أما وأبيك أرماني زماني

بشيطانٍ رماني تحت رَزَّهْ

My soul that was tempted for so long

By a devil that cast me under his spell

فنَحرُ النفس منحورٌ جزافاً

بمُدية شره بأحدِّ حزَّهْ

So I freely sacrificed my soul

With the gift of his evil, sharper than blades

يغُزُّ سهام هاجسه بقلبي

أحس بغَزَّةٍ في ضمن غَزَّهْ

The arrows of his obsession pierce my heart

I feel the intensity within his intensity

إذا ما هز مِن بلواه سيفاً

أذوق الموت منه بكل هزَّهْ

When he brandishes his sword of tribulation

I taste death from him with each brandish

دهاني ثم دك قوى جهادي

فلن أقوى ولو كنت المُعَزَّهْ

He painted me then crushed my strength for holy war

I cannot be strong even if I were the strongest

محا رسمي فأعدمني وجودي

كأني منه ألفٌ بعد همزهْ

He erased my identity and invalidated my existence

As if after the letter 'h' came a thousand letters 'z'

يطارحني الأماني وهي زور

فأنى تلتقي حلبٌ بغَزَّهْ

He casts down my hopes which are falsehood

Where can Aleppo meet its intensity?

ومرر حلو عمري إذ أراه

يحيل حلاوة اللذات مُزَّهْ

The sweetness of life passed when I saw

Him turn the sweetness of pleasures into bitterness

رأيت الذل منه بعد عزٍّ

ألا يا ذلتي من بعد عِزَّهْ

After power I saw humiliation from him

Oh my disgrace after his glory!

خذي يا نفس عمرك بانتهازٍ

ألا تدرين أن العمر نُهزَهْ

Take your life, my soul, by striving

Do you not know that life is slipping away?

وجدِّي ثم فزِّي نحو مجدٍ

سماويٍّ فللأرزاق فَزَّهْ

Be firm then strive toward heavenly glory

For sustenance has its bursting forth

فلا يسمو سوى حرٍّ مُجِدٍّ

يلُزُّ السير منه كل لَزَّهْ

None ascends but the gloriously free

Who shakes off all chains

تردِّي الصبر واتخذيه درعاً

تقيك البؤس واستَقْنيه بِزَّهْ

Take patience as a shield

To protect you from misery, fortify yourself with it

فثوب الصبر منسوج بشكرٍ

مسيحيٍّ سما عن نسج خَزَّهْ

The garment of patience is woven with Christian gratitude

It excels any weaving of silk

فدود القز من أحشاه يبني

بناءً فاخراً ونراه قَزَّهْ

The worms of silk from their innards

Construct splendid buildings we see as silk's intensity

كذاك ابني بكِ يا نفس فضلاً

مسيحياً فثوب الشاة جُزَّهْ

Likewise my soul builds with your weeping

A Christian abundance, so the sheep's wool is its cloak

إلهي إن تلاحظني بخيرٍ

أجد خيراً ورضواناً وعزَّهْ

My God if you regard me with good

I will find good, contentment and glory