the gazelles of the dunes; and when

We used to flirt with the gazelles of Naqaa, so

We and they spent the night, we stayed awake choosing love-verses.

Our nights passed as we picked the flowers of flirtation

رَعى لَياليَ أَفراح لَنا سَلفت

رَعى لَياليَ أَفراح لَنا سَلفت

بِلذّة العَيش كَم نِلنا بِها أَمَلا

بِلذّة العَيش كَم نِلنا بِها أَمَلا

May the nights of joy once ours be preserved:

Past nights of joy shepherded for us

Amid life's delight, how many a wish we attained in them!

Moments of pleasurable living, hopes we attained

كَم لَيلة أَشرَقَت فيها كَواكبنا

كَم لَيلة أَشرَقَت فيها كَواكبنا

وَبَينَها القَمَر الباهي الَّذي اِكتَمَلا

وَبَينَها القَمَر الباهي الَّذي اِكتَمَلا

On how many nights our stars shone,

Many a night when our stars shone

And among them the resplendent moon that had grown full!

With the splendid full moon in their midst

أَعني بِهِ السَيّد اللَوزيّ مِن شرفت

أَعني بِهِ السَيّد اللَوزيّ مِن شرفت

بِهِ المَنازل عزّاً أَينما نَزَلا

بِهِ المَنازل عزّاً أَينما نَزَلا

I mean Sayyid al-Lawzi, by whom

I speak of Sir Luzi, ennobled lineage

Homes gained honor and glory wherever he alighted.

Exalted wherever he stayed in the mansions

المُفرَد الأَوحَدُ الأَسخى يَداً ونَدىً

المُفرَد الأَوحَدُ الأَسخى يَداً ونَدىً

وَالماجد الأَمجدُ الأَسمى تقىً وَعُلى

وَالماجد الأَمجدُ الأَسمى تقىً وَعُلى

Peerless, unique, most generous in hand and bounty,

The singular, most generous, open-handed and friendly

And noble, most illustrious, loftiest in piety and eminence.

The most glorious, most devout and most lofty

مهذَّب لَيسَ فيهِ ما يُعاب سِوى

مهذَّب لَيسَ فيهِ ما يُعاب سِوى

بَذل المَكارم وَالحلم الَّذي فَضلا

بَذل المَكارم وَالحلم الَّذي فَضلا

Refined, with nothing in him to reproach, save

Well-mannered, no shortcoming but

His giving of noble favors and surpassing forbearance.

For bestowing bounty and clemency he excelled

مِن الأَكارم إِلّا أَنَّهُ رَجلٌ

مِن الأَكارم إِلّا أَنَّهُ رَجلٌ

لَهُ المَحامد جسم وَالكَمال حُلى

لَهُ المَحامد جسم وَالكَمال حُلى

He is among the noble, except that he is a man

Of the generous but that he's a man

Whose body is virtue and whose ornaments are perfection.

Whose praised traits and perfect form are resplendent

ما رقّة الماء ما لُطف النَسيم وَما

ما رقّة الماء ما لُطف النَسيم وَما

نَوافح الطلّ مَهما باكَرت طَللا

نَوافح الطلّ مَهما باكَرت طَللا

Neither water's delicacy, nor the breeze's gentleness, nor

Not the softness of water, the breeze's gentleness, the dew's caress

The wafts of dew, whenever they visit a ruined campsite at dawn,

However early it appears can compare to his kind temperament

يَوماً بِأَلطف مِن أَخلاقِهِ شِيَماً

يَوماً بِأَلطف مِن أَخلاقِهِ شِيَماً

وَلا أَرقّ مِن الطَبع الَّذي اِعتَدَلا

وَلا أَرقّ مِن الطَبع الَّذي اِعتَدَلا

Are ever gentler in disposition than his character,

Nor anything more refined than the balanced nature

Nor more delicate than his well-balanced nature.

That made me love what those traits encompassed

أَحبب بِما قَد حَوَت تِلكَ الشَمائل مِن

أَحبب بِما قَد حَوَت تِلكَ الشَمائل مِن

طيب الشَمائل وَاللطف الَّذي شَملا

طيب الشَمائل وَاللطف الَّذي شَملا

How lovely is what those traits contain of

Of pleasant traits and kindness that embraced

Fine character and all-embracing gentleness!

The shining exploits of his sword arm

مَآثر كفرندِ السَيف باهِرَة

مَآثر كفرندِ السَيف باهِرَة

وَهمّة مثل حَدّ السَيف إِن عَملا

وَهمّة مثل حَدّ السَيف إِن عَملا

Noble deeds, dazzling as a sword's watered pattern,

A resolve like the sword's edge when brought to bear

And resolve like a sword's edge when it acts.

However the generous writers searched them out

مَهما تَحرّى الكرام الكاتِبون لَها

مَهما تَحرّى الكرام الكاتِبون لَها

لَم يَكتُبوا خَطأ مِنها وَلا خَطلا

لَم يَكتُبوا خَطأ مِنها وَلا خَطلا

However carefully the noble scribes scrutinize them,

They wrote no falsehood or error about them

They record in them neither error nor folly.

Do not blame him for generosity, he is intent on it

لا تَعذلوه عَلى بَذل النَدى فَلَهُ

لا تَعذلوه عَلى بَذل النَدى فَلَهُ

بِالبَذل صارم عزم يسبق العذلا

بِالبَذل صارم عزم يسبق العذلا

Do not reproach him for bestowing bounty, for he has

Outstripping reluctance, that is manliness

In giving, a sword of resolve that outstrips reproach.

