أَلاAh! خَبَّرونيtell me عَنabout حِمىprotected lands of تَلِthe hill of راهِطٍRahit
أَلا خَبَّروني عَن حِمى تَلِ راهِطٍ
يَلَذُّfinds delight بِهِin it سَمعيmy hearing وَإِنand even though فاتَنيhas eluded me النَظَرsight
يَلَذُّ بِهِ سَمعي وَإِن فاتَني النَظَر
Ah, tell me of the protected lands of Tall Rahit;
Tell me of the hills of Tel Rahit
My ears delight in it, though its sight eludes me.
Whose tales bring joy to my ears though sight fails me,
وَقُصّاand recount, you two أَحاديثَthe tales of المُصَلّىal-Musalla وَأَهلِهِand its people
وَقُصّا أَحاديثَ المُصَلّى وَأَهلِهِ
عَلَيَّto me فَماfor there is no ليfor me فيin سِوىother than ذاكَthat مِنany (emphatic) وَطَنhomeland
عَلَيَّ فَما لي في سِوى ذاكَ مِن وَطَن
And you two, recount the tales of al-Musalla and its people
And speak to me of that sacred place and its folk -
To me, for I have no homeland elsewhere.
For in aught but that have I no true home.
لَقَدindeed طالَhas grown long عَهديmy last contact بِالمُصَلّىwith al-Musalla فَلَيتَنيso, if only I
لَقَد طالَ عَهدي بِالمُصَلّى فَلَيتَني
رَأَيتُI saw المُصَلّىal-Musalla أَوor سَمِعتُI heard لَهُof it خَبَرnews
رَأَيتُ المُصَلّى أَو سَمِعتُ لَهُ خَبَر
It has been long since I was at al-Musalla—if only I
Long has my exile from that mosque lasted; would that
Could see al-Musalla, or hear some news of it.
I had glimpsed it or heard some news of it once more!