كَأَن لَم يَكُن يَوماً بِزورَةَ صالِحٌ

كَأَن لَم يَكُن يَوماً بِزورَةَ صالِحٌ

وَبِالقَصرِ ظِلٌّ دائِمٌ وَصَديقُ

وَبِالقَصرِ ظِلٌّ دائِمٌ وَصَديقُ

As though Salih had never once been in Zura,

It's as if Zawra never had a virtuous day

Nor lasting shade and a friend at al-Qasr;

And the palace never had lasting shade and friend

وَلَم أرِدِ البَطحاءَ يَمزِجُ ماءَها

وَلَم أرِدِ البَطحاءَ يَمزِجُ ماءَها

شَرابٌ مِنَ البَرّوقَتَينِ عَتِيقُ

شَرابٌ مِنَ البَرّوقَتَينِ عَتِيقُ

Nor had I come to al-Batha, whose water was mingled

I did not want the lowland to mix its water

With aged wine from al-Barruqatayn,

A drink of aged wine from the two transparent cups

مَعي كُلُّ فَضفاضِ القَميصِ كَأَنَّهُ

مَعي كُلُّ فَضفاضِ القَميصِ كَأَنَّهُ

إِذا ما سَرَت فيهِ المدامُ فنيقُ

إِذا ما سَرَت فيهِ المدامُ فنيقُ

With me was each man in a flowing shirt, as though he,

With me, every loose fold of the shirt is as if

When wine coursed through him, were a pampered camel stallion.

When the wine flows through it becomes elegant

وَإِنّي وَإِن كانوا نَصارى أُحِبُّهُم

وَإِنّي وَإِن كانوا نَصارى أُحِبُّهُم

وَيَرتاحُ قَلبي نَحوَهُم وَيَتوقُ

وَيَرتاحُ قَلبي نَحوَهُم وَيَتوقُ

And indeed I love them, though they were Christians,

And though they be Christians, I love them

And my heart is drawn toward them and yearns.

And my heart inclines toward them and yearns