And manliness now is but a word misunderstood

وَما المُروءة إِلّا لَفظة جُهِلت

وَما المُروءة إِلّا لَفظة جُهِلت

في عَصرِنا هُوَ مَعناها الَّذي اِحتَمَلا

في عَصرِنا هُوَ مَعناها الَّذي اِحتَمَلا

And chivalry is but a word not understood

He is its meaning that it has borne

In our age; he is its meaning, which he has borne.

The lofty tunes of nobility stir him to rapture

تَهزّه أَريحيات العُلى طَرَباً

تَهزّه أَريحيات العُلى طَرَباً

كَشارب الراح هَزَّتهُ الطِلا ثَمِلا

كَشارب الراح هَزَّتهُ الطِلا ثَمِلا

The generous impulses of nobility stir him to rapture,

Like drink stirs the drunkard, to guzzle more

Like a wine-drinker whom wine has stirred into drunkenness.

What a boon companion, far from any blemish

نعم الخَليل الَّذي عَن كُلّ شائِبة

نعم الخَليل الَّذي عَن كُلّ شائِبة

خَلَت سَجاياه حَتّى لا ترى خَلَلا

خَلَت سَجاياه حَتّى لا ترى خَلَلا

What an excellent friend, whose character from every blemish

His traits so pure no flaw can be seen

Is free, so that you see no flaw.

Since he arrived in Beirut, Taimis cannot stop

مُذ حَلَّ بيروت لَم تَبرَح تَميس بِهِ

مُذ حَلَّ بيروت لَم تَبرَح تَميس بِهِ

تيهاً وَعجباً وَيَكسوها الهَنا حُللا

تيهاً وَعجباً وَيَكسوها الهَنا حُللا

Since he settled in Beirut, she has never ceased to sway with him

Roaming after him, amazed, dressed in gowns of bliss

In pride and self-admiration, while joy clothes her in robes.

O full moon, though absent, Taimis cannot stop

يا بَدر لا غبت لَم تَبرَح تَميس بِها

يا بَدر لا غبت لَم تَبرَح تَميس بِها

عمَّ الدِيار وَعَمَّ السَهل وَالجَبَلا

عمَّ الدِيار وَعَمَّ السَهل وَالجَبَلا

O full moon, may you never set; you have never ceased to sway within her.

Pervading the lands, plains and mountains

It filled the dwellings, and filled the plain and the mountain.

No tears flowed the day he left

لا صبَّ مَدمَع صَبٍّ مِنكَ يَوم نَوى

لا صبَّ مَدمَع صَبٍّ مِنكَ يَوم نَوى

وَلا مَلا بِالجَوى مِنّا قُلوب ملا

وَلا مَلا بِالجَوى مِنّا قُلوب ملا

May no lover's tears pour forth because of you on a day of parting,

Nor our hearts filled, though we are distraught

Nor may it fill the hearts of our company with anguish.

Would that the hearts that were our trust

لَيتَ القُلوب الَّتي كانَت وديعَتنا

لَيتَ القُلوب الَّتي كانَت وديعَتنا

عِندَ المودَّع قَد كانَت لَهُ بَدَلا

عِندَ المودَّع قَد كانَت لَهُ بَدَلا

If only the hearts we had left in trust

With the departed were his replacement

With the one we bade farewell had been a substitute for him!

Parting does not empower one far from home

وَما الوَداع عَلى حفظ الوِداد بِنا

وَما الوَداع عَلى حفظ الوِداد بِنا

بِفاعل بَعدَ بُعد الدار ما فَعَلا

بِفاعل بَعدَ بُعد الدار ما فَعَلا

And parting, while affection is kept, will not do to us

To keep affection as before he acted

Once our homes are far apart, what it has done.

Beloved ones, though you left and hearts went too

أَحبابنا إِن رَحَلتُم وَالفُؤاد مَعاً

أَحبابنا إِن رَحَلتُم وَالفُؤاد مَعاً

راعوا فُؤادي الَّذي مِن أَجلِكُم رَحَلا

راعوا فُؤادي الَّذي مِن أَجلِكُم رَحَلا

Our beloved, if you and my heart depart together,

Guard my heart that left for your sake

Care for my heart, which departed for your sake.

Send messages, do not deprive us

صِلوا وَلا تمنعوا عَنّا رَسائِلَكُم

صِلوا وَلا تمنعوا عَنّا رَسائِلَكُم

فَنُرسل الدَمع مِن أَجفانِنا رُسُلا

فَنُرسل الدَمع مِن أَجفانِنا رُسُلا

Stay in touch, and do not withhold your letters from us,

So we send our tears to you as messengers

Lest we send tears from our eyelids as messengers.

You are stars whose rise has not vanished

أَنتُم كَواكب لا غابَت مَطالعكم

أَنتُم كَواكب لا غابَت مَطالعكم

عَنّا وَلا زالَ حَبل الودّ مُتَّصِلا

عَنّا وَلا زالَ حَبل الودّ مُتَّصِلا

You are stars; may your places of rising never vanish

From us, nor has the bond of love been severed

From us, and may the cord of affection always remain unbroken.

May He who never fails those who pray to Him

عَسى عَلى أَحسَن الأَحوال يَجمَعُنا

عَسى عَلى أَحسَن الأَحوال يَجمَعُنا

مَن لا يخيِّب راجيهِ إِذا سَأَلا

مَن لا يخيِّب راجيهِ إِذا سَأَلا

May He unite us in the best of circumstances—

Reunite us in the best of conditions

He who never disappoints one who hopes in Him when he asks.