" دمشقDamascus " لعينيكfor your eyes الهوىlove وليand for me الصبرpatience
" دمشق " لعينيك الهوى ولي الصبر
وليسand there is no لمثليfor one like me فيin جنونthe madness of الهوىlove عذرexcuse
وليس لمثلي في جنون الهوى عذر
Damascus—for your eyes is passion, and for me, patience.
Damascus, love belongs to your eyes, and patience to me.
One such as I has no excuse for love’s madness.
And one like me has no excuse in love's madness.
هناhere للهوىfor love الشاميLevantine وجهٌa face وقامةand stature
هنا للهوى الشامي وجهٌ وقامة
يُقَصرfalls short عنof إدراكgrasping قامتهاher stature الشعرpoetry
يُقَصر عن إدراك قامتها الشعر
Here, Damascene love has a face and stature
Here Levantine love has a face and a stature;
that poetry falls short of fully apprehending.
Poetry falls short of grasping her stature.
محياكyour face هذيthis الشمسthe sun نصفhalf شروقهits dawning
محياك هذي الشمس نصف شروقه
وبعضand part of تجليِّكyour manifestation السحابةthe cloud والبدرand the full moon
وبعض تجليِّك السحابة والبدر
Your countenance—this sun is but half its radiance,
Your face—this sun is half its dawning,
and the clouds and full moon are but part of your splendor.
And the cloud and full moon are part of your radiance.
أتيتI came معيwith me " أمmother of القرىthe towns " فوقabove هامتيthe crown of my head
أتيت معي " أم القرى " فوق هامتي
ومكةand Mecca فيin بطحائهاher pebbled plain ولدwas born الفخرpride
ومكة في بطحائها ولد الفخر
I came bearing the Mother of Cities high above my head,
I came, Umm al-Qura with me above my head,
and in Mecca’s broad valley, glory was born.
And Mecca—in her pebbled plain, pride was born.
معيwith me " قِبلةprayer-direction of العشاقthe lovers " لالاءradiance of " طيبةTayba "
معي " قِبلة العشاق " لالاء " طيبة "
معيwith me "نجدNajd"وand"القمحthe wheat القصيميfrom Qassim"والتمرand dates
معي "نجد"و"القمح القصيمي"والتمر
With me are the lovers’ qibla, radiance, and Taybah.
With me is the lovers' qibla, the radiance of Tayba;
With me are Najd, the wheat of al-Qassim, and dates.
With me are Najd, Qassim's wheat, and dates;
معيwith me منfrom هوىlove of أبهاAbha غناءٌa song وغيمةand a cloud
معي من هوى أبها غناءٌ وغيمة
معيwith me الرملthe sand والشعرand poetry السعوديSaudi والبحرand the sea
معي الرمل والشعر السعودي والبحر
With me, from the love of Abha, are song and cloud.
With me, from love of Abha, are a song and a cloud;
With me are the sands, Saudi poetry, and the sea.
With me are the sand, Saudi poetry, and the sea;
معيwith me منfrom "قلاعcitadels of المجدglory" "سيفa sword"وand"نخلةa palm tree"
معي من "قلاع المجد" "سيف"و"نخلة"
وعزٌّand honor علىupon عليائهits heights جَثَمperched " الصقرthe falcon "
وعزٌّ على عليائه جَثَم " الصقر "
With me, from the citadels of glory, are a sword and a palm tree,
With me, from glory's citadels, are a sword and a palm,
and on the heights of my pride the falcon has perched.
And honor, upon whose heights the falcon perched.
" دمشقDamascus " التيwhom أخفيتهاI hid her فيwithin جوانحيmy ribs
" دمشق " التي أخفيتها في جوانحي
حديثٌa tale طويلlong لاnot يملgrows tiresome لهof it ذكرremembrance
حديثٌ طويل لا يمل له ذكر
Damascus, whom I have hidden deep within my breast,
Damascus, whom I hid within my ribs,
is a long tale whose telling never grows wearisome.
