أقول وخَفَّتْ من دمشق ركائبي

أقول وخَفَّتْ من دمشق ركائبي

وجدَّ بها تِلْقَاءَ حمصَ مَسيرُ

وجدَّ بها تِلْقَاءَ حمصَ مَسيرُ

I say, as my mounts sped away from Damascus,

I say, as my riding camels hastened from Damascus,

and my journey upon them pressed earnestly toward Homs:

and their journey quickened toward Homs:

وأسرعها عندي من الشوقِ واقفٌ

وأسرعها عندي من الشوقِ واقفٌ

وأطولُ مسراها لديَّ قصير

وأطولُ مسراها لديَّ قصير

even the swiftest of them, to me, stands still for longing,

And the swiftest of them seems motionless to me in my longing,

and even their longest course, in my eyes, is short.

and their longest night journey seems short to me.

وقد صيَّرتْ لبنانَ من عن شمالها

وقد صيَّرتْ لبنانَ من عن شمالها

وصار على ذاتِ اليمينِ سَنير

وصار على ذاتِ اليمينِ سَنير

They had set Lebanon off to their left,

And they have already placed Lebanon off to their left,

while Sanir came to lie on the right.

and Sanir is now on the right.

عسى مَنْ أرى يعقوبَ غُرَّةً يوسفٍ

عسى مَنْ أرى يعقوبَ غُرَّةً يوسفٍ

يُرِينيهِمُ إِنَّ القديرَ قدير

يُرِينيهِمُ إِنَّ القديرَ قدير

May He who showed Jacob Joseph’s radiant face

May the One who showed Jacob Joseph’s radiant face

show them to me—for the All-Powerful is all-powerful.

show them to me—indeed, the Almighty is almighty.