جازَ بي عَرفُها فَهاجَ الغَراما

وَدَعاني فَزُرتُها إِلماما

The breeze of her land passed me, igniting passion,

And called me, so I visited it enthusiastically.

جَنَّةٌ تَبعَثُ الحَياة وَتَجلو

صَدَأَ النَفسِ رَونَقاً وَنِظاما

A paradise that inspires life and illuminates

The soul's rust with splendor and order.

زُرتُها مَوهِناً وَفي طَيِّ نَفسي

ذِلَّةَ الصَبِّ وَاِنكِسارُ اليَتامى

I visited it submissively, with the humiliation of love

And the breaking of orphans within me.

وَتَنَقَّلتُ في خَمائِلِها الخُض

رِ يَميناً وَيَسرَةً وَأَماما

I wandered through its verdant gardens,

Right, left, and straight ahead.

فَإِذا رَوضَتانِ في ذَلِكَ الرَو

ضِ تَميسانِ تَحتَ ريحِ الخُزامى

There were two meadows in that garden

Sheltered by the breeze of Khuzam.

جاءَتا تَخطِرانِ وَالنَجمُ ساهٍ

وَعُيونُ الأَزهارِ تَبغي المَناما

They strode by while the stars slept

And the eyes of the flowers sought sleep.

جازَتا مَوضِعي فَهَبَّ نَسيمٌ

أَذكى مِنّي الأَسى وَهاجَ الهُياما

They passed my place so a breeze blew,

Igniting my sorrow and passion's pyre.

فَتَرَسَّمتُ مِنهُما أَثَرَ الخَط

وِ وَخافَتُّ في المَسيرِ اِحتِشاما

I imagined their gait and shied away,

Fearing, on my walk, to lose propriety.

وَتَسَمَّعتُ عَلَّني أُطفِئُ الشَو

قَ وَأَروي مِنَ الفُؤادِ الأَواما

I listened closely to extinguish my fervor

And quench the thirst of my innermost heart.

فَإِذا لَهجَتانِ مِن لَهَجاتِ ال

شَرقِ قَد شاقَتا فُؤادي فَهاما

They were two accents of the East that tore

My heart asunder and stirred the slept.

تِلكَ سورِيَّةٌ تَفيضُ بَياناً

تِلكَ مِصرِيَّةٌ تَسيلُ اِنسِجاما

One was Syrian, flowing with eloquence,

The other Egyptian, streaming with harmony.

فِطنَةٌ عِندَ رِقَّةٍ عِندَ ظَرفٍ

عِندَ رَأيٍ تَخالُهُ إِلهاما

Wisdom with gentleness, grace with reason,

Guided, it seemed, by inspiration.

مالَتا نَحوَ دَوحَةٍ تُرسِلُ الأَغ

صانَ وَاِختارَتا لَدَيها مُقاما

They inclined toward a pearl that sent forth songs

And chose to stay beside it.

ثُمَّ أَلقَت قِناعَها بِنتُ مِصرٍ

وَأَماطَت بِنتُ الشَآمِ اللِثاما

Then the daughter of Egypt cast off her veil

And the daughter of Damascus removed her covering.

فَتَوَهَّمتُ أَن قَدِ اِنفَلَقَ البَد

رُ وَقَد كُنتُ أُنكِرُ الأَوهاما

I imagined the full moon had split

Though I used to doubt such visions.

فَتَوارَيتُ ثُمَّ عَلَّقتُ أَنفا

سِيَ ما اِسطَعتُ وَاِرتَدَيتُ الظَلاما

So I hid myself and clung

To my shadows, shrouding myself in darkness.

ظَنَّتا ذَلِكَ المَكانَ خَلاءً

لا رَقيباً يُخشى وَلا نَمّاما

They thought that place was empty,

With no watcher to fear or critic to blame.

