دَعِ البَساتينَ مِن وَردٍ وَتُفّاحِ

وَاِعدِل هُديتَ إِلى ذاتِ الأُكَيراحِ

Leave the gardens of roses and apples,

Forsake the gardens with their roses and apples,

And turn your gift to the great scholars,

And turn—may you be guided—toward the cloistered cells,

اِعدِل إِلى نَفَرٍ دَقَّت شُخوصُهُمُ

مِنَ العِبادَةِ إِلّا نِضوَ أَشباحِ

Turn to the people whose forms are worn down

Turn to a company whose figures have grown slight,

From worship, except the radiance of their spirits,

Wasted by worship until they seem but worn-out wraiths,

يُكَرِّرونَ نَواقيساً مُرَجَّعَةً

عَلى الزَبورِ بِإِمساءٍ وَإِصباحِ

They repeat polished bells

They strike the bells, repeating their resonant chimes,

Upon the Psalms, morning and evening,

Chanted over the Psalms at dusk and at dawn,

تَنأى بِسَمعِكَ عَن صَوتٍ تَكَرَّهُهُ

فَلَستَ تَسمَعُ فيهِ صَوتَ فَلّاحِ

Keep your hearing away from any voice you dislike,

There, you shield your hearing from sounds you detest;

Then you won't hear in it the voice of a peasant,

You shall not hear in that place the shout of the plowman,

إِلّا الدِراسَةَ لِلإِنجيلِ مِن كُتُبٍ

ذِكرَ المَسيحِ بِإِبلاجٍ وَإِفصاحِ

Only studying the Gospels of the books,

Naught but the study of the Gospel from the scriptures,

Mentioning Christ with eloquence and clarity,

And the mention of the Messiah with clarity and grace,

يا طيبَهُم وَعَتيقُ الراحِ تُحفَتُهُم

بِكُلِّ نَوعٍ مِنَ الطاساتِ رَحراحِ

O you, their perfume, and matured spirit, their gift

How delightful they are, when vintage wine is their offering,

Is adorned with all kinds of silver trays clattering,

Served in every manner of wide, flowing chalice,

يَسقيكَها مُدمَجُ الخَصرَينِ ذو هَيَفٍ

أَخو مَدارِعِ صوفٍ فَوقَ أَمساحِ

It is served to you by the slender-waisted one, with elegance,

Poured for you by a slender youth, compact of waist,

A brother of cloaks of wool above beauty marks.

A brother in woolen robes worn over rough haircloth.