يا سيّدي عاش راسك عاش

يا سيّدي عاش راسك عاش

عسَى أكثر الناس يفدونه

عسَى أكثر الناس يفدونه

O my lord, long live your head—long live it!

My master, may you live long

May most people sacrifice themselves for it.

May most people ransom you

شيخ(ن) لكل المراجل حاش

شيخ(ن) لكل المراجل حاش

ما يتلي الناس يتلونه

ما يتلي الناس يتلونه

A sheikh who has gathered every manly virtue.

A sheikh for all the festivals

He does not follow the people; they follow him.

People recite his poems

صدره بحب العرب جيّاش

صدره بحب العرب جيّاش

تضحك ثناياه وعيونه

تضحك ثناياه وعيونه

His breast surges with love for the Arabs.

His chest boiling with love for the Arabs

His front teeth and his eyes smile.

His dimples and eyes smile

ومخلاب صقر(ن) إلَى من ناش

ومخلاب صقر(ن) إلَى من ناش

يفصل عن الهامه مُتونه

يفصل عن الهامه مُتونه

And a falcon's talon, when it strikes,

And a hawk's claws toward whoever claws

Severs the back from the head.

Separate from the confused their bodies

يا سيّدي ما أرغب المطراش

يا سيّدي ما أرغب المطراش

لولا لزوم(ن) تعرُفونه

لولا لزوم(ن) تعرُفونه

O my lord, I have no wish to travel,

My master, how I wish for the cloak

But for a necessity you know.

If not for the need you know

أخاف من هرجة الأوباش

أخاف من هرجة الأوباش

يمشون بالكذب يرمونه

يمشون بالكذب يرمونه

I fear the gossip of the rabble,

I fear the commotion of the rabble

Who go about with falsehood, flinging it around.

They walk with lies throwing them

ياما تمنّيت لكن ماش

ياما تمنّيت لكن ماش

أسير مع ظلّك ودونه

أسير مع ظلّك ودونه

How often I have wished—but in vain—

Oh how I wished but no use

To walk with your shadow and before it.

I walk with your shadow and it alone

وما البس بدال الحرير خُياش

وما البس بدال الحرير خُياش

ومن حبّه القلب ما خونه

ومن حبّه القلب ما خونه

And I will not wear sackcloth instead of silk.

And I did not wear silk instead of burlap

And whoever the heart loves, it does not betray.

And from love my heart did not betray him

وإن سلم راسك برَدْت الجاش

وإن سلم راسك برَدْت الجاش

وما فات يا شيخ يا هونه

وما فات يا شيخ يا هونه

And if your head is safe, my heart is at ease.

And if your head stays safe the excitable calm down

And what has passed, O sheikh—how little it matters!

And what is past, oh gentle sheikh, makes it gentler