تِلكَ أَوطاني وَهذا رَسمُها

تِلكَ أَوطاني وَهذا رَسمُها

في سُوَيداءِ فُؤادي مُحتَفَرْ

في سُوَيداءِ فُؤادي مُحتَفَرْ

Those are my native lands, and this is their likeness,

Those are my homelands, and this is its symbol,

engraved in the innermost core of my heart.

Engraved in the blank page of my heart.

يَتَراءى لي عَلى بَهجَتِها

يَتَراءى لي عَلى بَهجَتِها

حَيثُما قَلَّبتَ في الكَونِ النَظَرْ

حَيثُما قَلَّبتَ في الكَونِ النَظَرْ

It appears to me in their splendor,

It appears before me in all its splendor,

wherever you turn your gaze in the universe:

Wherever I turn my gaze in the universe.

في ضِياءِ الشَمسِ في نورِ القَمَر

في ضِياءِ الشَمسِ في نورِ القَمَر

في النَسيمِ العَذبِ في ثَغرِ الزَهَرْ

في النَسيمِ العَذبِ في ثَغرِ الزَهَرْ

In the sun's radiance, in the moon's light,

In the light of the sun, in the glow of the moon,

In the sweet breeze, in the mouth of flowers,

In the soft breeze, in the smile of the flowers.

في خَريرِ الجَدوَلِ الصافي وَفي

في خَريرِ الجَدوَلِ الصافي وَفي

صَخَبِ النَهرِ وَأَمواجِ البَحَرْ

صَخَبِ النَهرِ وَأَمواجِ البَحَرْ

In the murmur of the clear brook, and in

In the murmur of the limpid stream, and in

the river's clamor and the waves of the sea;

The clamor of the river and the waves of the sea.

في هَتونِ الدَمعِ مِن هَولِ النَوى

في هَتونِ الدَمعِ مِن هَولِ النَوى

في لَهيبِ الشَوقِ في قَلبي اِستَعَرْ

في لَهيبِ الشَوقِ في قَلبي اِستَعَرْ

In tears pouring from the terror of separation,

In the downpour of tears for the agony of longing,

In the flame of longing that blazed in my heart.

In the flame of yearning, burning in my heart.

دِقَّةُ الناقوسِ مَعنى لِاِسمِها

دِقَّةُ الناقوسِ مَعنى لِاِسمِها

وَاِسمُها مِلءَ تَسابيح السّحَرْ

وَاِسمُها مِلءَ تَسابيح السّحَرْ

The bell's toll is an expression of their name,

The ringing of bells bears meaning to its name,

and their name fills the hymns before dawn.

And its name fills the praises of dawn.

فِكرَةٌ قَد خالَطَت كُلَّ الفِكَر

فِكرَةٌ قَد خالَطَت كُلَّ الفِكَر

صورَةٌ قَد مازَجَت كُلًّ الصُوَرْ

صورَةٌ قَد مازَجَت كُلًّ الصُوَرْ

A thought that has mingled with every thought,

An idea that blended with every thought,

An image that has blended with every image.

An image fused with each and every picture.

هِيَ في دُنيايَ سِرٌّ مِثلَما

هِيَ في دُنيايَ سِرٌّ مِثلَما

قَد غَدا اِسمُ اللَهِ سِرّاً في السُوَرْ

قَد غَدا اِسمُ اللَهِ سِرّاً في السُوَرْ

They are a mystery in my world, just as

It is in my life a secret, just as

God's name has become a mystery in the surahs.

The name of God has become secret in the surahs.

يا بِلادي يا مُنى قَلبيَ إِن

يا بِلادي يا مُنى قَلبيَ إِن

تَسلَمي لي أَنتِ فَالدُنيا هَدَرْ

تَسلَمي لي أَنتِ فَالدُنيا هَدَرْ

O my homeland, O my heart's desire, if

My country, O wish of my heart, if

you yourself remain safe for me, then the world counts for nothing.

You are safe for me, then life is but ruin.

لا أَرى الجَنَّةَ إِن أُدخِلتُها

لا أَرى الجَنَّةَ إِن أُدخِلتُها

وَهيَ خُلوٌ مِنكَ إِلّا كَسقَرْ

وَهيَ خُلوٌ مِنكَ إِلّا كَسقَرْ

I would not regard Paradise, if I were admitted to it,

I will not see Paradise, if admitted in it,

and it were empty of you, as anything but Saqar.

