يا وارث المجد والأمجاد والعِظَمِ

يا وارث المجد والأمجاد والعِظَمِ

أنت المحكَّم بين العرْب والعجمِ

أنت المحكَّم بين العرْب والعجمِ

O heir to glory, glorious deeds, and grandeur,

O heir to glory, glories, and greatness,

You are the appointed arbiter between Arabs and non-Arabs.

You are the arbiter between Arabs and non-Arabs.

وأنت أنت الذي لولا تمدُّنُهُ

وأنت أنت الذي لولا تمدُّنُهُ

سدَّ التوحش باب الحكم والحِكَم

سدَّ التوحش باب الحكم والحِكَم

You—you are the one whose civilizing influence, had it not been,

And you—you are the one without whose civilization

Would have let savagery bar the gate of wisdom and the wise.

Savagery would have barred the door to governance and wisdom.

نسخت دين الريا بالعدل من زمنٍ

نسخت دين الريا بالعدل من زمنٍ

عاتٍ وحولت دين الشح للكرم

عاتٍ وحولت دين الشح للكرم

With justice you erased hypocrisy’s creed from an age

You erased, with justice, the creed of ostentation from an age

Of tyranny, and turned the creed of avarice into generosity.

Of tyranny, and turned the creed of avarice to generosity.

فأصبح الخير حرّاً ليس يملكه

فأصبح الخير حرّاً ليس يملكه

إلّاك والشرُّ عبداً حيث شئتَ رُمي

إلّاك والشرُّ عبداً حيث شئتَ رُمي

Thus goodness became free, possessed by none

So goodness became free, owned by none

But you; and evil became a slave, cast wherever you wished.

But you; and evil a slave, cast wherever you wished.

والدهر أطوع من ظلٍّ لصاحبه

والدهر أطوع من ظلٍّ لصاحبه

إن قمت قام وإن أمسكت لم يقم

إن قمت قام وإن أمسكت لم يقم

Fate is more obedient than my shadow is to its master:

And time is more obedient than a shadow to its master:

If you rise, it rises; if you hold back, it does not rise.

If you rise, it rises; and if you hold still, it does not rise.

لا يحمل اليمُّ طوداً من بوارجه

لا يحمل اليمُّ طوداً من بوارجه

إذا عصاك ولا يخشى سواك كَمِي

إذا عصاك ولا يخشى سواك كَمِي

The sea bears no mountain-mass of your warships

The sea bears no mountain among its warships

If it disobeys you; and no valiant warrior fears any but you.

If it defies you; and no armored warrior fears anyone but you.

ولم تلح رايةٌ يوماً على علمٍ

ولم تلح رايةٌ يوماً على علمٍ

إلّا بأمرك أو تلقى عن العلم

إلّا بأمرك أو تلقى عن العلم

No banner ever waved upon a height

And no banner ever gleamed upon a height

Except at your command—or else was cast down from that height.

Except at your command—or else it is cast down from the height.

عمت كتائبك المنصور بيرقُها

عمت كتائبك المنصور بيرقُها

وجه الصعيد ووجه الزاخر العرم

وجه الصعيد ووجه الزاخر العرم

Your battalions spread everywhere, their banner victorious,

Your battalions, with their victorious banner, have covered

Across the face of the land and of the swelling, turbulent sea.

The face of the land and the face of the swelling, raging sea.

والشرق أشرق والغرب ازدهى وزها

والشرق أشرق والغرب ازدهى وزها

في البر والبحر مجد السيف والقلم

في البر والبحر مجد السيف والقلم

The East shone; the West flourished and exulted

And the East shone, the West grew resplendent, and there flourished

On land and sea, in the glory of sword and pen.

On land and sea the glory of sword and pen.

نالت عواصم سوريا مآربها

نالت عواصم سوريا مآربها

بزورة منك تغنيها عن الديم

بزورة منك تغنيها عن الديم

The capitals of Syria attained their aspirations

Syria's capitals attained their aims

Through one visit from you, which freed them from need of ceaseless rains.

Through a visit from you that leaves them needing no steady rains.

وافيتها فغدت حصباؤها درراً

وافيتها فغدت حصباؤها درراً

وصار عُثيَرُها طيباً لمغتنم

وصار عُثيَرُها طيباً لمغتنم

You came to them, and their pebbles turned to pearls;

You visited them, and their pebbles became pearls,

Their dust became perfume for whoever seized the blessing.

And their fine dust became perfume for whoever claimed it.

فَسُدْ وتِهْ وافتخر واسلم وعزَّ وطب

فَسُدْ وتِهْ وافتخر واسلم وعزَّ وطب

وكِدْ وخذ وانتصر واعظم وفز ودُم

وكِدْ وخذ وانتصر واعظم وفز ودُم

Rule, exult, take pride, live secure, be mighty, and thrive;

So reign, exult, take pride, stay safe, be mighty, and be well;

Strive, seize, triumph, grow great, win, and endure.

And devise stratagems, seize, triumph, grow great, win, and endure.

دامت بطلعتك الأوقات زاهيةً

دامت بطلعتك الأوقات زاهيةً

زهو الربيع بمنهلٍّ ومنسجم

زهو الربيع بمنهلٍّ ومنسجم

May the times, through your radiant presence, remain resplendent

May the hours remain radiant with your presence,

With spring’s splendor, with rain pouring and streaming.

With spring's splendor amid pouring, streaming rain.

ودامت الدوحة العظمى مؤيدةً

ودامت الدوحة العظمى مؤيدةً

أمَّ الملوك الغيارى سادة الأمم

أمَّ الملوك الغيارى سادة الأمم

And may the great tree endure, upheld—

And may the great spreading tree remain upheld,

Mother of proud kings, masters of nations.

Mother of zealous kings, lords of nations.

ودام جيشك منصوراً ولا برحت

ودام جيشك منصوراً ولا برحت

ساعاته بك روضاً عاطر النسم

ساعاته بك روضاً عاطر النسم

May your army endure victorious, and may there never cease

And may your army remain victorious, and may

Its hours, through you, to be a garden fragrant with breezes.

Its hours ever be, through you, a meadow of fragrant breezes.