Is a long tale whose remembrance never grows tiresome.
" دمشقDamascus " هيshe is العشقlove الذيthat لاnot تحدهbounds it
" دمشق " هي العشق الذي لا تحده
حدودٌboundaries هيshe is الرؤياthe vision دمشقDamascus هيshe is الدهرtime
حدودٌ هي الرؤيا دمشق هي الدهر
Damascus is the love that no bounds can contain;
Damascus is the love that cannot be bounded
she is the vision—Damascus, she is eternity.
By borders; she is the vision; Damascus is time.
هناhere كانthere was للخيلfor the horses التيwhich طالgrew long ركضهاtheir galloping
هنا كان للخيل التي طال ركضها
صهيلٌa neigh تناغيهanswer it in song المثقفةthe straightened spears السمرbrown
صهيلٌ تناغيه المثقفة السمر
Here were horses whose gallop endured long,
Here the horses, whose galloping lasted long, had
their neigh answered by straight, dark-shafted spears.
A neigh answered in song by straightened brown spears.
علىon هذهthis الأرضthe earth التيwhich منfrom جذورهاits roots
على هذه الأرض التي من جذورها
زكاflourished المجدglory وانداحand spread الفداsacrifice ونماand grew الكبرpride
زكا المجد وانداح الفدا ونما الكبر
Upon this land, from whose roots
On this earth, from whose roots
glory flourished, sacrifice spread, and greatness grew,
Glory flourished, sacrifice spread, and pride grew,
طمىsurged الفتحconquest وامتدَّتand spread علىupon الزهوsplendor أمةa nation
طمى الفتح وامتدَّت على الزهو أمة
وطأطأand bowed وجهthe face of البغيtyranny ،وانكسرand was broken الكفرunbelief
وطأطأ وجه البغي ،وانكسر الكفر
conquest surged, and a nation spread in proud exultation,
Conquest surged, and a nation spread in splendor,
and brought low the face of tyranny, while unbelief was broken.
And tyranny's face bowed, and unbelief was broken.
مِدادٌink منfrom الأمجادglories منfrom عهدِthe time of " آدمAdam "
مِدادٌ من الأمجاد من عهدِ " آدم "
سيبقىwill remain إلىuntil يومٍa day يكونtakes place بهon it الحشرthe final gathering
سيبقى إلى يومٍ يكون به الحشر
Ink drawn from glories since the age of Adam
Ink from glories, from the time of Adam,
will endure until the day the Gathering comes.
Will endure until the day when the Gathering comes.
لكلfor every زمانage ياO " دمشقDamascus " رجالهits men
لكل زمان يا " دمشق " رجاله
وكلand all ملماتcalamities of الزمانtime لهاfor them " عمروAmr "
وكل ملمات الزمان لها " عمرو "
Every age, O Damascus, has its heroes,
Every age, O Damascus, has its men,
and every ordeal of time has its Umar.
And all time's calamities have their Amr.
فياso O جنةparadise of الدنياthe world تنثُّseep forth مصائبٌcalamities
فيا جنة الدنيا تنثُّ مصائبٌ
وعندand when جُموحthe wild rush of العُسرhardship ينبلجdawns اليسرease
وعند جُموح العُسر ينبلج اليسر
O paradise of the world, calamities pour forth,
So, O paradise of the world, calamities seep forth,
and when hardship runs rampant, ease breaks into dawn.
And when hardship runs wild, ease dawns.
"دمشقDamascus" لناfor us الرحمنthe All-Merciful لوeven if جحفلmusters armies المدىthe horizon
"دمشق" لنا الرحمن لو جحفل المدى
ولوand even if دمدمthunders الباغيthe oppressor ولوand even if مكرplots المكرguile
ولو دمدم الباغي ولو مكر المكر
Damascus is ours—by the All-Merciful—even if the reaches of time muster their hosts,
Damascus, we have the All-Merciful, even if the horizon musters armies,
even if the tyrant thunders and guile itself conspires.
And even if the oppressor thunders, even if guile itself plots.
