طرابلسTripoli الغربof the West ليfor me وطنa homeland
طرابلس الغرب لي وطن
أعزُّdearest بلادlands وأكرمand noblest حيabode
أعزُّ بلاد وأكرم حي
Tripoli of the West is my homeland,
Tripoli is my beloved homeland
The dearest of lands and the noblest abode.
The most precious and honorable city
ولكنbut شرقيهاits eastern counterpart شاقنيstirred my longing
ولكن شرقيها شاقني
وماand not شاقنيstirred my longing فيهin it غيرother than ظبيa gazelle
وما شاقني فيه غير ظبي
Yet its eastern counterpart stirred my longing,
But its eastern side pained me
And nothing there stirred my longing but a gazelle.
And what pained me in it was nothing but a gazelle
ظبيa gazelle ولكنهمbut they صحفوهmiswrote it
ظبي ولكنهم صحفوه
بنقصby shortening البناءthe word's structure فسموهso they called him بيBey
بنقص البناء فسموه بي
A gazelle—but they miswrote the word,
A gazelle, but they defamed it
Shortening its form, they called him Bey.
With lacking construction, so they called it Bey
تنبأhe claimed prophethood بالحسنthrough beauty فيduring فترةan interval without prophets
تنبأ بالحسن في فترة
فآمنتso I believed لماwhen تجلَّىhe revealed himself عليto me
فآمنت لما تجلَّى علي
He claimed prophethood through beauty in a prophetless interval,
It foretold beauty in a period
So I believed when he revealed himself to me.
So I believed when it was revealed to Ali
وإنand if لمnot أكنI am مؤمناa believer بالذيin that which
وإن لم أكن مؤمنا بالذي
أشاهدI behold منof آيهhis signs فبأيthen in what?
أشاهد من آيه فبأي
And if I do not believe in what
And even if I was not a believer in what
I behold of his signs, then in what shall I believe?
I witnessed from its miracle, so what?
أنستI discerned بخديهin his cheeks نارthe fire الهدىof guidance
أنست بخديه نار الهدى
فنزهتand I delighted فيin نورهاits light مقلتيmy eyes
فنزهت في نورها مقلتي
In his cheeks I discerned the fire of guidance,
I forgot the fire of guidance with his cheeks
And in its light I delighted my eyes.
So I took delight in its light with my eyelids
وهمتand I was mad with love ولاand no غروwonder فيin حسنهhis beauty
وهمت ولا غرو في حسنه
وهلand (question marker) خلقwas created الحسنbeauty إلاexcept لكيfor searing
وهل خلق الحسن إلا لكي
And I was mad with love for his beauty—no wonder;
And I admired, without wonder at his beauty
And was beauty created for anything but to sear?
Was beauty created for anything but you?
وجدتand I gave freely بروحيwith my soul ولاand no منةclaim of favor
وجدت بروحي ولا منة
عليهupon him وأخرجتهاand I released it منfrom يديmy hands
عليه وأخرجتها من يدي
And I gave my soul, laying no obligation
I found in my soul, without a favor
Upon him, and released it from my hands.
Upon him, and brought it out from my hand