لا تلمه إذا أحبّ الشاما

طابت الشام مربعا و مقاما

Do not blame him if he loves Ash-Sham,

For Ash-Sham is a splendid abode and resting place.

ما رأينا الشام إلاّ رأينا

منزلا طيّبا و أهلا كراما

We have not looked upon Ash-Sham without seeing

A goodly home and a noble people.

بردى و الورود في ضفّتيه

مصغيات لشعره و الخزامى

The Barada river, and the roses on its banks,

Listening to its poetry, alongside the lavender.

هات حدّث عن الشام و حدّث

وأطل في الحديث عنها الكلاما

Come, speak of Ash-Sham, and speak again,

And prolong the discourse about her.

عن رباها ، عن غيدها سارحات

يتهادين في الحمى آراما

Of her hills, of her beautiful maidens roaming,

Swaying gracefully in the sanctuary like white deer.

ما عرفت الغرام لولا رباها

من ربى جلّق عرفت الغراما

I would not have known passion were it not for her hills,

From the hills of Jilliq I learned of passion.

من أغاني طيورها ساجعات

قد تعلّمت هذه الأنغاما

From the songs of her cooing birds,

I have learned these very melodies.

أعطني في ربوع جلّق يوما

يا خليلي و خذ من العمر عاما

Give me but one day in the domains of Jilliq,

O my friend, and take a year from my life.

و أعد ذكرها رحيقا مصفّى

وأدره عليّ جاما فجاما

And repeat her memory like purified nectar,

And pass it to me, cup after cup.

يا بني أمّ والحياة زحام

ذلّ و الله من يخاف الزحاما

O sons of my mother, life is a crowded struggle,

Humiliated, by God, is he who fears the crowds.

يابني أمّ هبّة بعد نوم

كشف الصبح بالضياء الظلاما

O sons of my mother, an awakening after sleep;

The morning has unveiled the darkness with its light.

نظرة للشعوب و هي تحيّي

بالأهازيج فجرها البسّاما

Cast a glance at the nations as they greet

With joyous songs their smiling dawn.

أمم تكسر القيود و أخرى

يرهف القين سيفها الصمصاما

Nations shattering their chains, and others

Whose blacksmiths sharpen the steadfast swords.

طالبت بالحياة طعنا و ضربا

بعد أن طالبت بها استرحاما

They demanded life through stabbing and striking,

After having demanded it through pleading.

لا تظنّوا السلام في الأرض حيّا

بعد أن طالبت بها إسترحاما

Do not think that peace on earth is alive,

After having demanded it through pleading.

طمع لو أطاق ? فاخشوا أذاه

حبس النور عنكم و الغماما

Greed, if it had the power—so fear its harm—

Would withhold the light from you, and the clouds.

ليش شعري و للسياسة دين

يرسل النار حجّة و الحساما

I wish I knew! Politics has a creed

That sends fire and the sword as its argument.

أيعدّون قتل شعب حلالا

و يعدّون قتل فردا حراما

Do they consider the killing of a whole nation lawful,

While considering the killing of a single individual a crime?

عبثوا بالنظام بغيا و قالوا

قد اتيناكم لنحمي النظاما

They tampered with order out of tyranny, and said:

"We have come to you to protect the order."

حطّموا المرهفات و هي رقاق

ثمّ شاؤوا فحطّموا الأقلاما

They shattered the slender, sharpened swords,

Then, as they pleased, they shattered the pens.

يالشكوى تغصّ دجلة بالدمع

حنانا و تحزن الأهراما

Oh, what a complaint! The Tigris chokes with tears

Out of tender pity, and brings sorrow to the Pyramids.

لو تلاها بأرض يثرب حاد

أبكت الركن و الصفا و المقاما

If a caravan driver were to recite it in the land of Yathrib,

It would make the Corner, As-Safa, and the Station weep.

أيّها الأقوياء لينا و عطفا

أشعوبها ترعونها أم سواما

O you who are strong, show gentleness and compassion;

Are these its peoples you herd, or grazing livestock?

في رماد الضعيف نار فمهلا

أن ظلم القويّ يذكي الضراما

In the ashes of the weak lies a fire, so tread carefully,

For the oppression of the strong ignites the blaze.

أنا أخشى من الضعيف عليكم

بعد حين تمرّدا و انتقاما

I fear for you from the weak,

After a time, a rebellion and a vengeance.

أنا أخشى من الضعيف عليكم

ثورة تبعث الخطوب الجساما

I fear for you from the weak,

A revolution that brings about massive calamities;

ثورة تهدم القصور و تبني

فوقها الكوخ عاليا و الخياما

A revolution that demolishes palaces and builds

Above them the high hut and the tents;

ثورة تترك المتوّج عبدا

و أخا الرّق سيدا قمقاما

A revolution that leaves the crowned one a slave,

And makes the brother of bondage a mighty master.

شدّة البغي و الأذى علّمته

كيف يغشى يوم الصدام الصداما

The severity of tyranny and harm has taught him

How to plunge into the clash on the day of collision.

أرهقونا ما شئتم و اظلمونا

و امنعونا حتى الكرى و الطعاما

Exhaust us as you please, and wrong us,

And deny us even slumber and food.

و اسلبوا ما ترونه من حطام

لكم وحدكم جمعنا الحطاما

And plunder whatever you see of worldly debris,

For you alone have we gathered this debris.

و املأوا هذه السجون إلى أن

تشتكي من ضيوفها الازدحاما

And fill these prisons until

They complain of the overcrowding of their guests.

ثمّ سوموا السجود كبرا و تيها

إذ تمرّون : شيخنا و الغلاما

Then exact prostration out of arrogance and haughtiness,

As you pass by: from our elders and our youth.

و احكموا بالعسف حتّى كأنّا

قد مثلنا أمامكم أنعاما

And rule with tyranny until it is as though we

Have been presented before you like cattle.

لا إخال الأرواح تكسر قيد الأسر

إن لم تعذّبوا الأجساما

I do not think souls can break the chain of captivity

If you do not torture the bodies.

يفتك الظلم بالضعيف و يردى

بعد حين بشؤمه الظلاّما

Oppression destroys the weak, but it will cast down,

After a time, by its ill omen, the oppressor.