والدهرُ ليسَ بمُستجيزٍ

والدهرُ ليسَ بمُستجيزٍ

أن تجيزَ على جَريحِ

أن تجيزَ على جَريحِ

Yet Fate will not countenance

And Time does not deem it lawful

finishing off a wounded man.

for you to finish off a wounded man.

أوجبتُ من ضجرٍ إلى

أوجبتُ من ضجرٍ إلى

نكباته روحي بروحي

نكباته روحي بروحي

In my anguish at

Out of weariness, I pledged to

its blows, I made my soul the price of release.

its calamities my soul in exchange for my repose.

حتى إذا أصبحتُ أح

حتى إذا أصبحتُ أح

سَبُني طريحاً في ضريحي

سَبُني طريحاً في ضريحي

Until I came to believe

Until, when I came to reckon

I lay prostrate in my grave,

myself lying in my grave,

ولى فأبرزَ لي مَسي

ولى فأبرزَ لي مَسي

حاً من يدَي عبدِ المسيحِ

حاً من يدَي عبدِ المسيحِ

then Fate relented, revealing a savior

it turned away, then brought forth for me

through the hands of ʿAbd al-Masīḥ.

a Messiah through the hands of ʿAbd al-Masīḥ.

فلأقسمَنَّ الشكر ما

فلأقسمَنَّ الشكر ما

بين المناحِ إلى المنيحِ

بين المناحِ إلى المنيحِ

So I shall surely divide my thanks

So I shall surely apportion my thanks

between the lavish giver and the favored recipient.

between the generous giver and the recipient.

لو كنتَ فينا ما عرفتَ ال

لو كنتَ فينا ما عرفتَ ال

مُستميح من المميحِ

مُستميح من المميحِ

Were you among us, you could not tell the

Had you been among us, you could not have distinguished the

petitioner from the benefactor.

seeker of bounty from its bestower.

إني على الحال العَلي

إني على الحال العَلي

لَةِ صاحبُ الودِّ الصحيحِ

لَةِ صاحبُ الودِّ الصحيحِ

Even in my present ailing state,

Despite my ailing condition, I am

I am a man whose friendship remains sound and true.

a friend whose affection is sound.