عَلى الزعازِعِ والأهوالِ والبأسِ
لَوْ مادَتِ الأرضُ يبقى الشامخُ الراسي
Against tremors, horrors, and affliction
Should the earth extend, the towering pillar remains steadfast
عاري المناكبِ إلاّ أنْ تظله
غمائمٌ فهو معتمٌ بها كاسي
Bare shouldered, unless clouds shade him
He is clothed by them, content
نأى بأعطافِه من تيهه وَرَسا
بأصلِهِ وَسما بالأنفِ والراسِ
He avoided with his sides the loss of way and quicksand
With his origin, and towered with grandeur and the head
ضخمٌ تكاد تسدُّ الأفقَ بسطتُه
كالعارِض الجوْنِ إلاّ أنه جاسي
Huge, his expanse almost blocks the horizon
Like the young, vigorous camel, except that he is firm
ترقى به الأرض إذْ تدنو السماءُ له
كما سما ناهضٌ للمنحني العاسي
With him, the earth ascends as the sky draws near to it
As if a towering, straight pillar to the hunchback
"جزيرةٌ من جوارِ ""الغوطتين"" عَلَى"
بحرِ من الدوْحِ والأمواه رجّاس
"An island from the vicinity of" "Al Ghoutah" "upon"
A sea of sand dunes and surging waters
"كأنَّ ربَّكَ إِذْ حاذى ""دمشق"" به"
قدْ مَثَّل الخلدَ والأعرافَ للناس
"As if your Lord," "when Damascus" "bordered it"
Had depicted eternity and the highest places for people
"يظلُّ يسحبُ كالطاوس من ""بردى"""
ذَيْلاً تعثَّر بين الوردِ والآس
"It remains dragging like a peacock from" "Barada"
A trail tangled amid roses and myrtles
ما زال ينهضُ بالأعباءِ مرتفعاً
والغيم من فوقه تصعيدُ أَنْفاسِ
It remains rising with burdens, lofty
And the cloud from above it, the ascent of sighs
إذا أطلَّتْ عليه الشمسُ أو غربتْ
بَدَتْ أساريرُ بسّامٍ وَعبّاس
When the sun rises upon it or sets
The chambers of a smiling and joyous one appear
ترى النجومَ إذا لاحَتْ فَرائِدُها
كانتْ عَلَى رأسِه تاجاً من الماس
You see the stars when their meteors shine
Were upon its head a crown of diamonds
يحكي السماء إذا أنوارُه لَمَعَتْ
برجاً ببرجٍ ونبراساً بنبراس
It tells of the sky when its lights shine
A mansion, mansion by mansion, and minaret by minaret
سورٌ منيعٌ وَفاه اللهُ رافعه
في الدهر غفلةَ أجنادٍ وَحُراس
An impregnable wall which God elevated holding it
In times of neglect of soldiers and guards
قد قارعَ الدهرَ لم يخشعْ لصوته
وَجهاً لوجهٍ وَلم يركنْ إلى باسِ
It opposed time, it did not submit to its voice
Face to face, and did not resort to humiliation
فللزمانِ يَدٌ عن نيله قصرتْ
وَللحوادثِ طرفٌ دونه خاسي
So time's hand was short of attaining it
And incidents had an aim below it
قوافلُ الدهرِ صرعى في جوانبه
ينبيكَ عنها بأجداثٍ وأرماس
Caravans of time were slain around its sides
It warns you of them with rumors and spearheads
"في ""الكهف"" و ""الغار"" أصداءٌ مجلجلة"
للذاكرين بأسحار وَأغلاس
"In the "Cave" and "Grotto" reverberating echoes"
For those remembering at dawn and nightfalls
رأوا بدائعَ صنعِ اللهِ ماثلةً
تجلى من الحسن خلاباً بأعراس
They saw God's wondrous work manifest
Perfection of beauty appeared joyously at weddings
ترنّحوا وَتغنّوا في عبادتِه
كما ترنَّحَ عند النشوةِ الحاسي
They sighed and sang in worship of Him
As the senses sigh in ecstasy
منارة الدمع سلْها عن ترنّمهم
أما ألانَ وأبكى الجلْمَدَ القاسي
The lighthouse of tears, ask it about their chanting
Did it not soften and make the rigid rock weep?
