دَعِ البَساتينَ مِن وَردٍ وَتُفّاحِ

دَعِ البَساتينَ مِن وَردٍ وَتُفّاحِ

وَاِعدِل هُديتَ إِلى ذاتِ الأُكَيراحِ

وَاِعدِل هُديتَ إِلى ذاتِ الأُكَيراحِ

Leave the gardens of roses and apples,

Leave the gardens of roses and apples,

Forsake the gardens with their roses and apples,

And turn—may you be guided—to Dhat al-Ukayrah, the place of little monasteries.

And turn your gift to the great scholars,

And turn—may you be guided—toward the cloistered cells,

اِعدِل إِلى نَفَرٍ دَقَّت شُخوصُهُمُ

اِعدِل إِلى نَفَرٍ دَقَّت شُخوصُهُمُ

مِنَ العِبادَةِ إِلّا نِضوَ أَشباحِ

مِنَ العِبادَةِ إِلّا نِضوَ أَشباحِ

Turn to a company whose figures have grown thin

Turn to the people whose forms are worn down

Turn to a company whose figures have grown slight,

From worship—nothing but gaunt remnants of bodies.

From worship, except the radiance of their spirits,

Wasted by worship until they seem but worn-out wraiths,

يُكَرِّرونَ نَواقيساً مُرَجَّعَةً

يُكَرِّرونَ نَواقيساً مُرَجَّعَةً

عَلى الزَبورِ بِإِمساءٍ وَإِصباحِ

عَلى الزَبورِ بِإِمساءٍ وَإِصباحِ

They repeatedly ring reverberating bells,

They repeat polished bells

They strike the bells, repeating their resonant chimes,

Accompanying the Psalms at evening and at dawn.

Upon the Psalms, morning and evening,

Chanted over the Psalms at dusk and at dawn,

تَنأى بِسَمعِكَ عَن صَوتٍ تَكَرَّهُهُ

تَنأى بِسَمعِكَ عَن صَوتٍ تَكَرَّهُهُ

فَلَستَ تَسمَعُ فيهِ صَوتَ فَلّاحِ

فَلَستَ تَسمَعُ فيهِ صَوتَ فَلّاحِ

You draw your hearing away from a sound you detest;

Keep your hearing away from any voice you dislike,

There, you shield your hearing from sounds you detest;

For there you hear no farmer’s voice,

Then you won't hear in it the voice of a peasant,

You shall not hear in that place the shout of the plowman,

إِلّا الدِراسَةَ لِلإِنجيلِ مِن كُتُبٍ

إِلّا الدِراسَةَ لِلإِنجيلِ مِن كُتُبٍ

ذِكرَ المَسيحِ بِإِبلاجٍ وَإِفصاحِ

ذِكرَ المَسيحِ بِإِبلاجٍ وَإِفصاحِ

Only the recitation of the Gospel from books,

Only studying the Gospels of the books,

Naught but the study of the Gospel from the scriptures,

The mention of Christ, clearly and plainly expressed.

Mentioning Christ with eloquence and clarity,

And the mention of the Messiah with clarity and grace,

يا طيبَهُم وَعَتيقُ الراحِ تُحفَتُهُم

يا طيبَهُم وَعَتيقُ الراحِ تُحفَتُهُم

بِكُلِّ نَوعٍ مِنَ الطاساتِ رَحراحِ

بِكُلِّ نَوعٍ مِنَ الطاساتِ رَحراحِ

How delightful they are! Aged wine is their gift,

O you, their perfume, and matured spirit, their gift

How delightful they are, when vintage wine is their offering,

In every kind of broad drinking bowl.

Is adorned with all kinds of silver trays clattering,

Served in every manner of wide, flowing chalice,

يَسقيكَها مُدمَجُ الخَصرَينِ ذو هَيَفٍ

يَسقيكَها مُدمَجُ الخَصرَينِ ذو هَيَفٍ

أَخو مَدارِعِ صوفٍ فَوقَ أَمساحِ

أَخو مَدارِعِ صوفٍ فَوقَ أَمساحِ

One trim-waisted and slender serves it to you,

It is served to you by the slender-waisted one, with elegance,

Poured for you by a slender youth, compact of waist,

A wearer of woolen tunics over haircloth.

A brother of cloaks of wool above beauty marks.

A brother in woolen robes worn over rough haircloth.