فَيا لِشَجا قَلبٍ مِنَ الصَبرِ فارِغٍ
وَيا لِقَذى طَرفٍ مِنَ الدَمعِ مَلآنِ
O heart bursting with patience, now empty,
O eyes brimming with tears, now overflowing,
وَنَفسٍ إِلى جَوِّ الكَنيسَةِ صَبَّةٍ
وَقَلبٍ إِلى أُفقِ الجَزيرَةِ حَنّانِ
O soul aspiring to church spires,
O heart yearning for the shores of an island,
تَعَوَّضتُ مِن واهاً بِآهٍ وَمِن هَوىً
بِهَونٍ وَمِن إِخوانِ صِدقٍ بِخَوّانِ
I've traded companions true for companions new,
And love unrequited for love more suited.
وَما كُلُّ بَيضاءٍ بَروقٍ بِشَحمَةٍ
وَما كُلُّ مَرعىً تَرتَعيهِ بِسُعدانِ
Not every pasture sustains the gazelle at play,
Not every dawn brings happiness to stay.
فَيا لَيتَ شِعري هَل لِدَهرِيَ عَطفَةٌ
فَتُجمَعَ أَوطاري عَلَيَّ وَأَوطاني
Would that fate show me some mercy,
And gather my homelands all around me,
مَيادينُ أَوطاري وَلَذَّةُ لَذَّتي
وَمَنشَأُ تَهيامي وَمَلعَبُ غُزلاني
My fields of childhood and sweetest delight,
Where I'd dream and romance from morn till night,
كَأَن لَم يَصِلني فيهِ ظَبيٌ يَقومُ لي
لَماهُ وَصِدغاهُ بِراحي وَرَيحاني
As though no roe had grazed there, rising just for me,
To offer me violets and bloom from each tree,
فَسَقياً لِواديهِم وَإِن كُنتُّ إِنَّما
أَبيتُ لِذِكراهُ بِغُلَّةِ ظَمآنِ
I remain, even if but to reminisce,
About days of bliss in that lost paradise.
فَكَم يَومِ لَهوٍ قَد أَدَرنا بِأُفقِهِ
نُجومَ كُؤوسٍ بَينَ أَقمارِ نَدمانِ
How many carefree days have we whiled away,
Drinking 'neath the stars on carpets we'd lay.
وَلِلقُضبِ وَالأَطيارِ مَلهىً بِجَرعَةٍ
فَما شِئتَ مِن رَقصٍ عَلى رَجعِ أَلحانِ
To music and birds we would dance and sing,
Taking pleasure in each God-given thing.
وَبِالحَضرَةِ الغَرّاءِ غِرَّ عَلِقتُهُ
فَأَجَبتُ حُبّاً فيهِ قُضبانَ نَعمانِ
And for the fairest of all, my love I professed,
Answering the soul that my own soul had blessed.
رَقيقُ الحَواشي في مَحاسِنِ وَجهِهِ
وَمَنطِقِهِ مَسلى قُلوبٍ وَآذانِ
Of delicate expression and voice serene,
That calms every heart and delighting each ear.
أَغارُ لِخَدَّيهِ عَلى الوَردِ كُلَّما
بَدا وَلِعَطفَيهِ عَلى أَغصُنِ البانِ
How I envy the roses that dare brush his cheek,
Or the vines that caress where his glances seek.
وَهَبنِيَ أَجي وَردَ خَدٍّ بِناظِري
فَمِن أَينَ لي مِنهُ بِتُفّاحِ لُبنانِ
He gifted me a glance that set my soul aflame,
Where can I find apples to give him the same?
يُعَلِّلُني مِنهُ بِمَوعِدِ رَشفَةٍ
خَيالٌ لَهُ يُغري بِمَطلٍ وَلَيّانِ
His imaginary tryst makes me pine and yearn,
For meetings destined never to come or return.
حَبيبٌ عَلَيهِ لُجَّةٌ مِن صَوارِمٍ
عَلاها حَبابٌ مِن أَسِنَّةِ مُرّانِ
My love wears a coat of mail like warrior of old,
Tempered with wisdom more precious than gold.
تَراءى لَنا في مِثلِ صورَةِ يوسُفٍ
تَراءى لَنا في مِثلِ مُلكِ سُلَيمانِ
We saw him as Joseph, beauty touched by the Divine,
We saw him as Solomon, destined to reign and to shine.
طَوى بُردُهُ مِنها صَحيفَةَ فِتنَةٍ
قَرَأنا لَها مِن وَجهِهِ سَطرَ عُنوانِ
His cloak contains secrets of love we unravel,
Reading truths from his face that confirm and enthrall.
مَحَبَّتُهُ ديني وَمَثواهُ كَعبَتي
وَرُؤيَتُهُ حَجّي وَذِكراهُ قُرآني
He's my faith, my Kabah, my pilgrim's desire,
Remembrance of him is my life's goal, my temple entire.
