يا لِلّه بجاه الخضر أَبو العَباس

تفرج هموماً بالضَمير اطماس

O Allah, for the sake of al-Khidr Abu al-'Abbas

Relieve the sorrows that have overwhelmed my heart

من بَعد محنا خاص عال العال

صرنا معاره لا جَميع الناس

After enduring specific tribulations

We have become an example for all people

من بَعد ما حنا عال عالا قران

أَول برنجي نشرب الفنجان

After we were once so exalted

The first thing we drink is coffee in a cup

يا حسرَتي مال الزَمان وَخان

فينا وبدل جوهرا بنحاس

Oh my sorrow, time has betrayed us

And changed our essence into copper

فينا وَبدل جوهر بقصدير

يا لربع كيف الرَأي وَالتَدبير

It changed our essence into cheap tin

Oh how strange this view and scheme is!

سنتين تحت الحُكم وَالتَنمير

عالباب خَمسة وَأَربعة حراس

Two years under rule and tyranny

With five and four guards at the door

عالباب خَمسة وَأَربعة حجاب

مِن جورهم شَحمي وَلَحمي ذاب

With five and four veils at the gate

Their oppression melted my fat and flesh

وَالرَأس مني قبل حينا شاب

وَلحقت عَلى المَعروف وَالنوماس

And my hair was black long before its time

I clung to moral duty and virtue

لحقت عالنوماس وَالمَعروف

وَكثير مثلي من بني معروف

I clung to virtue and moral duty

And many others like me from the virtuous family

منهم يقولوا كاتبوا للشوف

وَعلى القراني حرقوا القرطاس

Some of them say "Write to the governor!"

And they burned my papers and scrolls

على القراني حرقوا التحرير

بلكي يجينا منفعة من المير

Perhaps we might benefit from the governor

And without you, commander, we would have no recourse

والبيك لَولا رتبتو بطير

اللي لَهُ المتمايزة عالراس

You who wears the distinctive insignia on your head

With the authority of the sultan in it

متمايزة وفيها أمر سلطان

وَباقي المَناصب يَعملوا دِيوان

While the rest are part of the bureaucracy

The wise elders with prestige and faith

شُيوخ العقل بِالجاه وَالإِيمان

وَأَهل الجبل من خاص خاص الخاص

And the people of the mountains, the elite of the elite

The people of the mountain, the Shouf, and the Urqub

أَهل الجبل وَالشوف وَالعرقوب

لا بُد مِنهُم يحصل المَطلوب

Are indispensable in achieving what is sought

And as they said before, like a proverb,

وَمِن قَبل قالوا مثل مَضروب

من راد يحظى باللآلي غاص

“Whoever wants to gain the gems must dive”

Whoever wants to gain gems must plunge

من راد يحظى باللآليء غاب

مِن فُوق سادوح البَحر ركاب

Beyond the harbor’s fence, aboard the ship

The abode of happiness is the final goal

دار السَعادة آخر المطلاب

يقول الشفاعة يا إِله الناس

I implore you for your intercession, O God of mankind

Accept this intercession, O King of ours

مقبول الشَفاعة يا ملك فينا

وَاللي جَرى حاجي يَكفينا

And what has happened is enough for us

With your gaze we were raised

نحنا بصايتكم تربينا

وَالبَحر ما بيعكروا الطماس

The sea does not stir the swimmer

My master, the essence of forgiveness is smooth sailing

وَالبَحر ما بيعكروا السباح

يا سيدنا أَصل السَماح ملاح

And if benefits and profits have not materialized

It will be because of our own shortcomings

وَإِن ما حصلوا منفعة ورباح

بيكون عن جهة عتبنا لاص

It will be clear that the fault lies with me

These are my words, my worries, and wishes

بيكون بري من العتب مني

هذا كَلامي وَهم وَتمني

My passion for this art makes me sing

The day you proposed to the daughter of Abu ‘Abbas

خَمري عَلى هالفن بيغني

يُوم ان تجوز بنت أَبو عباس

When you asked for her hand with only promises

And said “Sing, oh boy, sing!

لَما خطبها بِالخلا وَحدو

وَقال غَنوا يا زلم وَاحدو

Take this girl away from him

Without consultation, and I am the brother of Maysah”

فوتوا اسحبوا هالبنت من عندو

مِن غير شور وَأَنا أَخو المياس

These are fanciful words we have uttered

Nonsense unintelligible in meaning

هَذا كَلام الوَهم رَكبناه

غج اللغا ما يفهموا مَعناه

If there is any sense to it among the Arabs

It will be after anxiety the cup is pleasant

إِن كان في بر العرب ذعناه

بيكون عقب الهَم راق الكاس

After anxiety, comfort will come

And the wretched heart finds rest after worries

بيكون عقب الهَم طاب الراح

وَقَلب الشَقي عقب الهُموم اِرتَاح

If we have departed after so much has passed

And if we forget so much that is gone

إِن كان رحنا بَعد ياما راح

وَإِن كان نسنا بعديا ما ناس

Oh how much has spun on this wheel

How many ships sail the harbor

وَإِن كان نسنا بَعد يا ما غاب

يا ما غزل مكوك ها لدولاب

And how many cups the copper flask has poured

How many cups this wine has poured

يا ما ببابور البَحر ركاب

وَيا ما سَقى بطاسات هالنحاس

Oh how much injustice cannot be undone, oh how much has passed

By the Prophet's status, O God

يا ما سَقا بطاسات هالخمار

يا ما ظلم تلحوق يا ما جار

Make salvation for us and the Emir

يا لِلّه بِجاه النَبي المختار

تَجعل لَنا وَيا الربع مخلاص