بِذي سَلَمٍ وَالدَيرِ مِن حاضِرِ الحِمى

بِذي سَلَمٍ وَالدَيرِ مِن حاضِرِ الحِمى

ظِباءَ تُريكَ الشَمسَ في صورَةَ الدُمى

ظِباءَ تُريكَ الشَمسَ في صورَةَ الدُمى

At Dhū Salam and the monastery, among the dwellers of the sanctuary,

With a greeting of peace, from the monastery near the sanctuary,

are gazelles that show you the sun in the form of statues.

Gazelles show you the sun in the form of red wine.

فَأَرقُبُ أَفلاكاً وَأَخدُمُ بيعَةً

فَأَرقُبُ أَفلاكاً وَأَخدُمُ بيعَةً

وَأَحرُسُ رَوضاً بِالرَبيعِ مُنَمنَما

وَأَحرُسُ رَوضاً بِالرَبيعِ مُنَمنَما

So I watch celestial spheres and serve a church,

So I observe the revolving heavens and serve in devotion,

and guard a garden embroidered with spring.

And guard a garden in spring, thriving and teeming.

فَوَقتاً أُسَمّى راعِيَ الظَبيِ بِالفَلا

فَوَقتاً أُسَمّى راعِيَ الظَبيِ بِالفَلا

وَوَقتاً أُسَمّى راهِباً وَمُنَجِّما

وَوَقتاً أُسَمّى راهِباً وَمُنَجِّما

At one time I am called the gazelle's shepherd in the desert,

For a time I’m called the shepherd of gazelles in the meadow,

and at another I am called a monk and an astrologer.

And for a time I’m called a monk and astrologer.

تَثَلَّثَ مَحبوبي وَقَد كانَ واحِداً

تَثَلَّثَ مَحبوبي وَقَد كانَ واحِداً

كَما صَيَّروا الأَقنامَ بِالذاتِ أُقنُما

كَما صَيَّروا الأَقنامَ بِالذاتِ أُقنُما

My beloved became threefold, though he had been one,

My beloved has become threefold, though she was one,

just as they made the hypostases one hypostasis in essence.

As they made the idols, in their essence, idols.

فَلا تُنكِرَن يا صاحِ قَولي غَزالَةٍ

فَلا تُنكِرَن يا صاحِ قَولي غَزالَةٍ

تُضيءُ لِغِزلانٍ يَطُفنَ عَلى الدُمى

تُضيءُ لِغِزلانٍ يَطُفنَ عَلى الدُمى

So do not reject, my friend, my saying that a gazelle

So do not, my friend, deny the words of a gazelle

shines for gazelles circling the statues.

Who gives light to fawns wandering in the red meadow.

فَلِلظَّبيِ أَجياداً وَلِلشَمسِ أَوجُهاً

فَلِلظَّبيِ أَجياداً وَلِلشَمسِ أَوجُهاً

وَلِلدُّميَةِ البَيضاءِ صَدراً وَمِعصَما

وَلِلدُّميَةِ البَيضاءِ صَدراً وَمِعصَما

Thus the gazelle has necks, and the sun has faces,

For the gazelle there are meadows, for the sun there are faces,

and the white statue has a breast and a wrist,

And for the white idol, a breast and wrist.

كَما قَد أَعَرنا لِلغُصونِ مَلابِساً

كَما قَد أَعَرنا لِلغُصونِ مَلابِساً

وَلِلرَّوضِ أَخلاقاً وَلِلبَرقِ مَبسِما

وَلِلرَّوضِ أَخلاقاً وَلِلبَرقِ مَبسِما

just as we have lent garments to the branches,

Just as we have given the branches clothes,

and dispositions to the garden, and a smiling mouth to the lightning.

And to the garden, dispositions, and to lightning, a smile.