أَيُّهاO المَولىthe lord تَلَفّتturn your gaze لِلشآمto al-Sham
أَيُّها المَولى تَلَفّت لِلشآم
بأَبيmy father as ransom الجَنّةُParadise وَالبَيتُand the House الحَرامsacred
بأَبي الجَنّةُ وَالبَيتُ الحَرام
O lord, turn toward al-Sham.
May my father be the ransom of Paradise and the Sacred House!
وَاِعطَفنand do turn نَحوَtoward حِماهاher sanctuary نَظرَةًa glance
وَاِعطَفن نَحوَ حِماها نَظرَةً
تَشفِهاheal her مِماof what اِعتَراهاafflicted her مِنof سقامsickness
تَشفِها مِما اِعتَراها مِن سقام
And turn a glance toward her sanctuary,
To heal her of the sickness that has afflicted her.
شِمdraw a blade لَهاfor her مُرهَفa keen blade عَزمٍresolve طالَlasted long ماthat
شِم لَها مُرهَف عَزمٍ طالَ ما
كانَwas مِنfrom قَبلُbefore لَهاfor her وَاللَهِby God حامa defender
كانَ مِن قَبلُ لَها وَاللَهِ حام
Draw for her a keen blade of resolve, which for so long
Was her defender in times past, by God.
أطعمfed المَوتَdeath الزُؤامswift and dreadful القابِجيal-Qabiji
أطعم المَوتَ الزُؤام القابِجي
وَسَقىand gave drink سَقّاءَهُhis water-carrier كَأسَthe cup الحِمامof death
وَسَقى سَقّاءَهُ كَأسَ الحِمام
It fed al-Qabiji a swift and dreadful death,
And made his water-carrier drink the cup of death.
فَاِبنُthen the son of عُلوانʿUlwan عَلاrose high فيin أَرضِهاher land
فَاِبنُ عُلوان عَلا في أَرضِها
وَاِبنُand the son of بُستانBustan رعىgrazed رَعيَgrazing السَوامgrazing livestock
وَاِبنُ بُستان رعى رَعيَ السَوام
Then Ibn ʿUlwan rose high in her land,
And Ibn Bustan grazed as livestock graze.
زادَincreased فيin النَقصِdecline بِهاin her مَنقوصهاher deficient one
زادَ في النَقصِ بِها مَنقوصها
قدوةُexemplar الغاغَةِthe rabble بَلrather شَيخُsheikh العَوامthe common people
قدوةُ الغاغَةِ بَل شَيخُ العَوام
Her deficient one added to her decline,
The rabble's exemplar—rather, the commoners' sheikh.
وَغَداand became المَقصورُthe curtailed one فيamong شيعَتِهِhis followers
وَغَدا المَقصورُ في شيعَتِهِ
يَقتَديhe follows an example لاnot بِإِمامby an imam بَلrather إِمامan imam
يَقتَدي لا بِإِمام بَل إِمام
And the curtailed one became one of his followers,
Following no imam—rather, himself an imam.
فَإِلَيكُمso to you وَإِلىand to اللَهِGod أَتَتshe came
فَإِلَيكُم وَإِلى اللَهِ أَتَت
تَشتَكيshe laments الحالthe plight بِعَبراتwith tears سِجامstreaming
تَشتَكي الحال بِعَبرات سِجام
So to you and to God she came,
Lamenting her plight with streaming tears.
تَسأَلُshe asks المَولىthe lord أَماناًsafety مِنهُماfrom them both
تَسأَلُ المَولى أَماناً مِنهُما
وَمِنَand from المَولىthe lord لَهاfor her نجحfulfillment المَرامthe wish
وَمِنَ المَولى لَها نجح المَرام
She asks the lord for safety from them both,
And from the lord comes fulfillment of her wish.
قَدalready كَفىhas sufficed ماwhat حَلّهاbefell her مِنof حادِثٍa calamity
قَد كَفى ما حَلّها مِن حادِثٍ
هُدَّwas shattered وَاللَهِby God لَهُbecause of it رُكناًa pillar شَمامShamam
هُدَّ وَاللَهِ لَهُ رُكناً شَمام
Enough already of the calamity that befell her:
Shamam, by God, had a pillar shattered because of it;
فَقَدlost اِسماعيلIsmaʿil مُفتيmufti قُطرِهاher region
فَقَد اِسماعيل مُفتي قُطرِها
الإِمامthe imam الحَبرُthe learned scholar وَالبَرّand the virtuous one الهُمامthe noble-minded one
الإِمام الحَبرُ وَالبَرّ الهُمام
It lost Ismaʿil, the mufti of her region,
The imam, the scholar, the virtuous and noble man,
شَيخُthe sheikh أَشياخthe sheikhs دِمَشقDamascus جادَهُmay rain water him
شَيخُ أَشياخ دِمَشق جادَهُ
سبلُdownpour الأَنواءِthe rain-stars مَوصولُcontinuous الرِهامgentle showers
سبلُ الأَنواءِ مَوصولُ الرِهام
The sheikh of Damascus's sheikhs—may he be watered
By the rain-stars' downpour, its gentle showers unceasing.
وَأَدامand may preserve اللَهُGod مَولاناour lord لَناfor us
وَأَدام اللَهُ مَولانا لَنا
رُكنَa pillar مَجدٍglory دائِمٍenduring حَتّىuntil القِيامthe Resurrection
رُكنَ مَجدٍ دائِمٍ حَتّى القِيام
And may God preserve our lord for us,
A pillar of enduring glory until the Resurrection.
Sol 6.1