1. To Egypt or to Syria's meadows are you kin?
Two pillars of the Orient whose lands

2. The crescent's heart still beats over fervently.
Two preserves of pure Arabic whose veils

3. Were never rent, whose rhythm was never marred.
The mother-tongue, next dawn the tongue of pride—

4. Ask of its sires, and you are answered: Arab!
Would you both consent to any but the best,

5. Or sever that nobility, that lineage blessed?
If to the Nile's valley came a visitor,

6. Lebanon's peaks would stir and start afresh.
And if a grieving soul cried from the pyramids' dust,

7. One grieving thus in Lebanon's heights would answer.
If the Nile and Jordan gave sincere affection,

8. Their waters then would kiss, their grasses blend.
Between both valleys walked Pride with its gait,

9. Flanked by Bounty here, Persistence there.
This streamed with plenty, while the other blazed with zeal,

10. This gushed with verdure, while the other burned with deeds.
Breeze of Lebanon, how often did you come

11. Sweet with perfume from gardens, panting from the trees.
In East and West are sighs aflame for you,

12. And yearning hearts wherein wild fires seethe.
But for the seekers after knowledge, none would crave

13. A substitute for your sweet breath—but knowledge wearies.
How many a maiden weeps in Syria's lands

14. For one she loved who quests and is hard-pressed.
On he must go, no choice but resolution,

15. Though glory and gold are his garb, his wage.
The nights' vicissitudes turn back from him reversed,

16. His purpose knows not how to turn or change.
In Columbia's land heroes like lions hunger,

17. A starving pack, gigantic when aroused.
No flag or numbers shield them there—their only aid

18. Is purpose blazing, will that never dims.
Their navy destiny's voyager on the sea,

19. Their army exile's worker on the land.
Through every fray they cut a path, blaze trails—

20. Up every peak they scale a road amazing.
No dawn e'er rose in any far horizon

21. But in Damascus it already had its courtier.
Why should they mind that on earth they're scattered,

22. When stars are sprinkled since the stars were made.
No harm was done them that they're variegated,

23. For everything alive encompasses contradiction.
They sought the fountains in this world, and had they found

24. A rising ship that sailed up to the galaxy,
Or heard the sun contained a refuge for those hopeful—

25. They would have cast a rope into the air and climbed.
They labored for an honest earning, and the mother tongue

26. Through this endeavor only gained in eloquence.
Wherever Syrians dwelt a fresh and novel life was,

27. Advancement unobstructed and unfettered.
Grasp it, and you are clasping Arabdom.

28. No grudge is Kinanah but Syria taking umbrage
That chiefs of its own issue over its lands hold sway

29. Had there not been among ourselves and them
Some statesmen who exceeded all bounds

30. Were we and they not then to reconciliation wrought—
To me the glory lies in that wrong they wrought.

31. If they ascribe to me a crime of love for them,
Then glorious is the crime for which they brought me low!