1. بَزَغَت في بروجها الأَضواءُ

    وَسَرت في ظِلالها البُشْراءُ

    The lights rose in their celestial mansions,

    And glad tidings spread in their shadows.

  2. وَنَما نورُها إِلى كُلِّ صُقعٍ

    وَطَوَت ذيلَ سَجفِها الظَلماءُ

    And their light spread to every region,

    And darkness folded up its veil's trailing hem.

  3. وَرَدَت نَحوَها الخَلائِقُ شَوقاً

    كَسقيمٍ لَهُ اِستَقام الدِواءُ

    Creatures came toward them in longing,

    Like a sick man for whom the remedy worked.

  4. وَأَتت بَينَ مُخطئٍ وَمُصيبٍ

    وَأَحالَ المُصيبَ مِنها الخَطاءُ

    And they came, some mistaken and some right,

    And error led the rightly guided among them astray,

  5. بِسِنانٍ تَلوحُ فيهِ المَنايا

    وحُسامٍ يَدِبُّ فيهِ البَلاءُ

    With a spearpoint where death gleams,

    And a sharp sword through which calamity creeps.

  6. عَمِيَت والمسيحُ لَما أَتاها

    قَد شَفاها وَكان مِنهُ الدَواءُ

    They went blind; and when Christ came to them,

    He healed them, and from him came the remedy.

  7. قَد أَتى قبلَهُ النبيّون طُرّاً

    ولكلٍّ إِشارةٌ وَنَباءُ

    The prophets had all come before him,

    And each had a sign and tidings.

  8. ما مضَت فَترةٌ مِنَ الرُسلِ إلّا

    بشَّرت قومَها بِهِ الأَنبياءُ

    No interval between messengers passed without

    The prophets bringing their people glad tidings of him.

  9. يا يهوذا يَدوم مُلكُك لكن

    بِمجيءِ المسيح يأتي الفَناءُ

    O Judah, your dominion endures, but

    With Christ's coming, destruction comes.

  10. ويقول الكليمُ يَظهَرُ بَعدي

    ذو كتابٍ وشَرعُهُ النَعماءُ

    And God's interlocutor says: after me shall appear

    One with a book, whose law is blessing.

  11. ظهَرَ اللَهُ وَهوَ إِبنُ بَتولٍ

    بنت حَوّا وَجَدُّهُ يساءُ

    God appeared, and he was the son of a virgin,

    A daughter of Eve; Jesse was his forefather.

  12. أنهَج الحقَّ ظاهراً وَمُضيئاً

    وجَليّاً يَزينُهُ الإِستِواءُ

    He made the truth plain, manifest and radiant,

    And lucid, with uprightness adorning it.

  13. وأَشَعيا يَقولُ قَولَ صَدوقٍ

    وصَريحٍ يَبُثُّهُ الإيماءُ

    And Isaiah speaks as one truthful,

    And forthright, his words conveyed by allusion:

  14. إنَّ بَكراً تكونُ عَذرا وحُبلى

    بوَليدٍ يكون فيهِ النجاءُ

    Indeed, a maiden shall be a virgin and with child,

    With a newborn in whom salvation shall lie.

  15. عَمنُوِيلٌ هُوَ اِسمُهُ وكُناهُ

    رُبَّ إِسمٍ دَليلُهُ المَعناءُ

    Emmanuel is his name and his titles;

    Many a name has its meaning as its guide.

  16. نَشَرَ السيدُ المسيحُ علينا

    ما طَواهُ النَباءُ والأَنبياءُ

    The Lord Christ unfolded to us

    What tidings and the prophets had folded away.

  17. وَبهِ تَمَّتِ الرُموزُ وحقَّت

    ما رَوتهُ العُقولُ والآراءُ

    And through him the symbols were fulfilled, and there came true

    What minds and opinions had recounted.

