لَكَ في أَثير المَجدِ أَبهَج مَطلَعِ

لَكَ في أَثير المَجدِ أَبهَج مَطلَعِ

وَبِهالَةِ العَلياءِ أَشرَفُ مَوضِعِ

وَبِهالَةِ العَلياءِ أَشرَفُ مَوضِعِ

In glory’s firmament, yours is the brightest rising,

Yours, in glory's ether, is the most joyous dawning,

and within the halo of sublimity, the noblest station.

And in the halo of eminence, the noblest place.

أَنتَ الَّذي تَهدي بِحكمتكَ المَلا

أَنتَ الَّذي تَهدي بِحكمتكَ المَلا

رُشداً وَتُدهَشُ مُقلَةَ المُتَطَلِّعِ

رُشداً وَتُدهَشُ مُقلَةَ المُتَطَلِّعِ

You are the one who, through your wisdom, guides humankind

You are the one who, with your wisdom, guides the people

to right guidance and astonishes the aspiring eye.

To right judgment, and amazes the beholder's eye.

تَهدي البَريةَ كُلَّ يَومٍ تُحفَةً

تَهدي البَريةَ كُلَّ يَومٍ تُحفَةً

مِن فَيضِ فَضلَةِ فَضلِكَ المُتَجَمِّعِ

مِن فَيضِ فَضلَةِ فَضلِكَ المُتَجَمِّعِ

Each day you present creation with a precious gift

Each day you bestow on humankind a precious gift,

from the overflowing surplus of your gathered bounty.

From the overflowing surplus of your accumulated bounty.

عَظمت بِبرِّ الشامِ مِنكَ عِنايَةٌ

عَظمت بِبرِّ الشامِ مِنكَ عِنايَةٌ

جَعَلَتهُ كَالحصنِ المَصونِ الأَمنَعِ

جَعَلَتهُ كَالحصنِ المَصونِ الأَمنَعِ

Great indeed is the care born of your kindness to Syria,

Great was your care for the land of al-Sham,

which made it like the best-guarded, most impregnable fortress.

Making it like a well-guarded, most impregnable fortress.

فَغَدَت رِياضُ الأَمنُ يانِعَةَ الجَنا

فَغَدَت رِياضُ الأَمنُ يانِعَةَ الجَنا

وَقُلوبَنا غَير الثَنا لَم تَينَعِ

وَقُلوبَنا غَير الثَنا لَم تَينَعِ

Thus the gardens of peace grew ripe with fruit,

Thus the gardens of security grew ripe with fruit,

and our hearts ripened with nothing but praise.

And our hearts bore no ripened fruit but praise.

يا مُصلح الأَقطار يا حامي الحِما

يا مُصلح الأَقطار يا حامي الحِما

يا ساكِبَ الأَنوارِ في ذا المربَعِ

يا ساكِبَ الأَنوارِ في ذا المربَعِ

O reformer of the lands, O guardian of the sanctuary,

O reformer of the lands, O defender of the sanctuary,

O you who pour lights into this abode,

O you who pour light into this dwelling,

أَولَيتَني الفعلَ الجَميلَ تَعطُّفاً

أَولَيتَني الفعلَ الجَميلَ تَعطُّفاً

أَروَيتَني لُطفاً بِأَعذَب منبَعِ

أَروَيتَني لُطفاً بِأَعذَب منبَعِ

you bestowed a noble favor upon me, out of kindness,

You bestowed a noble deed on me out of compassion,

and graciously gave me drink from the sweetest spring.

You quenched my thirst with kindness from the sweetest spring.

ما زِلتَ تَشمَلَني بِكُل عِنايَةٍ

ما زِلتَ تَشمَلَني بِكُل عِنايَةٍ

صَعَدَت بِحظّي لِلمَكانِ الأَرفَعِ

صَعَدَت بِحظّي لِلمَكانِ الأَرفَعِ

You have never ceased to enfold me in every care

You have never ceased to surround me with every care,

that raised my fortune to the highest station:

Raising my fortune to the loftiest station.

