ذلت لعزة دينِكَ الأديانُ

وتكونت بوجودكَ الأكوانُ

Religions were humiliated for the glory of your religion,

And the universes were formed by your existence,

يا أيها المولى يسوع ابنُ العلى

أنت الإله الفاطر الديّان

O Master Jesus, Son of the Most High,

You are the Creator God, the Judge.

وافيتَنا متجسداً لخلاصنا

من مريمٍ يا أيها الرحمان

You came to us incarnate for our salvation,

From Mary, O Merciful One.

واخترتَها من بين أبكار النِسا

وبطهرها يتأكَّد البرهان

And you chose her from among the virgins of women,

Confirming the proof by her purity.

قامت وسيطاً بالشفاعة مثلما

أَستيرُ قامت واختزى هامان

She stood as an intercessor like Esther,

And Haman was humiliated.

وظهرتَ في ناسوتنا متردِّداً

ورآك آدمُ ذلك الإنسان

You appeared hesitating in our humanity,

And Adam, that man, saw you.

وبَرزتَ ذا فعلٍ بديعٍ معجِزٍ

يَرويهِ عنكَ الصِدقُ والإذعان

You emerged with a wonderful, miraculous deed,

Reported by truth and submission.

وأمطتَ ذيلَ الكفر لما أن بدا

من نورك الإرشاد والإيمان

You erased the tail of disbelief when

Your guidance, faith and light appeared.

وخذلت أوثان الضلال بقوةٍ

قد خاف منها الكفر والشيطان

You defeated the idols of misguidance with power,

Feared by disbelief and Satan.

فارتد نحوك آدمٌ وبنوه من

أسر المُعاند وامتحَى الثعبان

So Adam and his sons turned back

From the bonds of the obstinate and shed serpent.

وصعدتَ من بعد اَن هدمتَ حصونَه

وتقوَّضت من بأسك الأركان

After you demolished its fortresses,

And its pillars were shaken by your might,

لكن محبتك التي فَتحَت لنا ال

ملكوتَ وانطفأت بها النيران

Your love which opened for us

The kingdom and extinguished the fires,

قد حركت من فضل جودك نعمةً

روحيةً وشعارُها الكتمان

Moved by your generosity a

Spiritual grace whose motto is secrecy.

فنهضت معتضداً وقد برز الهدى

من فيك والبركاتُ والرضوان

So orthodoxy rose supported

And guidance, blessings and contentment appeared from you.

ومنحتنا لرضاك في ذلك العشا ال

سريِّ سرّاً زانه الإحسان

For your satisfaction in that secret supper

You granted us a secret gift marked by kindness.

لما تناولتَ اختياراً مُعلِناً

خبزاً وخمراً والرضا برهان

When you chose deliberately

Bread and wine, proof of consent,

فشكرتَ مغتفراً وقدستَ الذي

بيديك فانطاعت لك الأكوان

You gave thanks, forgiving, and sanctified

What was in your hands, so the universes obeyed you.

وجعلتَه لك بالحقيقة ظاهراً

جسداً يُرَى ودماً به الغفران

You made it truly your visible body

And blood, with it forgiveness,

وأبنتَه سرّاً عجيباً منقذاً

للمؤمنين وصدقُه العِرفان

And secretly built it, a wondrous savior

For believers, and its truth is recognized.

يتضمن اللاهوتَ متَّحداً به

والإتحاد يزينه التبيان

It contains divinity united with it

And the union is adorned by explanation.

فتراه لاهوتاً وناسوتاً معاً

لا يعتريه الشك والنقصان

So you see it as divinity and humanity together,

Free of doubt and defect.

عن ذلك الجسد الذي قد حزتَه

من مريمٍ وبه الأنام تُصان

This is the body you took

From Mary, and through it people are protected.

ومنحتَناهُ ذخيرةً ننجو به

من عثرة يَرمي بها الطغيان

You granted it to us as provisions by which we are saved

From the stumbling block thrown by the tyrant.

وبدت شريعتُنا تَحُلُّ رموز ما

رمزَت به عن أُسِّها الأركان

Our law seemed to unravel the symbols

Of what its pillars symbolized.

فكأنما الإنجيل للمعنى فمٌ

وكأنَّ توراة الكليم لسان

So the Gospel is like the mouth to the meaning

And the Torah of Moses the tongue.

هذا هو الحَمَل الذبيح عشيةً

قد إضمحلَّ بذبحه القربان

This is the lamb sacrificed on the eve

When sacrifice faded with his slaughter.

موسى أزال بفَصْحِه عن قومه

أسراً تُخَصُّ بمصره البُلدان

Moses removed the captivity from his people

By his Passover, and countries were specialized by their Egypt.

