يا ذا الذي يَصدُقُني وُدَّهُ

يا ذا الذي يَصدُقُني وُدَّهُ

وليس مكذوبٌ كمصدوقِ

وليس مكذوبٌ كمصدوقِ

O you whose affection for me is true,

O you who sincerely loves me

And one lied to is not like one treated truthfully.

And your love is no lie as if true

أنت أبا عبد الإله امرؤٌ

أنت أبا عبد الإله امرؤٌ

سابقُ مجدٍ غيرُ مسبوق

سابقُ مجدٍ غيرُ مسبوق

You, Abu Abd al-Ilah, are a man

You are the father of Abd Al-Ilah, a man

Foremost in glory, never outstripped.

With unmatched glory, never preceded

خُلِقتَ في أكرم ما خلقةٍ

خُلِقتَ في أكرم ما خلقةٍ

فأنت من أكرم مخلوق

فأنت من أكرم مخلوق

You were created in the noblest form,

You were created in the most honorable of creations

So you are among the noblest creatures.

Thus you are of the most honorable creations

لا كالألى حَصَّلتُ من وُدِّهم

لا كالألى حَصَّلتُ من وُدِّهم

ما حصَّل النافخُ في البوق

ما حصَّل النافخُ في البوق

Not like those from whose affection I gained

Not like the rogues whose love

What the man blowing into a trumpet gains.

I gained as much as a blower gains in the horn

بضاعتي كاسدةٌ عندهم

بضاعتي كاسدةٌ عندهم

كسادَ ماءٍ عند مخنوق

كسادَ ماءٍ عند مخنوق

My wares find no market with them,

My goods are unsellable to them

As water finds no market with a strangled man.

As unsellable as water to a strangled man

فاعجبْ ففي قوليَ أُعجوبةٌ

فاعجبْ ففي قوليَ أُعجوبةٌ

منسوقها أعجبُ منسوق

منسوقها أعجبُ منسوق

So marvel, for there is a wonder in my words:

So wonder, for in my words there is a wonder

Its composition is the most wondrous of compositions.

Led by a leader more amazing than leaders

منزليَ الشامُ كما قد ترى

منزليَ الشامُ كما قد ترى

وإنما زيتي من السُّوق

وإنما زيتي من السُّوق

My home is al-Sham, as you plainly see,

My home is Damascus as you can see

Yet my oil comes only from the market.

Yet my oil is from the market

لحيةُ مَن يرضى بذا لحيةٌ

لحيةُ مَن يرضى بذا لحيةٌ

ما صَلُحَت إلا لدَبُّوق

ما صَلُحَت إلا لدَبُّوق

The beard of one content with this is a beard

The beard of one who accepts this beard

Fit for nothing but birdlime.

Is only fit for a toy bear