دِمَشقُ حُييِتِ مِن حَيٍّ وَمِن نادي
وَحَبَّذا حَبَّذا واديكِ مِن وادِ
Damascus, I greet you from one alive and calling
How excellent, most excellent, is your valley among valleys
لَيسَ النَدامى نَدامى حينَ تَنزِلُهُ
يَعُلُّهُم شادِنٌ كَأساً عَلى شادِ
The revelers are not regretful as it descends upon them
It raises them up, a cup, to a friend
حَقَّاً وَلِلوُرقِ في أَوراقِهِ طَرَبُ
كَأَنَّ في كُلِّ عودٍ أَلفَ عَوّادِ
Truly, and for the leaves in its leaves, a rapture
As if in every branch, a thousand friends
يا غادِياً رائِحاً عَرِّج عَلى بَرَدى
وَخَلِّني مِن حَديثِ الرائِحِ الغادي
O passerby going, stop by Barada
And spare me talk of the passerby who passed
كَم قَد شَرِبتُ بِهِ في ظِلِّ دالِيَةٍ
مِن ماءِ دالِيَةٍ تُنبيكَ عَن عادِ
How much have I drank in the shade of its terraces
From the water of its terraces that rouses you from habits
في جَنبِ ساقِيَةٍ مِن كَفِّ ساقِيَةٍ
قامَت تَثَنّى بِقَدٍّ غَيرِ مُنآدِ
Next to a water-bearer, from the palm of a water-bearer
Who stood, bent with a wrist not called to
سَمراءُ كالصَعدَةِ السَمراءِ واضِحَةٌ
يَشفي لَمَى شَفَتَيها غُلَّةَ الصادي
Brown, like the brown partition, clear
Her moist lips remedy the roughness of the arid
لَها بِعَيني إِذا ماسَت عَواطِفُها
جَمالُ مَيّاسَةٍ في عَينِ مِقدادِ
To me, when her passions meet my eyes
A beauty of glancing in Miqdad's eyes
وَهَل أَذَمُّ زَماني في مَحَبَّتِها
وَأَهلُهُ عِندَ أَعدائي وَحُسّادي
Shall I risk my time in loving her
While my people are with my enemies and enviers?
وَقَد غَدَوتُ بِفَخرِ الدينِ مُفتَخِراً
عَلى البَرِيَّةِ مِن حَضَرٍ وَمِن بادي
And I have become proud in Saladin
Above the land, from civilization and from the nomad
ثَورانَ شاهَ بنَ أَيّوبَ الَّذي شَرُفَت
بِهِ دِمَشقُ عَلى مِصرٍ وَبَغدادِ
The revolt of Shah, son of Ayyub, by which
Damascus became eminent over Egypt and Baghdad
مِن اِبنُ مامَةَ وَالطائيُّ في كَرَمٍ
وَشِدَّةِ الباسِ عَمروٌ وَاِبنُ شَدّادِ
From the son of Mamah, and Al-Tai in generosity
And the intensity of armor, Amr and Ibn Shaddad
كَالبَدرِ إِن غابَ حَلَّت بَعدَهُ ظُلَمٌ
وَإِن أَلَّمَ أَتاكَ المُؤنِسُ الهادي
Like the moon, if it departs, darkness falls after it
And if it appears, the friendly guide comes to you
وَهُوَ الَّذي لَم يَزَل في كُلِّ مَنزِلَةٍ
يَسيرُ خَلفَ العُلى بِالماءِ وَالزادِ
And he is the one who never ceased in any abode
To travel behind the sublime, with water and supplies
مِن مَعشَرٍ لَم تَزَل نيرانُ حَربِهِم
مَشبوبَةً ذاتِ إِبرِاقٍ وَإِرعادِ
From a people whose fires of war
Were ever kindled, flashing and thundering
تَمضي مَجالِسُهُم غُرّاً مُحَجَّلَةً
هَزلَ اِبنِ حَجّاجِ في جِدِّ اِبنِ عَبّادِ
Their assemblies pass as protected and serious
The jest of Ibn Hajjaj amid the solemnity of Ibn Abbad