هناhere زمجرroared الطوفانthe deluge لماwhen تخشَّبتturned to wood
هنا زمجر الطوفان لما تخشَّبت
قلوبٌhearts وأعماهاand blinded them عنto الفلقdaybreak الشرُّevil
قلوبٌ وأعماها عن الفلق الشرُّ
Here the Deluge roared when hearts
Here the deluge roared when they turned to wood—
hardened into wood and evil blinded them to the dawn.
Hearts that evil had blinded to daybreak.
فمادتso swayed قلاعcitadels of الزيفfalsehood وامَّاحand was erased عُمرهاtheir lifespan
فمادت قلاع الزيف وامَّاح عُمرها
لأنbecause قلاعcitadels of الزيفfalsehood ليسthere is not لهاfor them عمرa lifespan
لأن قلاع الزيف ليس لها عمر
Then falsehood’s citadels reeled, and their allotted life was effaced,
So falsehood's citadels swayed, and their lifespan was erased,
for falsehood’s citadels have no enduring life.
For falsehood's citadels have no lifespan.
ومنand from هذهthis الفيحاءthe spacious city ينداحspreads forth مولدٌa birth
ومن هذه الفيحاء ينداح مولدٌ
إذاwhen جاءcomes عيسىJesus والمحبةand love والطهرand purity
إذا جاء عيسى والمحبة والطهر
And from this fragrant city a nativity unfolds
And from this spacious city a birth spreads forth,
when Jesus comes—and love and purity.
When Jesus, love, and purity come.
وإنيand indeed I أرىsee فوقabove " الفراتينthe two Euphrates " رعشةٌa tremor
وإني أرى فوق " الفراتين " رعشةٌ
ورُبand many a فراتٍEuphrates منهfrom it يستوقدare kindled الجمرthe embers
ورُب فراتٍ منه يستوقد الجمر
Indeed, I see above the two Euphrates a tremor,
And indeed I see a tremor above the two Euphrates,
and many a Euphrates from which embers are kindled.
And many a Euphrates—from it embers are kindled.
" دمشقDamascus "حملناwe carried جرحناour wound وهوwhile it was راعفٌbleeding
" دمشق "حملنا جرحنا وهو راعفٌ
فماyet no تعبتgrew weary رِجلٌa leg ولمand did not يشكcomplain ظهرa back
فما تعبت رِجلٌ ولم يشك ظهر
Damascus, we bore our wound while it gushed blood,
Damascus, we carried our wound as it bled,
yet no foot grew weary, nor did any back complain.
Yet no leg grew weary, and no back complained.
وماand did not أنكرتdisown " صنعاءSana'a "يوماًever أحبةloved ones
وما أنكرت " صنعاء "يوماً أحبة
ولاnor طأطأتbowed نجدNajd ، ولاnor غدرتbetrayed مصرEgypt
ولا طأطأت نجد ، ولا غدرت مصر
Sana’a never once disowned loved ones,
And Sana'a never disowned loved ones,
nor did Najd bow, nor Egypt betray.
Nor did Najd bow, nor did Egypt betray.
نموتُwe die علىupon مجدٍglory ونحياand we live علىupon تقىpiety
نموتُ على مجدٍ ونحيا على تقى
ومنand from ناظريناour two eyes يولدare born الليلnight والفجرand dawn
ومن ناظرينا يولد الليل والفجر
We die for glory and live by piety,
We die in glory and live in piety,
and from our two eyes night and dawn are born.
And from our eyes, night and dawn are born.
" فنحنfor we أناسa people لاno توسطmiddle ground بينناamong us
" فنحن أناس لا توسط بيننا
لناfor us الصدرthe foremost place دونto the exclusion of العالمينall peoples أوor القبرthe grave "
لنا الصدر دون العالمين أو القبر "
For we are a people with no compromise among us:
For we are a people with no middle ground among us:
ours is the foremost place before all peoples—or the grave.
Ours is the foremost place before all the world—or the grave.
Sol 6.1