فَجَرى فيهِ ما جَرى مِن حَديثٍ

كانَ بَرداً عَلى الحَشا وَسَلاما

So there passed between them a wondrous conversation,

Cooling to the passionate yet peaceful.

حينَ قالَت لِأُختِها بِنتُ مِصرٍ

إِنَّكُم أُمَّةٌ أَبَت أَن تُضاما

The daughter of Egypt said to her sister,

“You are a nation that refused to unite.”

صَدَقَ الشاعِرُ الَّذي قالَ فيكُم

كَلِماتٍ نَبَّهنَ مِنّا النِياما

True spoke the poet who said of you

Words that awakened us sleepers:

رَكِبوا البَحرَ جاوَزوا القُطبَ فاتوا

مَوقِعَ النَيِّرَينِ خاضوا الظَلاما

"They rode the sea, crossed the Pole, and went beyond

The Nile's streams, plunging into the dark.

يَمتَطونَ الخُطوبَ في طَلَبِ العَي

شِ وَيَبرونَ لِلنِضالِ السِهاما

They withstand tribulations in pursuit of living

And endure strife's arrows for struggle."

فَاِنبَرَت ظَبيَةُ الشَآمِ وَقالَت

بَعضَ هَذا فَقَد رَفَعتِ الشَآما

The gazelle of Damascus rose up and said,

“Some of this raises Syria too high.”

أَنتُمُ الأَسبَقونَ في كُلِّ مَرمىً

قَد بَلَغتُم مِن كُلِّ شَيءٍ مَراما

You excel in every goal, attaining

The utmost in all things you desire.

إِنَّما الشامُ وَالكِنانَةُ صِنوا

نِ رَغمَ الخُطوبِ عاشا لِزاما

Damascus and steadfastness are like forts

Despite misfortunes, enduringly entwined.

أُمُّكُم أُمُّنا وَقَد أَرضَعَتنا

مِن هَواها وَنَحنُ نَأبى الفِطاما

Your mother is ours, having suckled us

With her love though we reject weaning.

قَد نَزَلنا جِوارَكُم فَحَمِدنا

مِنكُمُ الوُدَّ وَالنَدى وَالذِماما

We settled near you, praising

Your affection, dew, and ribbons.

وَحَلَلنا في أَرضِكُم فَأَصَبنا

مَنزِلاً مُخصِباً وَأَهلاً كِراما

We lodged on your land, finding

A fertile home and noble people.

وَغَشينا دِيارَكُم حَيثُ شِئنا

فَلَقينا طَلاقَةً وَاِبتِساما

We mingled in your lands wherever we wished,

Meeting openness and smiles.

وَشَرِبنا مِن نيلِكُم فَنَسينا

ماءَ لُبنانَ سَلسَلاً وَالغَماما

We drank from your Nile, forgetting

Lebanon's waters of cascades and clouds.

وَقَبَسنا مِن نورِكُم فَكَتَبنا

وَأَجَدنا نِثارَنا وَالنِظاما

We drew from your light, writing

And finding our scattering and order.

وَتَلَونا آياتِ شَوقي وَصَبري

فَرَأَينا ما يَبهَرَ الأَفهاما

We recited the verses of Shawqi and Sabri

Seeing what dazzles minds.

مَلَآ الشَرقَ حِكمَةً وَأَقاما

في ثَنايا النُفوسِ أَنّى أَقاما

They filled the East with wisdom and established

In the folds of souls wherever they dwelled.

غَنَّيا المَشرِقَينِ ما تَرَكَ الأَف

لاكَ حَيرى وَأَذهَلَ الأَجراما

They sang the two dawns, leaving no

Misfortune confused or planets astray.

وَأَعادا عَهدَ الرَشيدِ لِعَبّا

سٍ فَكانا يَراعَهُ وَالحُساما

They restored the days of Al-Rashid and Al-`Abbas

So they shepherded them, even with swords.

فَأَشارَت فَتاةُ مِصرَ وَقالَت

قَدكِ لَم تَترُكي لِمِصرَ كَلاما

The daughter of Egypt gestured and said,

“You have left no speech for Egypt.”

