أدِمَشقُ ما أمضى سيوفَ بنيكِ

تِلكَ التي ثلّت عُروشَ ملوكِ

Damascus, the swords of your sons did not grow dull

Those that demolished the thrones of kings

الخافقانِ مُرَجِّعانِ صَليلَها

فصليلُها حرَّيةُ المَملوك

Their scabbards returning the ring of Damascus’s swords

So their ring is the freedom of the owned

فاضَ الرّدى والعدلُ من شفَراتِها

فتَذَلَّلَ السًلطانُ للصُّعلوك

Justice and equity flowed from their blades

So the sultan humbled himself to the plebeians

أدِمشقُ يا فَيحاءَ كُنتِ مَليكةً

وحُظوظُ أهلِ الأرضِ في أيديك

Damascus, O Fragrant One, you were a queen

And the fortunes of the people of earth were in your hands

ولكلِّ أرضٍ من جمالِكِ قِسمَةٌ

وجمالُ كلِّ الأرضِ في ناديك

And every land got a share of your beauty

And the beauty of all lands is in your company

أعظِم بمجدٍ تُطلِعينَ نجومَهُ

والكونُ عَرشُكِ والورى راويك

With a glory, you reveal its stars

And the universe is your throne and the people your storyteller

ما مجدُ رومةَ أو أَثينةَ مِثلُهُ

فامشي على هامِ الأُلى حَسَدوك

The glory of Rome or Athens is not like it

So walk tall as they envy you

أمَّ الشآمِ وأختَ بغدادَ اسلمي

كم فيكِ من وطرٍ لممطوليك

O mother of Syria and sister of Baghdad who embraced Islam

How many times were you glorified by your adorers

نهواكِ أيَّتُها المليحَةُ والهوى

في كلِّ نَفسِ شاقَها ماضيك

They cautioned you, O beautiful one, and passion

Burns in every soul that remembers your past

في ذِمَّةِ الأجيالِ ما أودعتِها

مِن أعظَمِ الأعمالِ في واديك

In the custody of generations is what you entrusted

Of the greatest deeds in your valley

برداكِ مرآةٌ وتاريخٌ معاً

للحُسنِ والمجدِ الذي يُعليك

Your cold is a mirror and history together

Of the beauty and glory that elevates you

زانَت مَغانيكِ الغواني والغِنى

وجُفونُهنَّ عن الظِبى تُغنيك

Your songs adorned the flirtatious and the wealthy

And their eyelids spare them from fatigue to sing your praise

والناسُ حولكِ هالةٌ دوّارةٌ

بجلالِهم وبمالِهم جاؤوك

And people around you are a whirling halo

With their majesty and money they came to you

كنتِ العظيمةَ والكريمةَ في العُلى

فَلِذاكَ قد رَهِبوكِ أو عشِقوك

You were great and generous on high

And that is why they feared or loved you

والحُسنُ والإحسانُ فيكِ فمن إذا

رُوِّعتِ لا يَبكيكِ أو يَرثيك

Beauty and benevolence are in you, so who, if

You are terrified, does not weep for you or eulogize you

إن الضّحايا في هواكِ كثيرةٌ

فَتَذكّري ما كانَ في اليَرموك

Indeed the sacrifices in your love are many

So remember what was in Yarmouk

اللهُ راضٍ عن شِهادةِ فِتَيةٍ

بعُيونِهم وقُلوبهم حَجَبوك

God is pleased with the martyrdom of youths

Who veiled you with their eyes and hearts

أبناؤك العربُ الكِرامُ تَطوّعوا

واستهلكوا ليقوكِ أو ليفوك

Your noble Arab sons volunteered

And exhausted themselves to restore or redeem you

لما غَدا رَعدُ المدافعِ قاصفاً

بحرابهم وشِفارهم صانوك

When the roar of cannons turned severe

With their swords and blades they protected you

ما جرّدوا إِلا السيوفَ وما اشتفوا

إِلا بها في الجحفَلِ المشبوك

They only unsheathed swords and only quenched their thirst

With them in the tightly knit squadron

خُلقَت لهم بيضاً كما خُلقوا لها

صيداً فضربُ سُيوفِهم يَكفيك

They were created white as they were created for it

Prey, so the strike of their swords is enough for you

الشمسُ تَطلعُ من دُجى أغمادِها

وتَغيبُ في جيشِ العِدى المنهوك

The sun rises from the gloom of its sheaths

And sets in the battered enemy crowd

والنارُ تسطَعُ في رؤوسِ حرابهم

فَعرفتِهم لمّا بها عَرفوك

And fire flashes in the tips of their lances

So you knew them when they made you known

هم للأعِنَّةِ والأسنّةِ والظّبى

يَشقى بها من رامَ أن يُشقيك

They are to the evil eye, the malicious tongues, and fatigue

Whoever wanted to torment you suffers

سالت لدَيكِ دِماؤُهم فَتَعطّفي

بتحيَّةٍ لِشبيبةٍ تفديك

Their blood flowed for you, so show sympathy

With a greeting for the youth who sacrifice themselves for you

روّت دموعُ الأمّهاتِ غُصونها

ما أشبهَ المذروفِ بالمسفوك

The tears of mothers watered its branches

How similar is the flowing to the poured

يا أمّنا إنَّ الدماءَ شفيعةٌ

فدماؤنا ونفوسُنا تَدعوك

O mother, blood is interceding

So our blood and souls call upon you

إن لم يكُن لكِ عن ضحيَّتنا رِضاً

قولي لنا باللهِ ما يُرضيك

If their sacrifice does not satisfy you

Tell us, by God, what satisfies you

وإذا سَحقتِ الزّنجَ والافرنجَ لا