لكن يسوع بفَصْحِه فتح السما

وبه تخلَّص آدمُ الإنسان

But Jesus by his Passover opened the heavens

And through it Adam the human was delivered.

تتجدد الأرواح في تجديده

حيناً تجدِّدُ سرَّه الكُهّان

Spirits are renewed in his renewal

When its mystery renews the priests.

ونحوز منه نعمةً في نعمةٍ

سريةٍ وظهورُها الإيمان

We gain from it grace upon grace,

Secret and its appearance is faith.

هذا هو القوت الذي من دونه

ذا جائعٌ يوماً وذا عطشان

This is the bread without which

One would be hungry and another thirsty.

وذبيحةٌ سريةٌ ذُبحت به ال

أعداءُ والأضداد والأوثان

A secret sacrifice by which

Enemies, adversaries and idols were slaughtered.

هذا هو السر الذي فضحت به ال

آثام واغتُسِلت به الأدران

This is the mystery which exposed

Sins and purged consciences.

والسُلَّمُ المركوزُ في أفق السما

تسمو به الأرواح والأبدان

The ladder set up in the horizon of the sky

By which souls and bodies ascend.

هذا هو المنُّ الذي من ذاقه

ذاقَ الحياة وزاره الرحمن

This is the manna, whoever tastes it

Tastes life and is visited by the Merciful.

وبه يقوم مشيَّعاً من قبره

مِن دونه تتمزق الأكفان

By it he who dies will rise from his grave,

Without it shrouds are torn apart.

هذا هو الجسد الإلهي الذي

رُفعت به وبنصره الصلبان

This is the divine body

By which crosses were raised and victory achieved.

واندقَّ طودُ الكفر منحطّاً به

نحو الحضيض وأدبر الدَبَران

The mountain of disbelief collapsed by it

Down to the abyss and fled.

هذا هو الثمر الإلهي الذي

خضعت له الأثمار والأغصان

This is the divine fruit which

Fruits and branches submit to.

لو ذاق آدم بعد موتٍ طعمَه

ما مات واهتُصرت له الخُرصان

If Adam tasted it after death

He would not have died and fig leaves would not have shriveled.

هذا هو الشجر الإلهي الذي

يَحمي حماه صارمٌ وسنان

This is the divine tree which

Sharp swords and spears protect.

من عُوده تُجنَى الحياة وإنما

يفنَى به من مسَّهُ النكران

From its wood life is harvested, and only

Those touched by disbelief perish.

هذا هو النار التي لم تحترق

بسعيرها الأجرام والأكوان

This is the fire which did not burn

Creation in its flames.

شَعياً رآها بكفِّ سارافيمها

فتطهرت من لمسها الأذهان

Isaiah saw it in the palm of Seraphim's hand

So minds were purified by its touch.

هذا هو الحق الإلهي الذي

بطلت به الأشباه والعنوان

This is the divine truth by which

Pretense and false appearances failed.

وتهدمت منه الضحايا كلُّها

حتى تلاشى الدُهنُ والقربان

Victims were all demolished by it

Until oils and offerings vanished.

هذا هو الرمز الإلهي الذي

تنحو به التوراة والألحان

This is the divine symbol to which

The Torah and psalms point.

داود ينشد نَحوَه مترنماً

وكذاك موسى والنبي يونان

David chants toward it singing

As do Moses, Jonah and the prophets.

حزقيلُ واَرْمِيّا وشَعياءٌ معاً

والأنبيا كلٌّ له إعلان

Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Isaiah together

And every prophet has a revelation.

هذا هو النور الذي ما أومضت

أسرارُه إلّا بدا الكتمان

This is the light whose secrets

Only appeared obscured.

فانجاب ليل الكفر منه مذ بدا

وزَهَت وِهادُ الحق والكثبان

So the night of disbelief gave birth to it since it appeared

And the beacons of truth and dunes shone.

هذا هو القوس التي ميثاقُها

يُنبي بأن قد أُبطلَ الطوفان

This is the covenant whose bow

Indicates the flood was nullified.

لو أنْ حَسا نوحٌ شرابَ دمائه

ما نام مفتضحاً وهوْ سكران

If Noah had sensed the taste of its blood

He would not have slept exposed drunk.

هذا هو الفلك المنيف إلى العلا

وبعرشه تَتسوَّم التيجان

This is the safe ship to the heights

With its throne garlanded by crowns.

أقماره وشموسه ونجومه

الأنبيا والرسل والرهبان

Its moons, suns and stars

Are the prophets, apostles and monks.

هذا هو القطبُ الذي من حوله

رسلُ البشائر كلهم أعوان

This is the pole around which

The messengers of good news are all assistants.

ورحى البشارة حول مركزه إذا

دارت يزول بدورها الطغيان

The mill of evangelism revolves around its center, so

Tyranny disappears with its cycle.

