ما أترع الشام يا خير الورى نعما

ما أترع الشام يا خير الورى نعما

إلّا نداك الذي بالطيبات همى

إلّا نداك الذي بالطيبات همى

Nothing has filled al-Sham with blessings, O best of humankind,

How luxuriant is al-Sham, O best of creatures!

but your bounty, which has rained down good things.

Indeed, only your call which aimed towards generosity,

فأنت ذو الفضل والعدل الذي افتخرت

فأنت ذو الفضل والعدل الذي افتخرت

به الولاة ووالت شكره العلما

به الولاة ووالت شكره العلما

For you are the man of bounty and justice, a source of pride

For you are the one with grace and justice, of which

to governors, while scholars have thanked you unceasingly.

The governors have prided themselves, and knowledge thanked abundantly,

وأنت نجم العلى بل أنت ناظره

وأنت نجم العلى بل أنت ناظره

وأنت ناصره إن حادثٌ نجما

وأنت ناصره إن حادثٌ نجما

And you are glory's star—rather, its watchful eye;

You are the star of the Most High, rather you are its watcher,

and you are its defender if a calamity arises.

And you are its supporter, if an event becomes a star,

غث عبدك البر من دهرٍ غباوته

غث عبدك البر من دهرٍ غباوته

تستنزل الدمع من عين الفصيح دما

تستنزل الدمع من عين الفصيح دما

Rescue your dutiful servant from an age whose folly

Your devout servant pleads for kindness from an ignorant fate,

draws tears of blood from the eloquent man's eye.

That brings tears flowing from the eyes of the eloquent, blood,

يَبَرُّ كلَّ لئيمٍ لا خلاق له

يَبَرُّ كلَّ لئيمٍ لا خلاق له

ولا يبرُّ كريماً يحمد الكرما

ولا يبرُّ كريماً يحمد الكرما

It favors every base man who has no share of goodness,

It harms every despicable person of no manners,

and favors no noble man who praises generosity.

And does not harm a generous one who is praised for his generosity,

أعطى الحظوظ جميعاً للذين إذا

أعطى الحظوظ جميعاً للذين إذا

عُدَّت ليوث الشرى أعددتهم غنما

عُدَّت ليوث الشرى أعددتهم غنما

It has granted every share of good fortune to those whom, when

It gave all the fortunes to those whom if

the lions of al-Shara are counted, you would reckon as sheep.

The lions of evil were counted, it would count them as sheep,

إن لم تدع راتبي أضعاف راتبهم

إن لم تدع راتبي أضعاف راتبهم

أقول مضطرباً يا أرحم الرُحَما

أقول مضطرباً يا أرحم الرُحَما

If you do not let my stipend be many times theirs,

If you do not double my salary over their salaries,

I shall say, distraught: O most merciful of the merciful,

I will say, perturbed, O most merciful of the merciful,

قد كنت أكره بالجهال تسويتي

قد كنت أكره بالجهال تسويتي

واليوم جل مرادي أن أفوز بما

واليوم جل مرادي أن أفوز بما

I once hated being equated with the ignorant;

I used to dislike equality with the ignorant,

and today my greatest wish is to obtain what...

And today my utmost desire is to win what