1. إِنَّني مِن عُتَقَائِكْ

    وبَقائِي مِنْ بَقائِكْ

    I am one of your freedmen,

    and my survival depends on yours.

  2. أَيُّ فنٍّ لحياتي

    بعدَ بُعدي عن فِنَائك

    What kind of life can I have

    once I am far from your courtyard?

  3. أَيها الرَّاحلُ إِن السَّعْـ

    ـدَ مِنْ تَحتِ لِوائِكْ

    O departing one, good fortune

    lies beneath your banner.

  4. وهْوَ إِمَّا قاطنٌ عنـ

    ـدَك أَو مِنْ رُفَقَائِكْ

    It either dwells

    with you or numbers among your companions.

  5. هو إِنْ سرتَ عديلُ

    ونزيلٌ بِحِنَائِك

    If you travel, it is your fellow rider,

    and a guest within your precincts.

  6. سرْ على اسْم اللهِ محرو

    ساً بأَجنادِ الملائِكْ

    Go in God's name, guarded

    by the armies of the angels.

  7. من أَمامٍ أَنت محفو

    ظٌ بهمْ أَو مِنْ وَرَائِكْ

    From the front you are protected

    by them, or from behind.

  8. وعلى كلِّ الَّذي

    خلَّفتهمْ من خُلَفَائِك

    And they watch over all those

    you have left behind as your deputies.

  9. وهم الصَّافُون أَضْحَوا

    كلُّهم من أَصْفِيائِك

    And those ranged in ranks have become,

    all of them, your chosen friends.

  10. وامضِ مصحوباً فما السيـ

    ـفُ بأَمْضَى مِنْ مَضَائِكْ

    Go forth attended, for no sword

    is keener than your resolve.

  11. فبآبائِك قد نِلْـ

    ـتَ المعالِي وإِبَائِك

    For through your forefathers you have attained

    high honors, and through your pride.

  12. بسَنَا وجْهِك يسرِي

    ركْبُهم أَو بِسنَائِك

    By your face's radiance travels

    their caravan by night—or by your glory.

  13. وترى الرَّاحةَ فيما

    حَسِبُوه مِنْ عَنائِكْ

    And you find ease in what

    they reckoned among your hardships.

  14. وتُرى فوقَ جيادِ

    وهْي فُرْشٌ وأَرَائِك

    And you are seen astride steeds

    that are beds and couches.

  15. سوف تُطْوَى لكَ أَرْضُ

    الشامِ شَوْقاً لِلِقَائِكْ

    Soon the land will be folded up for you—

    Syria's land, longing to meet you.

  16. وتُضيءُ الطُّرقَ للسا

    رينَ من ضوْءِ بهَائِكْ

    And you light the roads for those

    traveling by night, with your splendor's light.

  17. وستبدو معجزاتٌ

    شاهداتٌ بولائِكْ

    And miracles will appear,

    bearing witness to your devotion.

  18. ويصيرُ الماءُ وهْو الـ

    ـمِلْحُ شَهْداً في إِنَائِكْ

    And water will turn, though it is

    salty, to honey in your vessel.

  19. وتَرى في الشَّام ما عُوّ

    دتَ من عِظْم اعْتِلاَئِكْ

    And in Syria you will see what you are used to:

    the greatness of your exalted station.

  20. وتَرى فوقَ أَمانيـ

    ـكَ وأَعْلَى مِنْ رَجَائِكْ

    And you will see beyond your wishes,

    and higher than your hopes.

  21. وستلْقَى العِزَّ صفواً

    خَالصاً مِنْ خُلصَائِكْ

    And you will find honor, pure

    and unalloyed, from your trusted friends.

  22. وستُبدي فيَّ ما تُضْـ

    ـمِرُه من حُسنِ رَائِكْ

    And you will reveal what you harbor toward me

    of favorable regard.

  23. وتُداوِي سُقْمَ حالي

    واعْتِلاَلي بِدَوَائِكْ

    And you will heal my ailing condition

    and my sickness with your remedy.

  24. وتُزِيلُ الهمَّ عَني

    وعَنائِي باعْتِنَائِكْ

    And you will lift worry from me,

    and my suffering through your care.

  25. إِنَّه ليْس يُداوي

    حزنيَ غيرُ هَنَائِكْ

    For nothing can heal

    my sorrow but your happiness.

  26. وسَتَقْضِي لي بإِذْن

    اللهِ ذَا قَبْلَ اقْتِضَائِكْ

    And you will grant me, with the permission

    of God, this—before I ask it of you.

  27. وحديثي أَنَّ حَاليَ

    مُظْلِمٌ بَعْدَ ضِيَائِكْ

    And my tale is that my condition

    is dark after your radiance.

  28. وكَذَا يَغْدوا صَباحي

    لَونُه لونُ مَسائِكْ

    And so my morning dawns—

    its hue the hue of your evening.

  29. يا صَدَى أَرْضِي إِذا سر

    تَ إِلى صَوْبِ سَمَائِك

    Alas for my earth's thirst, when you journey

    toward your sky!

  30. صِرتُ إِذ سرتَ

    وقد خلَّفْتَني من أُسَرائِكْ

    When you departed, I became—

    left behind by you—one of your captives.

  31. ليتَني لو كنتُ حقاً

    سائراً معْ أَوْلِيَائِكْ

    Would that I were truly

    traveling with your friends,

  32. وأُروِّي نورَ عينيَّ

    وقَلْبي مِن رُوَائِكْ

    and could quench the thirst of my eyes' light

    and of my heart with your beauty,

  33. وأُلبِّي أَن يسمِّـ

    ـعَه صوتُ نِدَائِك

    and answer whenever it hears

    the sound of your call.

  34. وتَرانِي وأَنا حا

    ديكَ أَحْدو بِثَنَائِكْ

    And you would see me,

    your camel-driver, chanting your praise.

  35. وتفوقُ الخلقَ إِذ حَا

    دِيكَ أَعْلَى شُعرَائِكْ

    And you surpass all creation, since

    your camel-driver is your foremost poet.

  36. وترى خَدَّيّ إِذ تمـ

    ـشي شِراكاً لِحذَائِكْ

    And you would see my cheeks, when you

    walk, as a strap for your sandal.

  37. أَنا عبدٌ لك قِنٌّ

    حُزتَ رقِّي بِشرَائِكْ

    I am your slave, a born bondsman;

    you acquired my servitude by purchasing me—

  38. بأَيَاديكَ بمعرو

    فِك عِنْدِي بِعَطَائِكْ

    through your favors, through your kindness

    to me, through your gifts.

  39. فاذكرَنْ عهدَك مِنِّي

    مثلَ ذِكرِي لحِبائِك

    So remember your bond with me,

    as I remember your gifts.

  40. كيف تَنْساني وحاشا

    كَ وحَاشَا لوفَائِكْ

    How could you forget me? Far be that

    from you, and from your faithfulness!