مدحْتَ أنطاكيَّةً

حتى توارى عقلُها

I have translated the poem from Arabic to English while preserving the poetic output:

You praised Antioch

ولم يكنْ عندي كما

ذَكَرْتَهُ محلُّها

Until her mind was obscured

And it was not in my view

لأنها داثرةٌ

علا عليها ذلُّها

As you described her status

Because she is in ruins

فكيفَ لا أبغضُها

وكيف لا أملُّها

Humiliation rose over her

So how can I not hate her?

وعُجْمُها أكثرُها

وعُرْبها أقلُّها

And how can I not tire of her?

Most of her people are non-Arabic

لولا حبيبٌ ساكن

فيها ولولا ظلُّها

And few of them are Arabic

If it were not for a beloved one living there

لقلْتُ مِنْ مدنِ لظى

لكنني أجلُّها

And if not for her shadow

I would have said she is of the burning cities

لأن في يس جا

ء ذكرُها وفضلُها

But I honor her

Because the mention and virtues of Jesus

لكنْ أقولُ قولةً

ليس يُرَدُّ عدلُها

Came from her

But I say an irrefutable saying:

لو كانَ فيها راحةٌ

ما فارقَتْها أهلُها

If there was tranquility in her

Her people would not have abandoned her