حَبَّذا الرِقَّةُ داراً وَبَلَد

حَبَّذا الرِقَّةُ داراً وَبَلَد

بَلَدٌ ساكِنُهُ مِمَّن تَوَد

بَلَدٌ ساكِنُهُ مِمَّن تَوَد

How lovely is al-Raqqa as a home and a town!

Grace made this land a home, a country

A town whose inhabitant is one you love.

Whose people you’d be fond to see

ما رَأَينا بَلدَةً تَعدِلُها

ما رَأَينا بَلدَةً تَعدِلُها

لا وَلا أَخبَرَنا عَنها أَحَد

لا وَلا أَخبَرَنا عَنها أَحَد

We have seen no town that equals it;

We've never known a place that equals it

No, nor has anyone told us of one.

Nor heard tell of its like, said he

إِنَّها بَرِّيَّةٌ بَحرِيَّةٌ

إِنَّها بَرِّيَّةٌ بَحرِيَّةٌ

سورُها بَحرٌ وَسورٌ في الجدَد

سورُها بَحرٌ وَسورٌ في الجدَد

It is of both land and sea;

It fronts the sea, in the rear a plain

Its wall is a sea, and another wall stands on firm ground.

Its walls are sea, in solid chains

تُسمَعُ الصُلصُلُ في أَشجارِها

تُسمَعُ الصُلصُلُ في أَشجارِها

هُدهُدَ البَرِّ وَمُكّاءً غَرِد

هُدهُدَ البَرِّ وَمُكّاءً غَرِد

The ringdove is heard in its trees,

The partridge's call in the trees is heard

The hoopoe of the countryside, and a warbling lark.

The moan of the dove, the thrush's strains

لَم تُضَمَّن بَلدَةٌ ما ضُمّنَت

لَم تُضَمَّن بَلدَةٌ ما ضُمّنَت

مِن جَمالَ في قُرَيشٍ وَأَسَد

مِن جَمالَ في قُرَيشٍ وَأَسَد

No town has been endowed as it has

No town e'er contained what it contained

With beauty among Quraysh and Asad.

Of Quraysh's beauty and lion's pride