عَليلٌ غَريبٌ وَلا مُونِسُ
يَحِنُّ لِرُؤياكَ يا تونِسُ
A lonely exile with no companion
Yearning for the sight of you, oh Tunis
يَموتُ إِذا ما يَجُنّ الدُجى
وَيَحيا إِذا نَصَلَ الحِندِسُ
He dies when darkness descends
And lives when dawn breaks
وَما حالَ مَن نَزَحَت دارُهُ
وَقَرَّبَهُ لِلعَنا قُربُصُ
And what is the state of one whose home was lost
And Cyprus brought him closer to hardship
فَلاتَ اِقتِدارٌ وَلاتَ اِصطِبارٌ
وَلاتَ اِفتِرارٌ وَمَن يَنبِسُ
No capability, no patience
No respite, and who would speak?
وَمِن دون هَذا تَطيشُ الحُلومُ
وَتَدمى الكُلوم ولا تُحبَسُ
Without this, minds go astray
And hearts bleed but cannot be stanched
قَرارَةُ خِزيٍ وَمَرمى هَوانٍ
وَنارُ الهُمومِ بِهِ تُقبَسُ
The bitterness of disgrace and a target of humiliation
The fires of worries in him are kindled
وَما تَقَعُ العَينُ إِلّا عَلى
مَريضٍ ثيابَ الضَنى يَلبَسُ
And the eye falls on none but
A sick man wearing the garb of grief
وَزَمنى وَجَرحى يُسَقَّونَ مِن
حَميمٍ تُحَمّ بِهِ الأَنفُسُ
My era and my wounds quenched with
A fervor that sears souls
يُسَقَّون حَيناً وَلا يَحمَدونَ
وَعُذرُهُم واضِحٌ إِن نَسوا
Quenched at times without thanks
And their excuse is clear if they forget
تَرى كُلَّ ذي عِلَّةٍ خافِتاً
يَئنّ إِذا ضَمَّهُ المِغمَسُ
You see every faintly ill
Moaning when clutched by pain
يُلينُ الجَليدَ وَيَشوي الجُلودَ
كَذاتِ الوَقودِ إِذا يُلمَسُ
Softening ice and searing skin
Like fuelwood when touched
وَحيناً تَراهُم كأهلِ الإِكامِ
تَجوبُ الجِبالَ وَلا تَجلِسُ
And at times you see them like ascetics
Roaming mountains without sitting
وَيَجنونَ مِن كُلِّ مُرٍّ بِها
أُموراً تَجِفّ لَها الأَرؤُسُ
And they pluck from each bitterness
Matters that dry out heads
وَيُضحونَ صَرعى خُمارٍ إِذا
حَسَوها وَما دارَتِ الأَكؤُسُ
And they become drunkards’ prey when
They sense it, though cups did not circle
يُطيفُ بِأَطلالِهِ أَقوَدٌ
أَشَمّ يُناجي السَما أَقعَسُ
A blind man roams its ruins
A keen sense conversing with the heavens, distraught
يُطِلّ فَتَحسَبُهُ ظُلَّةً
فَهَل قَومُ موسى هُنا عَرّسوا
Lingering, you'd think him a shadow
Did Moses' people camp here then flee?
وَمَن حَولِهِ البَحرُ لَكِن بِهِ
عَواصِفُ صَرصَرَ لا تَهمِسُ
And the sea around him, but within
Tempests of hissing, no whispers
كَأَنَّ بِشاطِئِهِ حَرّةً
ثيابَ الحِداد لَها مَلبَسُ
As if on its coast a funeral
Donning mourning clothes
فَلا البَرّ بَرّ بِزُوّارِهِ
وَلا البَحرُ بَحرٌ وَلا يونِسُ
Neither is the land welcoming its visitors
Nor the sea a sea, nor is there a Jonah
وَلا نُزهَةٌ غَيرَ عَينِ التيوسِ
وَعَينَ السَلاحِفِ لا قُدِّسوا
No stroll but the gazes of foxes
And tortoise eyes, no sanctity
مَكانٌ سَحيقٌ وَحُزنٌ وَضيقٌ
وَقَفرٌ يَسوقُ العَنا بَسبَسُ
A distant, gloomy, and narrow place
A wasteland the hardship pulls along
فَقُل لِلأَحِبَّة لا مَسُّهُم
هَوانٌ إِذا اِنتَظَمَ المَجلِسُ
Tell the loved ones no disgrace touches them
When the gathering is adorned
وَفاحَ العَبير وَلاحَ السُرورُ
وَحَيّاهُم الوَردُ وَالنَرجَسُ
And fragrance wafts and joy shines
And the rose and narcissus greet them
إِذا ما شَجاكُم ذِكرُ حَبيبٍ
وَعِلقُ مَوَدَّتِهِ الأَنفُسُ
When the memory of a beloved preoccupies you
And ties of affection seize souls
فَقولوا بِما تَعلَموا عَن أَخٍ
مَحاسِنُهُ بَينَكُم تُدرَسُ
Say what you know of a brother
Whose virtues amongst you are studied
لَعَلَّ ادّكارَكُم مُنعِشٌ
قواهُ الَّتي قارَبَت تَدرُسُ
Perhaps your recollection will revive
His strength which neared collapse
فَيا فالِقَ الحَبِّ يا خالِقي
وَأَنتَ هوَ المُسعِدُ المُنحِسُ
O Splitter of love, O my Creator
You are the One who blesses and curses
سَألتُكَ يا رَبّ بِالمُصطَفى
نَبيِّ الهُدى الطَيِّبِ المَغرِسِ
I asked You, my Lord, by al-Mustafa
The Prophet of guidance, the good sapling
وَبالآلِ وَالصَحبِ وَالتابِعينَ
وَمَن في ثَرى بَدر قَد عَرّسوا
By his family, companions and followers
And those who at Badr gained martyrdom
وَبِالأَولياءِ الألى لَيلُهُم
بِنورِ الهُدى نَيِّرٌ مُشمِسُ
And by the saints whose night
Is lit by the sun-like light of guidance
تَدارَكَ عُبيدَك وَاِنظُر لَهُ
بِعَين الرِضى فَبِها يُحرَسُ
Save Your servants and look to him
With approving eyes, for by them he is guarded
وَعَجِّل شِفاهُ فَأَنتَ القَديرُ
إِذا حارَ بُقراطُ أَو هرمسُ
And hasten his recovery, for You are Able
When Hippocrates or Hermes fall short
وَجَمِّع بِأَحبابِهِ شَملَهُ
فَقَد طالَ في قُربُصَ المحبِسُ
And reunite him with his loved ones
For long has he been jailed in Cyprus
وَصَلِّ وَسَلِّم عَلى مَن بِهِ
بُنود الطَواغيتِ قَد نُكِّسوا
And bless and bestow peace upon the one by whom
The idols of tyrants were toppled
وَآلٍ وَصَحبٍ مَعَ التابِعينَ
لَعَلّيَ في فَضلِهِم أُغمَسُ
And his family and companions and followers
Perhaps through their merit I find deliverance
