ســجنت وقـد أصـبحت سـلوتي

ســجنت وقـد أصـبحت سـلوتي

مــن الســقم عــدّي للأضـلعِ

مــن الســقم عــدّي للأضـلعِ

I was imprisoned, and my solace had become

I'm imprisoned, and my cell has become my companion,

counting my ribs in my sickness.

Suffering from illness, my ribs are counted.

أعالـج بالصـبر برح السقام    

أعالـج بالصـبر برح السقام

ولكــن علاجــي لــم ينجــعِ

ولكــن علاجــي لــم ينجــعِ

I treat the torment of illness with patience,

I seek cure with patience from sickness,

but my remedy has done no good.

But my remedy did not avail.

أتـاني الطـبيب وولـىّ سـدىً

أتـاني الطـبيب وولـىّ سـدىً

وراح الشــفيع فلــم يشـفع

وراح الشــفيع فلــم يشـفع

The doctor came to me and left in vain,

The doctor came to no purpose,

and the intercessor went, but his intercession failed.

And the intercessor came but did not intercede.

وكـم قيـل مدّدْ مدى الأصطبار

وكـم قيـل مدّدْ مدى الأصطبار

ومهمـــا عــراك فلا تجــزع

ومهمـــا عــراك فلا تجــزع

How often I was told, 'Stretch the span of endurance,

And it was said, extend the patience,

and whatever befalls you, do not lose heart.'

Whatever befalls you, do not despair.

وكـم ذا أمـدّ مـدى الأصطبار

وكـم ذا أمـدّ مـدى الأصطبار

فــان زدت فـي مـدّه يقطـع

فــان زدت فـي مـدّه يقطـع

And how long must I stretch the span of endurance?

And how much has the patience been extended,

For if I stretch it further, it will snap.

If I increase its extension, it gets cut off.

ولمــا بكــى سـاجني رحمـة

ولمــا بكــى سـاجني رحمـة

أجــابوا التشــفع للأدمــع

أجــابوا التشــفع للأدمــع

And when my jailer wept out of pity,

And when my incarcerator had mercy,

they granted the tears' plea for intercession.

They answered the tears' intercession.

ولكنهـــم صــادفوا عقــدة    

ولكنهـــم صــادفوا عقــدة

بـأمريَ تعيـي حجـى الألمعـي

بـأمريَ تعيـي حجـى الألمعـي

But they encountered a knot

But they met a knot,

in my case that baffled the mind of the keen-witted.

In my matter that exhausts the shining Almae.

حكومــة لبنـان قـد راجعـت    

حكومــة لبنـان قـد راجعـت

فرنســا لفكــي فلـم تسـطع

فرنســا لفكــي فلـم تسـطع

Lebanon's government had appealed

The Lebanese government reviewed,

to France for my release, but without success.

France to release me but did not succeed.

وراحـت فرنسـا إلى الإنكليز

وراحـت فرنسـا إلى الإنكليز

تراجعهــم جــلّ مــن مرجـع

تراجعهــم جــلّ مــن مرجـع

And France went to the English,

And France went to the British,

petitioning them—what an exalted authority!

To ask them, the most honorable authority.

وقـد راجـع الإنكليز العراق    

وقـد راجـع الإنكليز العراق

ولليــوم بـالأمر لـم يصـدع

ولليــوم بـالأمر لـم يصـدع

And the English appealed to Iraq,

And the British reviewed Iraq,

and to this day it has not pronounced on the matter.

But the matter remains unresolved till today.

فقلت اعجبوا أيها السامعون

فقلت اعجبوا أيها السامعون

و يا أيها الخلق قولوا معي

و يا أيها الخلق قولوا معي

So I said, 'Marvel, O listeners,

So I said, wonder, O listeners!

and, O people, say with me:

And O people, say with me:

أمـن قـوّتي صـرت أم ضـعفهم

أمـن قـوّتي صـرت أم ضـعفهم

خطيـــراً علــى دول أربــع

خطيـــراً علــى دول أربــع

Is it through my strength, or their weakness, that I have become

Is it my strength or their weakness,

dangerous to four states?'

Dangerous for four states?