شَرفٌ عَلى ضَعفي لَبستُ طرازَهُ

شَرفٌ عَلى ضَعفي لَبستُ طرازَهُ

فَاِهتَزَّني عَجَباً بِأَخصَبِ مَرتعِ

فَاِهتَزَّني عَجَباً بِأَخصَبِ مَرتعِ

an honor laid upon my frailty—I donned its brocade

An honor whose embroidery I wore despite my weakness,

and thrilled in wonder amid the richest pasture.

And which stirred me with wonder in the most fertile pasture.

أَنا فيكَ مُفتَخِرٌ عَلى أَهل المَلا

أَنا فيكَ مُفتَخِرٌ عَلى أَهل المَلا

وَيظلِّكَ السامي يَطيبُ تَمَتُّعي

وَيظلِّكَ السامي يَطيبُ تَمَتُّعي

Through you I glory above all humankind,

Through you I take pride above the assembled people,

and beneath your lofty shade my delight grows sweet.

And in your lofty shade, my enjoyment grows sweet.

يا مَن جَمَعتَ اللُطفَ مِن بَين الوَرى

يا مَن جَمَعتَ اللُطفَ مِن بَين الوَرى

لَم تَتَّرِك لِسواكَ شَيئاً فَاِقنَعِ

لَم تَتَّرِك لِسواكَ شَيئاً فَاِقنَعِ

O you who gathered to yourself all grace among mortals,

O you who gathered kindness from among humankind,

leaving none for anyone else—be content!

You left nothing for anyone else—so be content.

ياعادِلاً لِهجَ الزَمانُ يَشكرِهِ

ياعادِلاً لِهجَ الزَمانُ يَشكرِهِ

فَغَدا يَفوحُ بِطيبِهِ المُتَضوّعِ

فَغَدا يَفوحُ بِطيبِهِ المُتَضوّعِ

O just one whom Time has never tired of praising,

O just one, whom time eagerly thanks,

so Time became redolent with his far-spreading fragrance.

And so it began to waft his spreading fragrance.

لا تَتَهمنّي بِالشُرودِ عَن الهُدى

لا تَتَهمنّي بِالشُرودِ عَن الهُدى

وَإِضاعةِ الأَفكارِ بَينَ الأَربَعِ

وَإِضاعةِ الأَفكارِ بَينَ الأَربَعِ

Do not accuse me of straying from right guidance

Do not accuse me of straying from right guidance,

or of scattering my thoughts among the four quarters.

And of wasting my thoughts among the dwellings.

وَاللَهِ إِني لا أَميلُ إِلى سِوى

وَاللَهِ إِني لا أَميلُ إِلى سِوى

هَذا الجَلالُ فَفي عُلاكَ تَولُّعي

هَذا الجَلالُ فَفي عُلاكَ تَولُّعي

By God, I incline toward nothing but

By God, I incline toward nothing other than

this majesty—for in your exaltation lies my passion.

This majesty; my passion lies in your eminence.

لَم يَبقَ لي قَلبٌ فَأَنتَ أَخَذتَهُ

لَم يَبقَ لي قَلبٌ فَأَنتَ أَخَذتَهُ

وَتَرَكتَني حَيران صفرَ الأَضلُعِ

وَتَرَكتَني حَيران صفرَ الأَضلُعِ

No heart remains to me, for you have taken it

No heart remains to me, for you have taken it,

and left me bewildered, my rib cage empty.

And left me bewildered, with an empty ribcage.

هُوَ لاحِقٌ قَدميكَ دَوماً كَيفَما

هُوَ لاحِقٌ قَدميكَ دَوماً كَيفَما

سارَت يَسيرُ منعتً أَو لَم تمنَعِ

سارَت يَسيرُ منعتً أَو لَم تمنَعِ

It follows at your heels forever, wherever

It always follows your feet; however

your feet go; it goes with you, whether you forbid it or not.

They move, it moves, whether you forbid it or not.

أَنا في ذُراكَ مُقيَّدٌ طولَ المَدى

أَنا في ذُراكَ مُقيَّدٌ طولَ المَدى

وَبِبابِكَ العالي قُبولي مَطمَعي

وَبِبابِكَ العالي قُبولي مَطمَعي

I am bound within your protection for all time,

I am bound in your shelter for all time,

and at your lofty gate, to be received is my desire.

And acceptance at your lofty door is my hope.