1. O Egypt, if destinies were judged by generosity,
You would be foremost among nations and realms.
١. يَا مِصْرُ لَوْ تُقْدَرُ الأَقْدَارُ بِالكِرَمِ
لَكُنْتِ سَابِقَةَ الأَمْصَار وَالأُمَمِ
2. The most noble generosity needs no recompense,
As you give freely from afar and from nearby.
٢. مَا أَشْرَفَ الجودَ لا يُبْغَى بِهِ عَوَضٌ
كَمَا تَجُودِينَ عَنْ بُعْدٍ ومن أَمَمِ
3. I see in you signs that prove to me
That dew is the master of manners and traits.
٣. إِنِّي أَرَى مِنْكِ آياتٍ تُحَقِّقُ لي
أَنَّ النَّدَى سَيِّدُ الأَخْلاقِ وَالشِّيَمِ
4. And that it is a piercing fragrance with which
The invaders and their insolence can be resisted.
٤. وَأَنَّهُ شممٌ خَافٍ يُعَزُّ بِهِ
عَلَى الغُزَاةِ وَمَا يُبْدُونَ مِنْ شَمَمِ
5. Your tears of tenderness are pleas by which one who complains is rebuffed,
And wretched is the plea of one who is stubborn and deaf.
٥. أَبْكَاكِ من رَقَّةٍ خَطْبٌ بِهِ صَمَمٌ
عَمَّنْ شكا ولَبِئْسَِ الخَطْبُ ذًو الصَّمَمِ
6. It set Damascus ablaze with a consuming fire
That tore into dignities and sanctities.
٦. دَهَى دِمَشْقَ بِنَارٍ مِنْهُ هَاتِكَةٍ
نَهَّاشَةِ اللُّسْنِ للأَعْرَاضِ وَالحُرَمِ
7. It stretched over the places of livelihood, leaving
Nothing but each horror in ruins.
٧. سَطَتْ عَلَى مَوْضِعِ الأَرْزَاقِ مَا تَرَكَتْ
مِنْهَا سِوَى كُلِّ عَافٍ تَحْتَ مُنْهَدِمِ
8. Al-Ghouta and Zabadani laugh,
Mocking the sneer of the accursed.
٨. تَشُبُّ وَ الغُوطَةُ الْفَيْحَاءُ ضَاحِكَةٌ
حِيَالَهَا ضَحِكَ المَرْزُوءِ بِاللَّمَمِ
9. Its emerald sends its lights of greenness
To a blaze as fierce as ignited sulfur.
٩. يُهْدِي زُمُرُّدُهَا أَنْوَارَ نَضْرَتِهِ
إِلَى سَعِيرٍ كَذَوْبِ التِّبْرِ مُحْتَدِمِ
10. And around it the seven rivers flow
Uselessly, in the face of those pouring tears.
١٠. وَحَوْلَهَا السَّبْعَةُ الأَنْهَارُ جَارِيَةٌ
مِنْ غَيْرِ جَدْوَى بِذَاكَ المَدْمَعِ الشَّبِمِ
11. Time's reprisal - its play with people, in joy and pain, does not end.
It has brought woe to Damascus, whose aid you know
١١. نِكَايَةُ الدَّهْرِ لا يَفْنَى لَهَا لَعِبٌ
بِالنَّاسِ تَلْعَبُهُ فِي اللَّهْوِ وَالأَلَمِ
12. When the glory of the kingdom sought it,
And when its people were lions, if they entered
١٢. أَشْقَتْ دِمَشْقَ الَّتِي تَدْرُونَ نَجْدَتَهَا
إِذْ يَبْتَغِيهَا جَلالُ المُلْكِ مِنْ قِدَمْ
13. The arenas of war, and the most generous in peace.
The flowers of their glories and prides
١٣. وَإِذْ بَنُوهَا هُمُ الآسَادُ إِنْ وَرَدُوا
مَوَارِدَ الْحَرْبِ وَالأَجْوَادُ فِي السَّلمِ
14. Were in the cream of wisdom or essence of governance -
The virtuous midst of valor, manners and magnanimity,
١٤. زُهْرٌ مَآثِرُهُمْ زَهْرٌ مَفَاخِرُهُمْ
فِي مُجْتَلَى الْحِلْمِ أَوْ فِي مُجْتَنَى الْحِكَمِ
15. Whose fragrance in tracing footsteps did not vanish.
By God, when they were overthrown in their abodes,
١٥. خِلالُ بَأْسٍ وَآدَابٍ وَمَكْرُمَةٍ
آثَارُهُما الغُرُّ فِي الأَعْقَابِ لَمْ تَرِمِ
16. Their throngs vanished after the darkness came.
None quenching the heat of their souls’ fire,
١٦. للهِ مَنْ نُكِبُوا فِي دُورِهِمْ فَأَوَى
سَوَادُهُمْ بَعْدَ أَنْ بَادَتْ إِلَى الظُّلْمِ
17. And none aiding against the tyrant.
But your great kindness has come to their aid
١٧. لا مُطْفِيءٌ بَرَدَى حَرّاً بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ
وَلا مُعِينٌ عَلَى الطَّاغِي مِنَ الضَّرَمِ
18. Binding the wounds of that immense calamity.
So God bless these faces and
١٨. لَكِنْ تَدَارَكَهُمْ مِنْ فَضْلِكُمْ عَمَمٌ
يَأْسُو جِرَاحَاتِ ذَاكَ الكَارِثِ العَمَمِ
19. These hearts, and what they have offered of blessings.
١٩. فَبَارَكَ اللهُ فِي هَذِي الْوُجُوهِ وَفِي
هَذِي الْقُلُوبِ وَمَا أَسْدَتْ مِنَ النِّعَمِ