While empty of you, except as Hell.

مُنيَتي في غُربَتي قَبلَ الرَدى

مُنيَتي في غُربَتي قَبلَ الرَدى

أَن أُمَلّي مِن مَجاليكَ البَصَرْ

أَن أُمَلّي مِن مَجاليكَ البَصَرْ

My wish in exile, before death,

My death before demise is, ere I turn blind,

is to feast my eyes on your vistas.

To feast my eyes on your plains no more.

ظَمِئَت نَفسي لِمَغناكِ فَهَل

ظَمِئَت نَفسي لِمَغناكِ فَهَل

يُطفىءُ الحَرقَةَ بِالفُؤادِ القَدَرْ

يُطفىءُ الحَرقَةَ بِالفُؤادِ القَدَرْ

My soul has thirsted for your abode; so will

My soul thirsts for your songs, so will

fate quench the burning pain in my heart,

This burning in my heart be quenched by fate?

فَيُصلّي القَلبُ في كَعبَتِهِ

فَيُصلّي القَلبُ في كَعبَتِهِ

وَتَضُمُّ الروحُ قُدسِيَّ الحَجَرْ

وَتَضُمُّ الروحُ قُدسِيَّ الحَجَرْ

so that the heart may pray in its Kaaba,

Thus the heart prays in its sanctuary,

and the soul may embrace the sacred stone,

The soul embraces the Sacred Stone.

وَتَمرِّينَ بَيمَناكِ عَلى

وَتَمرِّينَ بَيمَناكِ عَلى

جَسَدٍ أَضناهُ في البُعدِ السَهَرْ

جَسَدٍ أَضناهُ في البُعدِ السَهَرْ

and you may pass your right hand over

You pass by me in my dreams, upon

a body worn down by sleeplessness in separation,

A body emaciated by sleepless nights.

وَيُغَنّي الطَيرُ في أَشجارِهِ

وَيُغَنّي الطَيرُ في أَشجارِهِ

نَغَماً يُرقِصُ أَعطافَ الشَجَرْ

نَغَماً يُرقِصُ أَعطافَ الشَجَرْ

and the birds may sing in its trees

And the birds sing in its trees,

a melody that makes the trees' boughs dance—

A melody that sways the boughs.

خَبَرٌ تَنقُلُهُ ريحُ الصِبا

خَبَرٌ تَنقُلُهُ ريحُ الصِبا

وَيُذيعُ الزَهرُ أَنسامَ الخَبَر

وَيُذيعُ الزَهرُ أَنسامَ الخَبَر

news carried by the east wind,

News carried by the morning breeze,

and the flowers spread the breezes of the news—

Flowers spreading the fragrance of the tale.

وَيُلاقي كُلُّ إِلفٍ إِلفَهُ

وَيُلاقي كُلُّ إِلفٍ إِلفَهُ

وَيَلُمّانِ الشَتيتَ المُنتَثِرْ

وَيَلُمّانِ الشَتيتَ المُنتَثِرْ

and each companion may meet his companion,

Each longing soul meets its longing,

and the two gather what is scattered and dispersed?

And the scattered are joined together.

يا بِلادي أَرشِفيني قَطرَةً

يا بِلادي أَرشِفيني قَطرَةً

كُلُّ ماءٍ غَيرَ ما فيكَ كَدَرْ

كُلُّ ماءٍ غَيرَ ما فيكَ كَدَرْ

O my homeland, give me a drop to sip;

My country, allow me to be a drop

all water except what is in you is murky.

Of any water, save what in you is bitter.

لَيتَ مِن ذاكَ الثَرى لي حَفنَةٌ

لَيتَ مِن ذاكَ الثَرى لي حَفنَةٌ

أَتَمَلّى مِن شَذا التُربِ العَطِرْ

أَتَمَلّى مِن شَذا التُربِ العَطِرْ

If only I had a handful of that soil,

Would that I had a handful of that soil,

to savor the scent of the fragrant earth.

To savor the scent of its exquisite dust.