  18. بَشَّرَ الكونُ بعضُهُ البَعضَ أَن قد

    وَفَدَ اللَهُ وَاِستقامَ الهناءُ

    The universe's parts gave one another glad tidings that

    God had arrived, and bliss was established.

  19. أَصبَحَت جَمرةُ المجوس رَماداً

    وَعَلاها الهُمودُ والإِطفاءُ

    The Magians' ember became ash,

    And stillness and extinguishment covered it.

  20. وعرا الأوثانَ ريحٌ سَحوقٌ

    سَحقتهُم فَهُم لذاكَ هَباءُ

    And a crushing wind struck the idols;

    It crushed them, and therefore they are dust.

  21. فغزاها البَوارُ مِنهُ صَباحاً

    وَسقاها الدَمارَ ذاك المساءُ

    So ruin from him invaded them in the morning,

    And that evening gave them destruction to drink.

  22. آلَ شَوقي لآلِ بَيتِ يَهوذا

    رُبَّ شَوقٍ تُبيدُهُ الدَعواءُ

    My longing turned to the kin of Judah's house;

    Many a longing is destroyed by claims.

  23. وَعَرَفْنِي حبيبُ قلبيَ لمّا

    وَسَمَتني بدَمعِها الخَنساءُ

    And my heart's beloved recognized me when

    Al-Khansa marked me with her tears.

  24. فغَرامي بحُبِّهِم كَفُؤادي

    وفؤادي تُذيبُهُ البَلواءُ

    So my passion in loving them is like my heart,

    And my heart is melted by affliction.

  25. يا إلهي أَتيتُ بابَكَ طَوعاً

    واطمأَنَّت بِرِفدك الحَوباءُ

    O my God, I came willingly to your door,

    And the soul grew tranquil through your bounty.

  26. فملأتَ الزَمان أَمناً وَفَوزاً

    يا مَسيحاً لم تَرْقَهُ المُسحاءُ

    So you filled time with safety and victory,

    O Christ, whom the anointed have not equaled.

  27. فخرَ الدهرُ فيك واهتزَّ تيهاً

    وعلاهُ البهاءُ والإزدهاءُ

    Time took pride in you and swayed in pride,

    And splendor and pride enveloped it.

  28. سَمَتِ الأَرضُ مذ وطِئتَ ثَراها

    وسما قبلَها العُلا والسماءُ

    The earth has risen high since you trod its soil,

    And before it, the heights and heaven had risen.

  29. وحملنا إليك أعباءَ إثمٍ

    ولكلٍ لشوقهِ أعباءُ

    And we carried to you the burdens of sin,

    And each, in his longing, has burdens.

  30. وذَرينا الدموعَ من مأْقِ جفنٍ

    رُبَّ داءٍ يكون فيه الدَواءُ

    And we scattered tears from an eyelid's inner corner;

    Many an ailment has a remedy within it.

  31. ورِكاب الغرامِ في كلِّ خَبتٍ

    ووِهادٍ تُضِلُّها الأعداءُ

    And the mounts of passion, in every lowland

    And hollow, are led astray by enemies.

  32. فاهدِها للسِراطِ يا خيرَ هادٍ

    وأَرِحها يا مَن بهِ الإِهتداءُ

    So guide them to the path, O best of guides,

    And give them rest, O you through whom guidance comes.

  33. مريمُ البِكرُ ذاتُ كلِّ سناءٍ

    تخدِمُ الأرضُ نَعلَها والسماءُ

    Mary the virgin, endowed with every splendor,

    Earth and heaven serve her sandal.

  34. لُجُّ بَحرٍ قَرارُهُ مُستمِدٌّ

    سِرَّ ربٍّ تَهابهُ الحُكماءُ

    A sea's abyss, whose bed draws upon

    The mystery of a Lord whom the wise hold in awe.

  35. فعليها السلامُ ما لاحَ بَرقٌ

    تَحتَ ليلٍ وِشاحُهُ الظَلماءُ

    So peace be upon her as long as lightning flashes

    Beneath a night whose sash is darkness.