هذا هو المولى الإلهُ بعزه

وجنودُه من حوله ألوان

This is the Master God, with His might

And soldiers around Him of every kind.

حسبي أراه والملائكُ حولَه

ذا راكعٌ خوفاً وذا فرحان

It suffices that I see Him and the angels around Him

Bowing in awe, happy.

يترنمون بشدوِهِم وهديرُهم

كالوُرْق تَخفِقُ فيهمُ الأفنان

They sing with their humming and murmuring

Like leaves fluttering among them.

رقت به أصواتهم فترنموا

قُدُّوسُ ربٍّ بالجلال يُزان

Their voices softened and they sang

“Holy Lord” with majesty and balance.

فالهيكل السفلي كالعرش العلِي

والسرُّ ربٌّ والدعا ألحان

So the lower sanctuary is like the highest heaven

The mystery is Lord and prayer is chant.

يا أيها السر الذي نُسخت به ال

أشباهُ وانحطمت به الأوثان

O mystery by which semblances were abrogated

And idols were smashed by you.

خُفِضت بك الأصنام طرّاً مثلما

رُفعت لنصر حقوقك الصلبان

Idols were lowered in pieces just as

Crosses were raised in victory by you.

بك صَدَّقَ الإنجيلَ كلُّ موفَّقٍ

وتداولَت مدحاً له الأزمان

The Gospel was proven true by every successful one because of you

And eras passed around singing your praise.

وبك استبان الحق بعد خفائه

حتى أطاعك إنسها والجان

By you, truth appeared after being hidden

Until humans and jinn obeyed you.

وبك اتخذنا الأمنَ من كيد العدا

ثمَ اُخمدت من طَلِّكَ النيران

By you, we felt safe from the cunning of enemies

Then fires were extinguished by your rising.

بك كاهن الأصنام يَجحَدُ كفرَه

حيناً يرى أصنامَه تنهان

By you, the idol priest disavows his disbelief

When he sees his idols forbid him.

بكَ بيعت الدنيا بأبخس درهمٍ

فانٍ فليسَ لبيعها أثمان

By you, the world was sold for the lowest price

For there are no prices for selling it.

بك قصرُ قيصرَ قد تداعى مذ هوى

من كِسرِهِ كسرى أنوشروان

By you, Caesar’s palace collapsed when it fell

Like Chosroes’ palace cracked and ruined.

يا أيها الجسد المقدس والذي

جلَّت به الأقطار والأكوان

O sanctified body, by which

Lands and universes were exalted.

إن الكنائسَ من حضورك ظاهراً

فيهن أضحت من يديك تُعان

Churches became visibly supported by your presence

And the faithful, young and old, rely on you.

والمؤمنون كبيرُهم وصغيرهم

متوكلون عليك والوِلدان

The East bows to you with its suns

And the West is lit by your brilliance.

فالشرق نحوك ساجدٌ بشموسه

والغرب منك يَحُفُّه اللمعان

Truth blossoms on all sides like the moon

And the earth's expanse is folded in contentment.

والحق منبجس الجوانب مُقمرٌ

والأرض يَطوي طيَّها الرضوان

The kingdom was sanctified on the day it accepted you

Bodily, with favor and forgiveness.

وتقدس الملكوتُ يوم قَبُوله

جسداً به الإحسان والغفران

It did not extinguish the fires or their prisoners

In Hell and Satan's cinders.

ما أخمدَ النيرانَ في سجِّينها

بجهنمٍ وسَجيرُها الشيطان

Except my God whose kindness fills its gardens

It suffices that gardens are filled with kindness!

إلاه والإحسانُ ملءُ جنانه

حَسبي جَنانٌ ملؤُه الإحسان

O Lord, grant me the success of righteousness

For righteousness is your righteousness and all else is madness.

يا ربِّّ هب لي أن أفوز ببرِّه

فالبر برُّك والسوى هذيان

So when you come to me as a visitor

You will find me, my square and gardens ready for you.

حتى إذا وافيتَ نحوي زائراً

يَحويك مني مَربعٌ وجَنان

This is my hope before the day of my death

When the self is terrified by the scale.

هذا رجائي قبل يوم منيتي

والنفس يُرهِبُ دَينَها الميزان

I have no debts but my sins

Too many to count or reckon.

لا دَين لي إلّا ذنوبي إنها

قد كلَّ عن إحصائهن بَنان

So purge with your pardon what I see as grave

With blood by which consciences are cleansed.

فامحص بعفوك ما أراه باهظاً

بدمٍ به تَتمحَّصُ الأدران

And accept my praise and forgive my inadequacy in it,

For praises like yours perplex all weights.

واقبل مديحي واعف عن عجزي به

عن مدح مثلك تَعجزُ الأوزان