سَلامٌ عَلى النازِحِ المُغتَرِب

تَحِيَّةَ صَبٍّ بِهِ مُكتَئِب

Greetings to the displaced expatriate

A morning greeting while he is gloomy

غَزالٌ مَراتِعُهُ بِالبَليخِ

إِلى دَيرِ زَكّى وَقَصرِ الخَشَب

A gazelle whose pastures are in al-Balikh

To the monastery of Zakky and the wooden palace

فَيا مَن أَعانَ عَلى نَفسِهِ

بِتَخليفِهِ طائِعاً مَن يُحِبّ

So oh you who helped himself

By replacing willingly whom he loves

أَتاكَ بِما لَم تُرِدهُ القَضا

فَقَلبُكَ مِن حُكمِهِ في تَعَب

Fate brought you what you did not want

So your heart is tired of its rule

وَنَخشى الوُشاةَ فَما نَستَطيعُ

نُهادي الَّذي بَينَنا في الكُتُب

And we fear the slanderers, so we cannot

Guide properly what is between us in the books

سَأَستُرُ وَالسَترُ مِن شيمَتي

هَوى مَن أُحِبُّ بِمَن لا أُحِبّ

I will conceal and concealing is part of my manners

The love of those I love with those I do not love

وَلا بُدَّ مِن كَذِبٍ في الهَوى

إِذا كانَ دَفعُ الأَذى بِالكَذِب

And lying is inevitable in love

If avoiding harm is by lying