وقَد التَقَينا بعد ذا

وقَد التَقَينا بعد ذا

كَ وقرَّبَ اللَّهُ المَسافَه

كَ وقرَّبَ اللَّهُ المَسافَه

And indeed we met after that,

We met again after that

and God shortened the distance,

And God brought us closer

حتَّى كأنَّ تَرَقُّبي

حتَّى كأنَّ تَرَقُّبي

إِياكَ زَجرٌ أَو عيافَه

إِياكَ زَجرٌ أَو عيافَه

so that it was as though my awaiting

Until my anticipation of you

you were augury or bird-divination.

Seemed like a warning or a scream

ولكَ الأَيادي السَّالِفا

ولكَ الأَيادي السَّالِفا

تُ الجارِياتُ مع السُّلافَه

تُ الجارِياتُ مع السُّلافَه

And yours are the favors of old,

And for you are the past hands

flowing along with the choicest wine.

The servants move with the plates

لكنَّني مِن دَرسِهن

لكنَّني مِن دَرسِهن

نَ اليومَ في بابِ الإِضافَه

نَ اليومَ في بابِ الإِضافَه

But I, through studying them,

But from their lesson

am today in the chapter on addition.

Today I am in the chapter of addition

ولَقَد عرضتُ عَلى الرَّجا

ولَقَد عرضتُ عَلى الرَّجا

ءِ سِواكَ مَرجُوّاً فَخافَه

ءِ سِواكَ مَرجُوّاً فَخافَه

And indeed I put before Hope

And I have presented to people

someone other than you to hope in—so it feared him.

Other than you hopes so he feared

ما أكتَفي بنداكَ يا

ما أكتَفي بنداكَ يا

عَبدَ المَسيحِ فكُن كَفافَه

عَبدَ المَسيحِ فكُن كَفافَه

I am not content with your bounty, O

I cannot be satisfied with your call, O

Abd al-Masih—so be enough for it.

Servant of the Messiah, so be sufficient