فَيا لِشَجا قَلبٍ مِنَ الصَبرِ فارِغٍ

فَيا لِشَجا قَلبٍ مِنَ الصَبرِ فارِغٍ

وَيا لِقَذى طَرفٍ مِنَ الدَمعِ مَلآنِ

وَيا لِقَذى طَرفٍ مِنَ الدَمعِ مَلآنِ

Alas for the grief of a heart devoid of patience!

O heart bursting with patience, now empty,

And alas for the mote in an eye brimming with tears!

O eyes brimming with tears, now overflowing,

وَنَفسٍ إِلى جَوِّ الكَنيسَةِ صَبَّةٍ

وَنَفسٍ إِلى جَوِّ الكَنيسَةِ صَبَّةٍ

وَقَلبٍ إِلى أُفقِ الجَزيرَةِ حَنّانِ

وَقَلبٍ إِلى أُفقِ الجَزيرَةِ حَنّانِ

And a soul yearning for the air of al-Kanisa,

O soul aspiring to church spires,

And a heart longing for the horizon of al-Jazira.

O heart yearning for the shores of an island,

تَعَوَّضتُ مِن واهاً بِآهٍ وَمِن هَوىً

تَعَوَّضتُ مِن واهاً بِآهٍ وَمِن هَوىً

بِهَونٍ وَمِن إِخوانِ صِدقٍ بِخَوّانِ

بِهَونٍ وَمِن إِخوانِ صِدقٍ بِخَوّانِ

I traded cries of delight for sighs of pain, and love

I've traded companions true for companions new,

For humiliation, and loyal brothers for a traitor.

And love unrequited for love more suited.

وَما كُلُّ بَيضاءٍ بَروقٍ بِشَحمَةٍ

وَما كُلُّ بَيضاءٍ بَروقٍ بِشَحمَةٍ

وَما كُلُّ مَرعىً تَرتَعيهِ بِسُعدانِ

وَما كُلُّ مَرعىً تَرتَعيهِ بِسُعدانِ

Not every gleaming white thing is a lump of fat,

Not every pasture sustains the gazelle at play,

Nor is every pasture you graze a pasture of sa'dan.

Not every dawn brings happiness to stay.

فَيا لَيتَ شِعري هَل لِدَهرِيَ عَطفَةٌ

فَيا لَيتَ شِعري هَل لِدَهرِيَ عَطفَةٌ

فَتُجمَعَ أَوطاري عَلَيَّ وَأَوطاني

فَتُجمَعَ أَوطاري عَلَيَّ وَأَوطاني

Oh, would that I knew: will my fortune turn kindly,

Would that fate show me some mercy,

So that my desires and my homelands may be gathered around me?

And gather my homelands all around me,

مَيادينُ أَوطاري وَلَذَّةُ لَذَّتي

مَيادينُ أَوطاري وَلَذَّةُ لَذَّتي

وَمَنشَأُ تَهيامي وَمَلعَبُ غُزلاني

وَمَنشَأُ تَهيامي وَمَلعَبُ غُزلاني

The fields of my desires and the delight of my delight,

My fields of childhood and sweetest delight,

And the birthplace of my passion and the playground of my gazelles.

Where I'd dream and romance from morn till night,

كَأَن لَم يَصِلني فيهِ ظَبيٌ يَقومُ لي

كَأَن لَم يَصِلني فيهِ ظَبيٌ يَقومُ لي

لَماهُ وَصِدغاهُ بِراحي وَرَيحاني

لَماهُ وَصِدغاهُ بِراحي وَرَيحاني

As though no gazelle had shown me love there, whose

As though no roe had grazed there, rising just for me,

Dusky lips and temple-locks served as my wine and basil.

To offer me violets and bloom from each tree,

فَسَقياً لِواديهِم وَإِن كُنتُّ إِنَّما

فَسَقياً لِواديهِم وَإِن كُنتُّ إِنَّما

أَبيتُ لِذِكراهُ بِغُلَّةِ ظَمآنِ

أَبيتُ لِذِكراهُ بِغُلَّةِ ظَمآنِ

So may their valley be watered, though all I do is

I remain, even if but to reminisce,

Spend the night remembering it, with a thirsty man's burning thirst.

About days of bliss in that lost paradise.

فَكَم يَومِ لَهوٍ قَد أَدَرنا بِأُفقِهِ

فَكَم يَومِ لَهوٍ قَد أَدَرنا بِأُفقِهِ

نُجومَ كُؤوسٍ بَينَ أَقمارِ نَدمانِ

نُجومَ كُؤوسٍ بَينَ أَقمارِ نَدمانِ

On how many a day of revelry we passed around beneath its sky

How many carefree days have we whiled away,

The stars of goblets among the moons of drinking companions!

Drinking 'neath the stars on carpets we'd lay.

وَلِلقُضبِ وَالأَطيارِ مَلهىً بِجَرعَةٍ

وَلِلقُضبِ وَالأَطيارِ مَلهىً بِجَرعَةٍ

فَما شِئتَ مِن رَقصٍ عَلى رَجعِ أَلحانِ

فَما شِئتَ مِن رَقصٍ عَلى رَجعِ أَلحانِ

And the boughs and birds had a playground on a sandy patch—

To music and birds we would dance and sing,

All the dancing you could wish for, to the echo of melodies!