أَنتُمُ الناسُ قُدرَةً وَمَضاءً

وَنُهوضاً إِلى العُلا وَاِعتِزاما

You are the most capable and resolute people,

Rising to the heights with determination.

أَطلَعَت أَرضُكُم عَلى كُلِّ أُفقٍ

أَنجُماً إِثرَ أَنجُمٍ تَتَرامى

Your land has revealed stars on every horizon,

One after another, in succession.

تَركَبُ الهَولَ لا تَفادى وَتَمشي

فَوقَ هامِ الصِعابِ لا تَتَحامى

It withstands calamities, does not evade,

And walks above the summit without fear.

قَد سَمِعنا خَليلَكُم فَسَمِعنا

شاعِراً أَقعَدَ النُهى وَأَقاما

We heard your Khalil and thus heard

A poet who humbled composure and stood tall.

وَطَمِعنا في شَأوِهِ فَقَعَدنا

وَكَسَرنا مِن عَجزِنا الأَقلاما

We aspired to his stature so we sat

Broken, our pens shattered.

نَظَمَ الشامَ وَالعِراقَ وَمِصراً

سِلكُ آياتِهِ فَكانَ الإِماما

He threaded Syria, Iraq, and Egypt,

His verses the imam guiding the way.

فَمَشى النَثرُ خاضِعاً وَمَشى الشِع

رُ وَأَلقى إِلى الخَليلِ الزِماما

Prose walked submissively, and poetry walked,

Handing the reins to Khalil.

وَرَأى فيهِ رَأيَنا صاحِبُ الني

لِ فَأَهدى إِلَيهِ ذاكَ الوِساما

In him, the Nile's master saw our view,

So he awarded him that medal―

شارَةً زانَتِ القَريضَ فَكانَت

شارَةَ النَصرِ زانَتِ الأَعلاما

A decoration honoring verse, adorning

The flag of victory, gracing the banners.

فَعَقَدنا لَهُ اللِواءَ عَلَينا

وَاِحتَفَلنا نَزيدُهُ إِكراما

We hoisted the flag under him,

Celebrating, increasing his honor.

ذاكَ ما دارَ مِن حَديثٍ شَهِيٍّ

يَستَفِزُّ النُهى وَيَشجي النَدامى

Such is the wondrous conversation that occurred,

Inciting composure and saddening the penitent.

قَد تَسَقَّطتُهُ وَخالَفتُ فيهِ

مَن يَرى النَقلَ سُبَّةً وَاِجتِراما

I have dropped it though I violated within it

Those who see transmission as dishonor and sacrilege―

فَمِنَ النَقلِ ما يَكونُ حَلالاً

وَمِنَ النَقلِ ما يَكونُ حَراما

For some transmission is lawful

While some transmission is forbidden.

صَدَقَ الغادَتانِ يا لَيتَ قَومَي

نا كَما قالَتا هَوىً وَاِلتِئاما

The two girls spoke true. If only my people

Were as they said, loving and uniting!

نَحنُ في حاجَةٍ إِلى كُلِّ ما يُن

مي قُوانا وَيَربِطُ الأَرحاما

We need all that strengthens our laws

And binds our ties.

فَاِجعَلوا حَفلَةَ الخَليلِ صَفاءً

بينَ مِصرٍ وَأُختِها وَسَلاما

Make Khalil's celebration pureness

Between Egypt and her sister, and peace.

وَاِسأَلوا اللَهَ أَن يُديمَ عَلَينا

مُلكُ عَبّاسَ ناضِراً بَسّاما

And ask God to perpetuate upon us

The blossoming, smiling reign of Abbas.

هُوَ آمالُنا وَحامي حِمانا

أَيَّدَ اللَهُ مُلكَهُ وَأَداما

He is our hopes and guardian of our sanctuary.

May God support his rule and make it last!