إن تهتف الشام : ميخائيل : أنجدها

إن تهتف الشام : ميخائيل : أنجدها

 كأنّه قدر يحمي به القدر

كأنّه قدر يحمي به القدر

If al-Sham cries, 'Mikhail!' he comes to her aid,

If Damascus cheers: Mikhail, I will find her

If the Levant cries out: 'Mikhail, save her!' / he is like a destiny by which Destiny itself is shielded.

As though he were a destiny through whom Fate gives protection.

As if it is fate that protects fate

When faces submit to despair, turning pitch-black, / faith and victory shine brightly in your face.

إذا الوجوه عنت لليأس حالكة

إذا الوجوه عنت لليأس حالكة

 أضاء في وجهك الإيمان و الظفر

أضاء في وجهك الإيمان و الظفر

When darkened faces bow to despair,

When faces turned to despair, confused

You abstained from towering, absolute power, / whereas some abstain only because they lack the might.

Faith and triumph shine in your face.

Faith and victory shone on your face

Unyielding in resolve while necks are chained, / stern for the sake of truth, yet you never break.

عففت عن قدرة عصماء باذخة

عففت عن قدرة عصماء باذخة

 وربّما عفّ أقوام و ما قدروا

وربّما عفّ أقوام و ما قدروا

You abstained from unassailable, towering power,

You refrained from an invincible power

Yours are traits of pure light and generosity, / trailing a luxurious, fragrant hem across the stars.

And sometimes people abstain though they have no power.

And perhaps some refrained though they knew not the value

A vision so profound, as if the daughters of the unseen adore it, / for it holds the secret, the phantoms, and the forms.

صعب الشكيمة و الأعناق مسلسة

صعب الشكيمة و الأعناق مسلسة

 قاس من الحقّ لكن لست تنكسر

قاس من الحقّ لكن لست تنكسر

Unyielding to the bridle while necks submit,

Of strong will and necks bound in chains

And a boldness for eminence and truth, which, if it faced / a lion, the beast would disown its own fangs and claws.

Truth makes you stern, yet you do not break.

Harsh with truth, but you do not break

You adorned it with a beautiful grace—exalted is its Creator— / of modesty, devoid of arrogance and vanity.

لك الشمائل من نور و من كرم

لك الشمائل من نور و من كرم

 لها على النجم ذيل مترف عطر

لها على النجم ذيل مترف عطر

Your virtues are of light and generosity;

You have traits of light and generosity

No tyrant ever dared profane the den of truth, / without the tiger laying bare its fangs.

Upon the star lies their sumptuous, fragrant train.

With a plume on the star perfumed and elegant

You never compromised with the mighty in their tyranny, / nor did you betray, for the worst of men are the betrayers.

رأي كأنّ بنات الغيب تعشقه

رأي كأنّ بنات الغيب تعشقه

 فعنده السرّ و الأطياف و الصور

فعنده السرّ و الأطياف و الصور

A judgment the daughters of the unseen seem to adore;

An opinion as if the daughters of the unseen love it

Whenever a mention or news of you wafts like perfume, / Aleppo the White beams with joyous anticipation.

So with it dwell mystery, phantoms, and images.

In it is the secret, the specters and the images

You are the deepest desire in the whispers of its conscience, / and speaking of you perfumes the evening tales of the companions.

و جرأة في العلى و الحقّ لوجبهت

و جرأة في العلى و الحقّ لوجبهت

 ليثا تبرأ منه النّاب و الظفر

ليثا تبرأ منه النّاب و الظفر

And courage for glory and truth—were it to face

And courage towards the most high and truth terrifying

I offered you pure love, free from boasting and bitterness, / though boasting and bitterness are among a lover's flaws.

A lion, its fang and claw would forsake it.

A lion the fangs and claws disown

I did not single you out from fear or flattery, / nor because I am in need of your favors.

زينتها بوسيم جلّ مبدعه

زينتها بوسيم جلّ مبدعه

 من الحياء فلا زهو و لا بطر

من الحياء فلا زهو و لا بطر

You graced it with a lovely adornment—exalted is its maker—

Adorned by a handsome creator

But in loyalty to a past grace you bestowed, / and because you are the treasure hoarded for the homelands.

Of modesty: no vainglory and no insolence.

With shyness so no arrogance or conceit

The nightingale of the grove is content in its thicket / with the secret of beauty, while others are satisfied with fruit.

و ما استباح عرين الحقّ طاغية

و ما استباح عرين الحقّ طاغية

 إلاّ وصرح عن أنيابه النّمر

إلاّ وصرح عن أنيابه النّمر

And no tyrant ever violated the lair of truth

And no tyrant ransacked the lair of truth

Without the tiger baring its fangs.

Except that the tiger bared its fangs at him

و لم تهادن قويّا في تحكمه

و لم تهادن قويّا في تحكمه

 و لا غدرت و شرّ النّاس من غدروا

و لا غدرت و شرّ النّاس من غدروا

And you made no truce with a powerful man in his tyranny,

And you did not appease the strong in their rule

Nor did you betray; the worst of people are those who betray.

Nor betray, the evilest of people are traitors

إذا تأرج ذكر منك أو نبأ

إذا تأرج ذكر منك أو نبأ

 تهلّلت حلب الشهباء تنتظر

تهلّلت حلب الشهباء تنتظر

When mention or news of you wafts its fragrance,

If news or mention of you stirs

Aleppo the Grey beams as she waits.

Sunlit Aleppo cheers expectantly

أنت اللبانة في نجوى ضمائرها

أنت اللبانة في نجوى ضمائرها

 و فيك عطّر جوّ السامر السّمر

و فيك عطّر جوّ السامر السّمر

You are the cherished wish in her consciences' secret whispers,

You are the incense in its conscience's whispers

And talk of you perfumes the evening gathering's air.

And you scent the air of the sleepless night

أصفيتك الحبّ لا منّا و لا كدرا

أصفيتك الحبّ لا منّا و لا كدرا

 و من هنات المحبّ المنّ و الكدر

و من هنات المحبّ المنّ و الكدر

I offered you pure love, with no reminders of favors and no bitterness,

You purified love not out of fear or greed

And among a lover's failings are reminders of favors and bitterness.

Nor hatred of the hater and the hostile

و ما اصطفيتك عن خوف و عن ملق

و ما اصطفيتك عن خوف و عن ملق

 و لا لأنّي إلى نعماك أفتقر

و لا لأنّي إلى نعماك أفتقر

And I did not choose you out of fear or flattery,

And I did not choose you out of fear or flattery

Nor because I am in need of your bounty,

Nor because I need your favors

لكن وفاء لنعمى منك سابقة

لكن وفاء لنعمى منك سابقة

 و أنّك الكنز للأوطان يدّخر

و أنّك الكنز للأوطان يدّخر

But in faithful gratitude for an earlier kindness from you,

But loyalty to your past graces

And because you are the treasure stored up for the homelands.

You are the treasure hoarded for homelands

و بلبل الدّوح يرضيه بأيكته

و بلبل الدّوح يرضيه بأيكته

 سرّ الجمال . و يرضي غيره الثمر

سرّ الجمال . و يرضي غيره الثمر

And the nightingale of the great trees is pleased in its grove by

And the bulbul is pleased at its perch

The secret of beauty, while others are pleased by the fruit.

The secret of beauty. And others are pleased at the fruit