شجاني مِن رُبا الفيحاءِ بَرْقُ

شجاني مِن رُبا الفيحاءِ بَرْقُ

وهَيَّجَني غَرامُكِ يا دِمَشْقُ

وهَيَّجَني غَرامُكِ يا دِمَشْقُ

A lightning flash from al-Fayha's hills stirred my longing,

The lightning from al-Fayha' moistened me,

And love of you roused me, O Damascus.

And your love has roused me, Oh Damascus!

تَهَيَّبْتُ الوِصالَ وإنْ تَمادَى

تَهَيَّبْتُ الوِصالَ وإنْ تَمادَى

وأشْعَلَ مُهْجَتي وَلَهٌ وعِشْقُ

وأشْعَلَ مُهْجَتي وَلَهٌ وعِشْقُ

I shrank from union, even if it lingered,

I longed for union though it was delayed,

And yearning and passion set my soul ablaze.

And it set my passion aflame, ardently in love.

أحقًّا غُوطةُ الفِرْدَوْسِ دُوني

أحقًّا غُوطةُ الفِرْدَوْسِ دُوني

ودوني مِن جِنانِ الخُلْدِ شِقُّ؟

ودوني مِن جِنانِ الخُلْدِ شِقُّ؟

Is the Ghouta of Paradise truly before me,

Is Ghutah truly a paradise for me

And before me a portion of the gardens of eternity?

And a part of the eternal gardens for me?

وهل أنا في ديارِ الشَّامِ أَمشي

وهل أنا في ديارِ الشَّامِ أَمشي

وأجنحتي لها في الجَوِّ خَفْقُ؟

وأجنحتي لها في الجَوِّ خَفْقُ؟

And am I walking in the lands of al-Sham,

When I walk in the lands of ash-Shaam,

While my wings beat in the air?

Do my wings flutter for it in the air?

سلامٌ يا دِمَشْقُ عليكِ حتَّى

سلامٌ يا دِمَشْقُ عليكِ حتَّى

يَلُوحَ على سَمائِكِ مِنْهُ بَرْقُ

يَلُوحَ على سَمائِكِ مِنْهُ بَرْقُ

Peace upon you, O Damascus, until

Peace upon you, Oh Damascus, until

A flash of lightning from it gleams across your sky.

Lightning flashes through your sky because of it.

ألا يا دارَ كلِّ فتًى جميلٍ

ألا يا دارَ كلِّ فتًى جميلٍ

له في صَفْحَةِ العُظَماءِ سَبْقُ

له في صَفْحَةِ العُظَماءِ سَبْقُ

Ah, O home of every handsome youth,

Oh home of every handsome youth

Who ranks foremost on the page of the great,

Who has precedence on the page of great men.

ومَهْدَ الفاتناتِ لِكُلِّ قَلبٍ

ومَهْدَ الفاتناتِ لِكُلِّ قَلبٍ

فحَقُّكِ لا يُضامُ، ولا يُعَقُّ

فحَقُّكِ لا يُضامُ، ولا يُعَقُّ

And cradle of women who enchant every heart,

And cradle of beauties for every heart

So your due shall neither be slighted nor dishonored.

Whose right cannot be denied or broken.

رَضِيتُ هَواكِ يَأسِرُني رقيقًا

رَضِيتُ هَواكِ يَأسِرُني رقيقًا

ولا يأتي لهذا الرِّقِّ عِتْقُ

ولا يأتي لهذا الرِّقِّ عِتْقُ

I consented to love of you taking me captive as a slave,

I was pleased that love has gently captured me,

And no release comes from this bondage.

And that this gentleness has no freedom.

أنا (وَضَّاحُ) جِئتُ على غَرامي

أنا (وَضَّاحُ) جِئتُ على غَرامي

وخلفي مِن ديارِ العُرْبِ شَرْقُ

وخلفي مِن ديارِ العُرْبِ شَرْقُ

I am Waddah; I came with my passion,

I am Waddah and I came with my passion

And behind me lies the east of the Arab lands.

And the East is behind me from the lands of Arabs.

فصنعاءُ الَّتي صَقَلَتْ سُيوفي

فصنعاءُ الَّتي صَقَلَتْ سُيوفي

لها في وَجْنَةِ القَمَرَيْنِ شَقُّ

لها في وَجْنَةِ القَمَرَيْنِ شَقُّ

For Sana'a, which burnished my swords,

Sanaa which polished my swords

Has a cleft in the cheek of the two moons.

Has a place in the cheek of the two moons.

تُحَمِّلُني النَّسائمُ مِن صَباها

تُحَمِّلُني النَّسائمُ مِن صَباها

صَباباتٍ لها في القَلبِ عُمْقُ

صَباباتٍ لها في القَلبِ عُمْقُ

The breezes from her east wind burden me

The breezes carry to me from its morning

With longings that run deep within the heart.

Morning dew that has depth in the heart.

ففي الصُّندوقِ أسرارٌ وشِعرٌ

ففي الصُّندوقِ أسرارٌ وشِعرٌ

وفي الصُّندوقِ عاطفةٌ ورِفْقُ

وفي الصُّندوقِ عاطفةٌ ورِفْقُ

For in the chest are secrets and poetry,

So in the box are secrets and poetry

And in the chest are affection and tenderness.

And in the box are emotions and gentleness.

وكم أُمِّ البَنين أرى ولكنْ

وكم أُمِّ البَنين أرى ولكنْ

«قلوبًا كالحِجارةِ لا تَرِقُّ»

«قلوبًا كالحِجارةِ لا تَرِقُّ»

And how many an Umm al-Banin I see, yet—

How many mothers of sons I see but

"Hearts like stones that do not soften."

“Hearts are like rocks, they do not soften.”