واسْتَشْرَفَتْ نَفْسي إِلى مُسْتَشْرَفٍ

واسْتَشْرَفَتْ نَفْسي إِلى مُسْتَشْرَفٍ

لِلدَيْرِ تَاهَ بُحُسْنِهِ وبِطيبِهِ

لِلدَيْرِ تَاهَ بُحُسْنِهِ وبِطيبِهِ

My soul yearned for a lofty vantage point

And my soul yearned for a lofty lookout,

over the monastery, proud in its beauty and sweetness—

Of the monastery, glorying in its beauty and charm.

متفرّق آذيُّ دَجْلةَ تَحْتَهُ

متفرّق آذيُّ دَجْلةَ تَحْتَهُ

بِغَديرهِ وخَليجِهِ وقَليبِهِ

بِغَديرهِ وخَليجِهِ وقَليبِهِ

with the Tigris's current flowing gently beneath it,

The Tigris's waves spread out beneath it,

with its pool, its canal, and its little well.

In its pool, its channel, and its well.

فَنَعِمْتُ بَيْنَ رِياضِهِ وغِياضِهِ

فَنَعِمْتُ بَيْنَ رِياضِهِ وغِياضِهِ

وسَكِرْتُ بَيْنَ شُروقِهِ وغُروبِهِ

وسَكِرْتُ بَيْنَ شُروقِهِ وغُروبِهِ

There I lived blissfully amid its gardens and groves,

So I reveled amid its gardens and groves,

and grew drunk between its sunrise and sunset.

And grew drunk between its sunrise and sunset.

غنَّى الجَمالُ بِهِ فَزادَ الثَغْرَ منْ

غنَّى الجَمالُ بِهِ فَزادَ الثَغْرَ منْ

تَفْضيضِهِ والخَدَّ مِنْ تَذهيبِهِ

تَفْضيضِهِ والخَدَّ مِنْ تَذهيبِهِ

Beauty sang there, enhancing the smiling mouth through

Beauty sang there, making the mouth more richly

its silvering, and the cheek through its gilding.

Silvered, and the cheek more richly gilded.

واهْتَزَّ غُصْنُ البانِ في زُنَّارِهِ

واهْتَزَّ غُصْنُ البانِ في زُنَّارِهِ

وأَضاءَ جيدُ الرّيمِ تَحْتَ صَليبِهِ

وأَضاءَ جيدُ الرّيمِ تَحْتَ صَليبِهِ

A bān branch swayed within his Christian girdle,

And the bān-tree bough swayed within his girdle,

and a white gazelle's neck gleamed beneath his cross.

And the white gazelle's neck shone beneath his cross.