إِن رَقَّ لي قَلبُكِ مِمّا أُلاقي

إِن رَقَّ لي قَلبُكِ مِمّا أُلاقي

مِن فَرطِ تَعذيبٍ وَفَرطِ اِشتِياق

مِن فَرطِ تَعذيبٍ وَفَرطِ اِشتِياق

If your heart softens toward me at what I suffer

If your heart is softened by my suffering,

From excessive torment and excessive longing,

From excessive torment and excessive longing,

وَجُدتِ بِالوَصلِ عَلى مُغرَمٍ

وَجُدتِ بِالوَصلِ عَلى مُغرَمٍ

فَزَوِّديني مِنكِ قَبلَ اِنطِلاق

فَزَوِّديني مِنكِ قَبلَ اِنطِلاق

And you generously grant union to a lovesick man,

And you find pleasure in union with a lover,

Then give me something of yourself before departure.

Then provide me with some of yourself before we part.

إِن أَنتِ وَدَّعتِ بِتَقبيلَةٍ

إِن أَنتِ وَدَّعتِ بِتَقبيلَةٍ

كانَت يَداً مَشكورَةً لِلفِراق

كانَت يَداً مَشكورَةً لِلفِراق

If you bid farewell with a kiss,

If you bid farewell with a kiss,

It would be a kindness for which parting deserves thanks.

It will be a generous hand for separation.

أُحاذِرُ البَينَ مِنَ أَجلِ النَوى

أُحاذِرُ البَينَ مِنَ أَجلِ النَوى

طَوراً وَأَهواهُ مِنَ أَجلِ العِناق

طَوراً وَأَهواهُ مِنَ أَجلِ العِناق

I fear parting because of distance,

I caution against separation for the sake of intimacy,

At times, yet love it because of the embrace.

And I yearn for it for the sake of embrace.

قَد جَعَلَ اللَهُ إِلى جَعفَرٍ

قَد جَعَلَ اللَهُ إِلى جَعفَرٍ

حِياطَةَ الدينِ وَقَمعَ النِفاق

حِياطَةَ الدينِ وَقَمعَ النِفاق

God has indeed entrusted to Ja'far

God has made Ja'far

The safeguarding of religion and the suppression of hypocrisy.

The guardian of religion and suppressor of hypocrisy.

طاعَتُهُ فَرضٌ وَعِصيانُهُ

طاعَتُهُ فَرضٌ وَعِصيانُهُ

مِن أَعظَمِ الكُفرِ وَأَعلى الشِقاق

مِن أَعظَمِ الكُفرِ وَأَعلى الشِقاق

Obedience to him is a duty, and disobedience to him

Obedience to him is an obligation, and disobedience

Is among the gravest forms of unbelief and the most extreme dissension.

Is among the greatest disbelief and highest conflict.

مَن لَم يَبُحكَ النُصحَ مِن قَلبِهِ

مَن لَم يَبُحكَ النُصحَ مِن قَلبِهِ

فَما لَهُ في دينِهِ مِن خَلاق

فَما لَهُ في دينِهِ مِن خَلاق

Whoever does not offer you sincere counsel from his heart

One whose advice does not flow sincerely from his heart,

Has no share in his religion.

Has no integrity in his religion.

فَاِسلَم لَنا يَسلَم لَنا عِزُّنا

فَاِسلَم لَنا يَسلَم لَنا عِزُّنا

وَابقَ فَإِنَّ الخَيرَ ما عِشتَ باق

وَابقَ فَإِنَّ الخَيرَ ما عِشتَ باق

So remain safe for us, and our glory will remain safe for us;

So submit to us and our glory will submit to you,

And live on, for goodness endures as long as you live.

And live on, for goodness is everlasting.

إِنَّ دِمَشقاً أَصبَحَت جَنَّةً

إِنَّ دِمَشقاً أَصبَحَت جَنَّةً

مُخضَرَّةَ الرَوضِ عَذاةَ البِراق

مُخضَرَّةَ الرَوضِ عَذاةَ البِراق

Damascus has indeed become a paradise,

Indeed Damascus has become a paradise,

With verdant meadows and sweet-soiled rocky tracts.

Green of meadow, fragrant of basil.

هَواؤُها الفَضفاضُ غَضُّ النَدى

هَواؤُها الفَضفاضُ غَضُّ النَدى

وَماؤُها السَلسالُ عَذبُ المَذاق

وَماؤُها السَلسالُ عَذبُ المَذاق

Its spacious air is fresh with dew,

Its air is light and dewy,

And its smoothly flowing water is sweet to taste.

Its water smooth flowing and sweet tasting.

وَالدَهرُ طَلقٌ بَينَ أَفيائِها

وَالدَهرُ طَلقٌ بَينَ أَفيائِها

وَالعَيشُ فيها ذو حَواشٍ رِقاق

وَالعَيشُ فيها ذو حَواشٍ رِقاق

And time smiles amid its shades,

Time is auspicious among its loyal ones,

And life there has delicate fringes.

And living there has delicate edges.

ناظِرَةٌ نَحوَكَ مُشتاقَةٌ

ناظِرَةٌ نَحوَكَ مُشتاقَةٌ

مِنكَ إِلى القُربِ وَوَشكِ التَلاق

مِنكَ إِلى القُربِ وَوَشكِ التَلاق

It gazes toward you, yearning

Yearning toward you,

For your nearness and a meeting soon.

For nearness to you and soon union.

وَكَيفَ لا تُؤثِرُها بِالهَوى

وَكَيفَ لا تُؤثِرُها بِالهَوى

وَصَيفُها مِثلُ شِتاءِ العِراق

وَصَيفُها مِثلُ شِتاءِ العِراق

And how could you not favor it with your love,

And how could it not be preferred with passion

When its summer is like Iraq's winter?

When its summer equals an Iraqi winter?