تنسي الذين على العِدى نَصَروك

And when you crush the blacks and Franks do not

Forget those who supported you against the enemy

فبمالهم ونُفوسِهم وشُعورِهم

جادوا ونحنُ نَفيكِ لا نُعطيك

With their money, souls, and feelings

They gave and we protect you without giving you

هَجمَ العلوجُ على حماكِ وقد دَرَوا

أن لا سلاحَ يَقيكِ عندَ بنيك

The brutal attacked your protector when they knew

No weapon protects you among your sons

كم مرّةٍ تحتَ الصّوارمِ والقَنا

سَجدوا لخيلك بعدَ أن غدَروك

How often under blades and spears

They bowed to your horses after betraying you

أو لم تكُن بُلدانهم ميدانها

وعُروشُهم حُمُلٌ لمِن حَملوك

Were not their countries made its battlefield

And their thrones loads for whoever carried you

تِلكَ السّيوفُ تكسّرت وتنثَّرت

تِلكَ الصُّفوفُ على سُيوفِ ذويك

Those swords broke and scattered

Those ranks upon the swords of your people

لا شُلَّتِ الأيدي التي ضَرَبت بها

تاللهِ تلكَ وَقِيعةٌ تُغليك

Neither the hands that struck with it weakened

By God those were shocking blows that cook you

شَهدَت جبالُ الشّامِ من أهوالها

ما أحزَنَ الدُّنيا التي تبكيك

The mountains of Syria witnessed some of its horrors

That saddened the world that cries for you

أنا عاشقٌ لكِ صادقٌ بكِ واثقٌ

نفسي عَليكِ تَذوبُ إن لمَسوك

I sincerely and confidently love you

My soul melts upon touching you if they expose you

فلوَ اَنَّهم خرقوا حِجابَكِ بالظُّبى

ما قلتُ قد حَقروكِ بَل عَبدوك

And if they tore your veil with spears

I would not say they belittled you, but worshipped you

ولوَ اَنّهم أخذوا حُصونك عِنوةً

ما قلتُ قد أخَذوكِ بل حجُّوك

And if they forcibly took your strongholds

I would not say they took you, but made the Hajj pilgrimage to you

ولوَ اَنِّهم سكنوا قُصورَكِ مُدَّةً

ما قلتُ قد سكنوكِ بل زاروك

And if they dwelt in your palaces for a period

I would not say they settled you but visited you

كم قالَ فيكِ مودّعٌ لفَتاتِهِ

أو أُختهِ يا ظَبيتي راعوك

Farewell, how often did a lover say to his darling

Or his sister: O gazelle, they guarded you

فبأيّ سَيفٍ تَضربينَ رِقابَهم

أبسيفِ جَدِّكِ أم بسَيفِ أبيك

With which sword do you strike their necks

Your grandfather’s or your father’s sword

من وَقعَةِ اليرموكِ أو حِطِّين قد

أخذا ضياءً كابتِسامَةِ فيك

From the battle of Yarmouk or Hattin they took

Radiance like the smile upon you

عيناكِ أم حدّاهما أمضى أما

حَكمَ الأنامَ بوَقعِها أهلوك

Are your eyes, or their sharpness, more conclusive, or what

Ruled people with their fall, confused you

أو ليسَتِ الخَنساءُ أُختُكِ فابسمي

لخيالِها فهو الذي يَهديك

Or is not al-Khansa’ your sister, so smile

At her imagination, it is what guides you

فَرَنت إليهِ تقولُ سِر وارجع فقُل

أبلى بلاءَ الباسلينَ أخُوك

She called to him saying: A secret, return, so say

I have endured the affliction of the brave, your brother

وتَعالَ نُقسِم قائلينَ لأمِّنا

أرضُ الشآمِ نموتُ كي نُحييك

Come let us vow to our mother

The land of Syria, we die to revive you

والله جِرحُكَ ليسَ يَبقى دامياً

واللهِ ثأرُكِ ليسَ بالمَتروكِ

By God your wounds will not remain bleeding

By God your revenge will not be neglected

ماذا نَقُولُ وقد أراكِ وداعُنا

بسماتِ باكيةٍ ودَمعَ ضَحُوك

What can we say when our farewell saw you

With crying smiles and laughing tears

ما أشبهَ الفتَياتِ بالفِتيانِ يا

فَيحاءَ فيكِ إذا دَعا داعيك

How similar are girls to boys, O

Fragrant One, when your caller calls upon you

فقُلُوبهم وقلوبُهنَّ كبيرةٌ

تلكَ القلوبُ من الخُطوبِ تقيك

Their hearts and their hearts are great

Those hearts the catastrophes make you avoid

هذا صلاحُ الدّينِ يَبسُطُ ظِلَّهُ

فعِظامُهُ في قَبرهِ تحميك

This is Salah al-Din extending his shade

So his bones in his grave protect you

لا تَيأسي فَغداً يَحُلُّ محلَّهُ

بَطَلٌ بحدِّ حُسامهِ يَشفيك

Do not despair, tomorrow his place will be taken

By a hero with the sharpness of his sword that heals you

فتُزلزلُ الدُّنيا لِرَكضِ جَوادِهِ

ويَكونُ مُنقِذَ مُلكِنا مُنجيك

So the earth shakes at the galloping of his horse

And he will be the savior of our kingdom who delivers you

أدِمشق إنّ الحقَّ يوماً غالِبٌ

والله يُعثرُ جدَّ مَن رَاموك

Damascus, the truth will one day prevail

And God will make stumble whoever wanted you

لا تجزعي مَهما تَكاثرَ جَيشُهُم

سَترينَ كيفَ يكونُ موتُ الديك

Do not worry no matter how great their army grows

You will see how the rooster's death shall be