Taking pleasure in each God-given thing.

وَبِالحَضرَةِ الغَرّاءِ غِرَّ عَلِقتُهُ

وَبِالحَضرَةِ الغَرّاءِ غِرَّ عَلِقتُهُ

فَأَجَبتُ حُبّاً فيهِ قُضبانَ نَعمانِ

فَأَجَبتُ حُبّاً فيهِ قُضبانَ نَعمانِ

And at the radiant court I fell in love with a guileless youth;

And for the fairest of all, my love I professed,

So, for love of him, I responded to Nu'man's boughs.

Answering the soul that my own soul had blessed.

رَقيقُ الحَواشي في مَحاسِنِ وَجهِهِ

رَقيقُ الحَواشي في مَحاسِنِ وَجهِهِ

وَمَنطِقِهِ مَسلى قُلوبٍ وَآذانِ

وَمَنطِقِهِ مَسلى قُلوبٍ وَآذانِ

Gentle in manner; in the beauties of his face

Of delicate expression and voice serene,

And his speech lies solace for hearts and ears.

That calms every heart and delighting each ear.

أَغارُ لِخَدَّيهِ عَلى الوَردِ كُلَّما

أَغارُ لِخَدَّيهِ عَلى الوَردِ كُلَّما

بَدا وَلِعَطفَيهِ عَلى أَغصُنِ البانِ

بَدا وَلِعَطفَيهِ عَلى أَغصُنِ البانِ

For his cheeks I am jealous of the rose whenever

How I envy the roses that dare brush his cheek,

It appears, and for his flanks, of the ban-tree's boughs.

Or the vines that caress where his glances seek.

وَهَبنِيَ أَجي وَردَ خَدٍّ بِناظِري

وَهَبنِيَ أَجي وَردَ خَدٍّ بِناظِري

فَمِن أَينَ لي مِنهُ بِتُفّاحِ لُبنانِ

فَمِن أَينَ لي مِنهُ بِتُفّاحِ لُبنانِ

And grant that I gather a cheek's rose with my gaze—

He gifted me a glance that set my soul aflame,

Then where can I obtain from him the apples of Lebanon?

Where can I find apples to give him the same?

يُعَلِّلُني مِنهُ بِمَوعِدِ رَشفَةٍ

يُعَلِّلُني مِنهُ بِمَوعِدِ رَشفَةٍ

خَيالٌ لَهُ يُغري بِمَطلٍ وَلَيّانِ

خَيالٌ لَهُ يُغري بِمَطلٍ وَلَيّانِ

I am beguiled with the promise of a sip from him

His imaginary tryst makes me pine and yearn,

By a phantom of him that entices me with delay and evasion.

For meetings destined never to come or return.

حَبيبٌ عَلَيهِ لُجَّةٌ مِن صَوارِمٍ

حَبيبٌ عَلَيهِ لُجَّةٌ مِن صَوارِمٍ

عَلاها حَبابٌ مِن أَسِنَّةِ مُرّانِ

عَلاها حَبابٌ مِن أَسِنَّةِ مُرّانِ

A beloved surrounded by a deep sea of sharp swords,

My love wears a coat of mail like warrior of old,

Above which rose foam of spearheads on ashwood shafts.

Tempered with wisdom more precious than gold.

تَراءى لَنا في مِثلِ صورَةِ يوسُفٍ

تَراءى لَنا في مِثلِ صورَةِ يوسُفٍ

تَراءى لَنا في مِثلِ مُلكِ سُلَيمانِ

تَراءى لَنا في مِثلِ مُلكِ سُلَيمانِ

He appeared to us in a form like Joseph's;

We saw him as Joseph, beauty touched by the Divine,

He appeared to us with a dominion like Solomon's.

We saw him as Solomon, destined to reign and to shine.

طَوى بُردُهُ مِنها صَحيفَةَ فِتنَةٍ

طَوى بُردُهُ مِنها صَحيفَةَ فِتنَةٍ

قَرَأنا لَها مِن وَجهِهِ سَطرَ عُنوانِ

قَرَأنا لَها مِن وَجهِهِ سَطرَ عُنوانِ

His mantle enfolded a page of enchantment from that form;

His cloak contains secrets of love we unravel,

We read upon his face a line of its heading.

Reading truths from his face that confirm and enthrall.

مَحَبَّتُهُ ديني وَمَثواهُ كَعبَتي

مَحَبَّتُهُ ديني وَمَثواهُ كَعبَتي

وَرُؤيَتُهُ حَجّي وَذِكراهُ قُرآني

وَرُؤيَتُهُ حَجّي وَذِكراهُ قُرآني

Love of him is my religion, and his dwelling my Kaaba;

He's my faith, my Kabah, my pilgrim's desire,

And seeing him is my pilgrimage, and remembering him my Quran.

Remembrance of him is my life's goal, my temple entire.