نفسي الفِداءُ لمن أذُودُ بِذكرِهِ

نفسي الفِداءُ لمن أذُودُ بِذكرِهِ

عَنّي عَوادِي الهَمِّ والأشجانِ

عَنّي عَوادِي الهَمِّ والأشجانِ

My soul be ransom for him, by whose remembrance I ward off

May my soul be ransom for him through whose remembrance I ward off

from myself the assaults of care and sorrow.

From myself the onslaughts of worry and sorrows.

وإذَا فَررتُ من الخُطوبِ جَعلتُه

وإذَا فَررتُ من الخُطوبِ جَعلتُه

فِئَتِي فَيُفرِقُها امتِنَاعُ مَكانِي

فِئَتِي فَيُفرِقُها امتِنَاعُ مَكانِي

Whenever I flee calamities, I make him

And when I flee calamities, I make him

my protecting host; my position’s impregnability puts them to flight.

My defending band; my impregnable position frightens them away.

وكأَنّ مُعجزةَ المسيحِ كِتابُهُ

وكأَنّ مُعجزةَ المسيحِ كِتابُهُ

فإذا قَضَيْتُ من الأسى أحْيَاني

فإذا قَضَيْتُ من الأسى أحْيَاني

His book seems the very miracle of Christ:

And his letter is like the miracle of Christ:

whenever I perish from grief, it brings me back to life.

Whenever I die of grief, it brings me back to life.

وإنَّ امرَأً أضحَى بإرْبِلَ دَارُهُ

وإنَّ امرَأً أضحَى بإرْبِلَ دَارُهُ

وفي شيزَرٍ أحبابُه وشجُونُهُ

وفي شيزَرٍ أحبابُه وشجُونُهُ

Indeed, a man whose home has come to be in Erbil

And indeed a man whose home is now in Erbil,

while his loved ones and his heart’s attachments are in Shayzar

While his loved ones and sorrows are in Shayzar,

لَغيرُ مَلُومٍ في الحنينِ إليهمُ

لَغيرُ مَلُومٍ في الحنينِ إليهمُ

ومَعذُورَةٌ أن تسْتَهِلَّ جُفُونُهُ

ومَعذُورَةٌ أن تسْتَهِلَّ جُفُونُهُ

can hardly be blamed for yearning for them;

Is surely blameless for longing for them,

his eyelids are excused if they stream with tears.

And his eyelids are excused for streaming with tears.