تَهَنّي دِمشق الشّام في عدلِ حاكمٍ

حَوى الحسنَ في خُلُقٍ وَخَلقٍ ومنظرِ

Damascus rejoices in the justice of its ruler

He encompasses beauty in character, nature and appearance

إِمامٌ مَعَ المَعقولِ لِلنَّقلِ جامِعٌ

خَطيبٌ لَهُ العَلياءُ أرفعُ منبرِ

A leader, combining tradition and reason

An orator, his pulpit higher than the highest

هوَ البحرُ بَحرُ العلمِ وَالفَضلِ كالنّدى

وَمَن هوَ بِالتّحقيقِ أَذكى محرِّرِ

He is the sea, the sea of knowledge and excellence, like the dew

And who in truth is more astute a composer?

وَما إِن تَرى بَحراً يُشابِهُ جَعفَراً

وَكَم قَد تَرى بَحراً بَدا دونَ جَعفرِ

You will never see a sea to rival Ja'far

Though you may see many seas beneath Ja'far