وَبي غَمرَةٌ لِلشَوقِ مِن بَعدِ غَمرَةٍ

وَبي غَمرَةٌ لِلشَوقِ مِن بَعدِ غَمرَةٍ

أَخوضُ بِها ماءَ الجُفونِ غِمارا

أَخوضُ بِها ماءَ الجُفونِ غِمارا

And I am swept by a flood of longing, flood after flood;

And within me is one flood of longing after another;

With it I plunge deep into the waters of my eyelids.

In it I wade through the deep floods of my eyelids' water.

وَما هِيَ إِلّا سَكرَةٌ بَعدَ سَكرَةٍ

وَما هِيَ إِلّا سَكرَةٌ بَعدَ سَكرَةٍ

إِذا هِيَ زالَت لا تَزالُ خمارا

إِذا هِيَ زالَت لا تَزالُ خمارا

It is nothing but intoxication after intoxication;

And it is but one spell of drunkenness after another;

When it passes, it lingers still—a hangover.

When it passes, it still lingers as a hangover.

رَحَلتُم وَصَبري وَالشَبابَ وَمَوطِني

رَحَلتُم وَصَبري وَالشَبابَ وَمَوطِني

لَقَد رَحَلَت أَحبابُنا تَتَبارى

لَقَد رَحَلَت أَحبابُنا تَتَبارى

You departed—and with you went my patience, my youth, my homeland;

You departed, along with my patience, my youth, and my homeland;

For our loved ones departed, racing one another away.

Indeed, our loved ones departed, vying with one another.

وَمَن لَم تُصافِح عَينُهُ نورَ شَمسِهِ

وَمَن لَم تُصافِح عَينُهُ نورَ شَمسِهِ

فَلَيسَ يَرى حَتّى يَراهُ نَهارا

فَلَيسَ يَرى حَتّى يَراهُ نَهارا

Whoever’s eye has never met the light of his sun

And whoever's eye has not clasped the light of his sun

Cannot see until he beholds it by daylight.

Sees no daylight until he sees it.

سَقى اللَهُ أَرضَ الغوطَتَينِ مَدامِعي

سَقى اللَهُ أَرضَ الغوطَتَينِ مَدامِعي

وَحَسبُكَ سُحباً قَد بَعَثتُ غِزارا

وَحَسبُكَ سُحباً قَد بَعَثتُ غِزارا

May God let my tears water the land of the two Ghoutas;

May God water the land of the two Ghoutas with my tears;

Clouds enough for you are what I have sent, pouring in torrents.

And enough for you are the rain-heavy clouds I have sent.

وَما خَدَعَتني مِصرُ عَن طيبِ دارِها

وَما خَدَعَتني مِصرُ عَن طيبِ دارِها

وَلا عَوَّضَتني بَعدَ جارِيَ جارا

وَلا عَوَّضَتني بَعدَ جارِيَ جارا

Egypt has not beguiled me away from the sweetness of her home,

And Egypt has not lured me away from the sweetness of her abode,

Nor given me a neighbor to replace my neighbor.

Nor given me another neighbor to replace my own.

أَدارَ الصِبا لا مِثلُ رَبعِكِ مَربَعٌ

أَدارَ الصِبا لا مِثلُ رَبعِكِ مَربَعٌ

أَرى غَيرَكَ الرَبعَ الأَنيسَ قِفارا

أَرى غَيرَكَ الرَبعَ الأَنيسَ قِفارا

O home of youth, no dwelling-place can equal your grounds;

O home of youth, no dwelling is like yours;

Every dwelling but you—even the friendliest—I see as desolate waste.

I see every welcoming dwelling other than you as barren wastes.

فَما اِعتَضتُ أَهلاً بَعدَ أَهلِكِ جيرَةً

فَما اِعتَضتُ أَهلاً بَعدَ أَهلِكِ جيرَةً

وَلا خِلتُ دارَ المُلكِ بَعدَكِ دارا

وَلا خِلتُ دارَ المُلكِ بَعدَكِ دارا

After your people, I found no neighbors to stand in for family,

So, after your people, I have found no others to take their place as neighbors,

Nor, after you, did I deem the seat of empire a home.

Nor have I deemed the royal capital a home after you.