ألا فاقر الخليل خليل باشا

ألا فاقر الخليل خليل باشا

سلاماً طيباً عبقا نفيسا

سلاماً طيباً عبقا نفيسا

Ah, convey to the dear friend Khalil Pasha

O friend of my soul, Khalil Pasha

Oh, convey to the true friend, Khalil Pasha,

a pleasant, fragrant, precious greeting.

Greetings of sweet and precious fragrance to you

A greeting pure, fragrant, and precious.

له قل يا شقيق الروح عني

له قل يا شقيق الروح عني

علام هجرت بلدتنا بروسا

علام هجرت بلدتنا بروسا

Say to him for me, O brother of my soul:

Tell me, why did you leave our town of Brousse?

Say to him on my behalf, O brother of my soul:

Why have you forsaken our town, Bursa?

It used to boast to all of Egypt

Why have you abandoned our city, Bursa?

لقد كانت تفاخر كلّ مصرٍ

لقد كانت تفاخر كلّ مصرٍ

وتطلع من شمائلكم شموسا

وتطلع من شمائلكم شموسا

Indeed, she once vied in pride with every city,

And suns shone from your features

It once boasted proudly against every metropolis,

and made suns rise from your noble qualities.

Yet after you it returned an old crone

As suns rose from the nobility of your character.

فعادت بعدكم شمطا عجوزاً

فعادت بعدكم شمطا عجوزاً

وكانت تجتلى بكم عروسا

وكانت تجتلى بكم عروسا

So after your departure she became a gray-haired old woman,

Whereas with you it appeared a bride

But after you left, it turned into a gray-haired crone,

though in your presence she had been unveiled as a bride.

And I knew it thronged with visitors

Whereas before, through you, it was unveiled as a radiant bride.

وعهدي سوحها بالوفد ملأى

وعهدي سوحها بالوفد ملأى

فأضحت بعدكم خلوا دروسا

فأضحت بعدكم خلوا دروسا

And I remember her squares full of delegations;

But after you it became empty, desolate

I knew its courtyards to be brimming with visitors,

then after your departure they lay empty and desolate.

You were a generous rain for us there

Yet after you, they became empty, effaced ruins.

وكنت لنا بها غيثا مريعا

وكنت لنا بها غيثا مريعا

وكهفا مانعاً ضرّاً وبوسى

وكهفا مانعاً ضرّاً وبوسى

And there you were for us a rain that brought abundance,

A shelter, warding off harm and misery

You were to us there a fertile, abundant rain,

and a refuge warding off harm and misery.

And with you, time was all smiles for us

And a sanctuary shielding us from harm and misery.

وكان لنا الزمان بكم ضحوكا

وكان لنا الزمان بكم ضحوكا

فصار لنا بفقدكم عبوسا

فصار لنا بفقدكم عبوسا

And through you, time smiled upon us;

But with losing you, it turned sullen

Because of you, Time used to smile upon us,

but in your absence it frowned upon us.

With whom can I replace you, I'd give my soul

But with your loss, it has become stern and frowning.

بمن أعتاض عنك فدتك نفسي

بمن أعتاض عنك فدتك نفسي

وكنت بقربكم فرحاً أنيسا

وكنت بقربكم فرحاً أنيسا

Whom can I take in your place? May my soul be your ransom!

When you were near, I was joyful and warm

With whom can I replace you? May my soul be your ransom,

And in your company I was joyful and at ease.

For in your proximity, I was joyful and comforted.