مَجْدُ الشَّآمِ أَعْدْتَهُ فَأُعِيدَا

وَرَدَدْتَ رَوْنَقَهُ الْقَديمَ جَديدا

The glory of Damascus you have restored

And given back its ancient grace anew

كَيْفَ الأَصيلُ مِنَ الجَلاَلِ وَفوْقَهُ

صَرْحٌ أَثِيلٌ لِلْمَفَاخِرِ شِيدا

How noble, with grandeur overarching it

A lofty palace for the proud is built

يَتَتَابَعُ العُمْرَانُ فِي جَنَبَاته

وَقَرِيبُهُ لَوْلاَكَ كَان بَعِيدا

The dwellings in its outskirts growing apace

And near at hand, but for you far and remote

مَاذَا أَتَيْتَ بِه عَلَى قِصْرِ المَدَى

مِنْ كُلِّ إِصْلاَحٍ يُعَدُّ فَرِيدَا

What reform on the palace of time brought you

Is each and all a marvel and unique

لَمْ يَذْكُرِ التَّارِيخُ نَصْراً كَالَّذي

أَحْرَزْتَهُ فَوْق الظُّنونِ مُجِيدا

History records no triumph like the one

You nobly won, past all expectations

هَلْ كَانَ أَمْهَرُ قَائِدٍ أَوْ سَائِسِ

فِي الْحَالَتَيْنِ كَمَا أَجَدْتَ مُجِيدَا

Was there a captain more adept, or chief

In both capacities, as you were splendid?

إِعْجَبْ بِشَعْبٍ فِي الخَفَا عَبَّأْتَهُ

لَمْ يَأْلَفِ التَّتظِيمَ وَالتَّجْنِيدا

Marvel at a people you recruited covertly

To organization and conscription unused

وَالدَّوُّ يَرْمِيه بِزُرْقِ عُيونه

وَالجَوُّ فِي كُلِّ اتِّجاه رَيِّدَا

The foe assails them with eyes azure-blue

And the weather is in every way tempestuous

فَيَهُبُّ مَكْشُوفَ المُقَاتِلَ فَاتِكاً

بِمُكَاثِرَيه عِدَّةً وَعَديدَا

So they sally forth intrepid warriors

With their numbers and equipment manifold

وَيُذِيْقُ مَنْ أَشْقَى الْبِلاَدَ بِبَغْ

يه عُقْبَى نِكَالٍ كَابَدَتْهُ مَديدَا

And make those who despoiled the lands taste

Retribution's bitter fruits long endured

حَتَّى إِذَا أَجْلاَهُ كَانَ جَلاَؤُهُ

لِلْعُرْبِ فِي كُلِّ المَرَابِعِ عِيدا

Till when you evicted him, your eviction

For the Arabs in all directions was a feast

عِيدٌ لَهُ مَا بَعْدَهُ فِي مَعْشَرٍ

يَأْبَى الْحَيَاةَ مُكَبَّلاً وَمَسُودا

A feast for them, after which a people

Shackled, suppressed, the life refuse to live

حُلْوُ الشَّمائِلِ وَالزَّمَانُ مُلاَينٌ

وَيَمُرُّ إِنْ كَانَ الزَّمَانُ شَديدَا

Sweet your qualities, and time is hard

And passes, if time is deemed severe

أَهْلُ الشَّآمِ كَعَهْدهِمْ لَمْ يَبرَحوا

أَنْ يُسْتَثَارُوا فِي الْخُطُوبِ أُسُودا

Damascus people, as is their wont, stir

To the fray as fearsome lions aroused

وَكَعَهْدهِمْ بِذَكَائِهِمْ وَمَضَائِهِمْ

رَفَعُوا لَهُمْ فِي الخَافِقَيْنِ بُنُودا

And as is their custom, with their wit and resolve

Raise the two banners for them lofty standards

إِنْ لَمْ تَسَعَ نُبَغَاءَهُمْ أَوْطَانُهُمْ

جَعَلُوا حُدُودَ العَالَمِينَ حُدُودا

If their own lands cannot contain their genius

They make the horizons of both worlds their realm

يَا خَيْرَ مَنْ وَلَّتْهُ أُمَّتهُ فَمَا

ضَلَّتْ وَكَان مُوَفَّقاً وَرَشِيدَا

O best of those their nation appointed

Never straying, prospered and rightly-guided

أَعْجَزْتَنِي عَنْ شُكْرٍ مَا أَوْلَيْتَنِي

أَتَزيدَنِي بِقُبُولِ عُذٌرِي جُودا

I'm helpless to thank you for favoring me

Will you increase me in kindness by excusing?

هَيْهَاتْ يَخْلُدك القَرِيضُ وَأَنْتَ مَنْ

يَهِبُ الْقَرِيضَ الوَحْيَ وَالتَّخْلِيدا

Vainly will poetry immortalize you, you who

Inspire poetry and immortalization!

قامَتْ فَعَائِلُكَ الْكِبَارُ شَوَاهِداً

وَلَوْ أَنَّها كِلَمٌ لَكُنَّ قَصِيدَا

Your great ancestors acted as witnesses

Though if words, they would have been a poem

بِكَ تُوِّجَ الْعَهْدُ الْمُبَارَكُ رَأْسَهُ

وَبِصَحْبِكَ الأَبْرَارِ زَانَ الجِيدَا

With you the blessed reign adorns its head

And in your pious company glory is made

غُرٌّ مَيَامِينٌ شَهَدْتَ بَلاَءَهُمْ

فِي كُلِّ نَازِلَة فَكَانَ حَمِيدا

Valiant chiefs who endured their ordeal

In each adversity, and were laudable

هَذَا جَمِيلُ مَنْ وَفى كَوَفَائِه

أَنْ يَذْكُرَ الْقَوْمُ الغُدَاةَ الصيِّدا

This is the beauty of one loyal fulfilling

His pact, that people mention him at daybreak

هَيْهَاتْ أَنْ يَنْسَوا زَعِيماً سَامَهُ

إِخْلاَصُهُ التَّغرِيبَ وَالتَّشرِيدا

Never will they forget a leader diaspora

And expatriation made him experience

وَرِفَاقُهُ الصَّيَّابَةُ النُّجُبُ الأُولى

لمْ يُدْخَروا عَزْماً وَلاَ مَجْهُودَا

And his first noble and eminent comrades

Spared no resolve or efforts to expend

البَاذلِينَ نُفُوسَهُمْ دَونَ الحِمَى

لِيَعِيشَ مَرْفُوعَ الْمَقَامِ سَعِيدا

Sacrificing themselves, protecting the sanctum

So it may enduring, elevated survive

فَلْتَحْيَا سُوريَا وَلاَ بَرَحتْ كَمَا

تَهْوَى عُلاَهَا طَارِفاً وَتَليدا

May Syria live! Never ceasing as it loves

Its lofty heights, gentle and well-bred