حياتُكَyour life لمdid not تَطُلْlast long والموتُand death حقُّa certainty
حياتُكَ لم تَطُلْ والموتُ حقُّ
وماand not الدنياthe world علىtoward أحدٍanyone تَرِقُّshows compassion
وما الدنيا على أحدٍ تَرِقُّ
Your life did not last long, and death is certain.
Your life was not long, death is certain
And the world shows compassion to no one.
And this world pleases no one
ولمand not تكُyou were واحداًan individual يُنعىis mourned ويُنسىand is forgotten
ولم تكُ واحداً يُنعى ويُنسى
ولكنْbut ثورةًa revolution تفديكَgive their lives for you خَلْقُpeople
ولكنْ ثورةً تفديكَ خَلْقُ
Nor were you merely someone to be mourned and forgotten,
You were not just one to be mourned and forgotten
But a revolution—people give their lives for you.
But a revolution that redeems people
زهدتَyou cared little بأنْabout تعيشَliving فعشتَso you lived حُرّاًfree
زهدتَ بأنْ تعيشَ فعشتَ حُرّاً
ومنand whoever يسعىstrives ليبقىto stay alive يُستَرقُّis enslaved!
ومن يسعى ليبقى يُستَرقُّ!
You cared little for living, and so you lived free,
You disdained living so you lived free
And whoever strives to stay alive is enslaved!
While those who seek to remain are enslaved!
وإنّand indeed الموتَdeath أشرفُnobler منthan حياةٍa life
وإنّ الموتَ أشرفُ من حياةٍ
يسودُrules بهاin it علىover العُقلاءِthe wise حُمْقُfolly
يسودُ بها على العُقلاءِ حُمْقُ
And indeed death is nobler than a life
Indeed death is nobler than a life
In which folly rules over the wise.
Where fools reign over the wise
لعمركَby your life ماnot بهذيon this الأرضِearth شيءٌanything
لعمركَ ما بهذي الأرضِ شيءٌ
يسرُّgladdens القلبَthe heart إلاexcept فيهِin it خَنقُsuffocation!
يسرُّ القلبَ إلا فيهِ خَنقُ!
By your life, nothing on this earth
By your life nothing in this land
Gladdens the heart without also choking it!
Gladdens the heart but strangling in it!
فأنشِدْso sing فيin السَماءِheaven الآنَnow واصعَدْand ascend
فأنشِدْ في السَماءِ الآنَ واصعَدْ
بوجهِكon your face ضِحكَةٌlaughter وبفيكَand in your mouth صِدقُtruth
بوجهِك ضِحكَةٌ وبفيكَ صِدقُ
So sing in heaven now, and ascend,
So recite in heaven now and ascend
Laughter on your face, and truth in your mouth.
With a smiling face and truthful words
نؤمّلُwe hope أنّthat نعيشَwe live حياةَthe lifespan of نوحٍNoah
نؤمّلُ أنّ نعيشَ حياةَ نوحٍ
وهلand is there فيin ماwhat نرىwe see ماanything يستَحقُّis worthwhile؟
وهل في ما نرى ما يستَحقُّ؟
We hope to live as long as Noah,
We hope to live the life of Noah
But is anything in what we see worth it?
Yet is there anything we see that deserves it?
وسوريّونَand Syrians لاnot النَكَباتُcalamities كَفّتْhave ceased
وسوريّونَ لا النَكَباتُ كَفّتْ
ولاnor نحنُwe اجتنبناwe avoided ماwhat يَشقُّcauses hardship
ولا نحنُ اجتنبنا ما يَشقُّ
And we are Syrians: calamities have not ceased,
And for Syrians, disasters did not suffice
Nor have we avoided what brings hardship.
Nor did we avoid what hurts
ظنناwe thought أنّthat قاتِلَناour killer نظامٌa regime
ظننا أنّ قاتِلَنا نظامٌ
وإذْand behold فيin إثْرهِits wake غربٌthe West وشَرقُand the East!
وإذْ في إثْرهِ غربٌ وشَرقُ!
We thought our killer was a regime,
We thought our killer was the regime
And behold, in its wake were West and East!
Yet behind it is West and East!
يخوّفُfrightens شَعبَهُits people الطُغيانُtyranny فيناwith us!
يخوّفُ شَعبَهُ الطُغيانُ فينا!
ويوهِمُهُمand deludes them بأنْthat ماتتْhas died دِمَشقُDamascus
ويوهِمُهُم بأنْ ماتتْ دِمَشقُ
Tyranny uses us to frighten its people!
Tyranny frightens its people against us!
And deludes them into believing Damascus has died.
And makes them believe Damascus has died
ولاand no واللهِby God ماnot ماتتshe has died ولكنْbut
ولا واللهِ ما ماتت ولكنْ
علىon أطرافهاher outskirts الجيرانُthe neighbors فُسْقُdepraved!
على أطرافها الجيرانُ فُسْقُ!
And no, by God, she has not died—but
No, by God, it did not die, but rather
At her outskirts, the neighbors are depraved!
On its outskirts are the corrupt neighbors!
تقولُsays حَمَامَةٌa dove: فيin الرفقِgentleness خَيرٌgood
تقولُ حَمَامَةٌ: في الرفقِ خَيرٌ
وهلand can يُجديbe of use معَwith الطاعونِthe plague رِفقُgentleness؟!
وهل يُجدي معَ الطاعونِ رِفقُ؟!
A dove says, "There is good in gentleness."
A pigeon says: There is good in gentleness
But can gentleness avail against the plague?!
But does gentleness help against the plague?!
ستُنجبُwill give birth to حَملَهاtheir unborn child الكَلِماتُthe words حتمَاًinevitably
ستُنجبُ حَملَها الكَلِماتُ حتمَاً
وموتُand the death of حُمَاتِهاtheir defenders الأحرارِthe free طَلْقُlabor pains
وموتُ حُمَاتِها الأحرارِ طَلْقُ
Words will surely give birth to the child they carry,
Its words will surely give birth to its burden
And the deaths of their free defenders are labor pains.
And the death of its free ones is divorce
هيthey الثوراتُrevolutions أُمٌّa mother منof دِماءٍblood
هي الثوراتُ أُمٌّ من دِماءٍ
يَبرُّshows filial devotion الحرُّthe free man، والمَخصيْand the castrated man يعقُّshows filial disobedience!
يَبرُّ الحرُّ، والمَخصيْ يعقُّ!
Revolutions are a mother made of blood:
Revolutions are a mother of blood
The free man honors her, and the castrated man dishonors her!
The free bleed, while the castrated yell!
لقدindeed وفّيتَyou kept faith ياO ساروتُSarout فانعَمْso rejoice
لقد وفّيتَ يا ساروتُ فانعَمْ
بماin what قدّمتَyou offered بعضُsome الموتِdeath عِتقُemancipation!
بما قدّمتَ بعضُ الموتِ عِتقُ!
You have indeed kept faith, O Sarout, so rejoice
You have fulfilled, oh Sarout, so delight
In what you have offered; some deaths are liberation!
In what you offered, some of death is freedom!
وداعاًfarewell، لمdid not تَمُتْyou die إلاexcept لتحياso that you may live
وداعاً، لم تَمُتْ إلا لتحيا
وقلبكَand your heart لمhas not يَزلceased فيناwithin us يَدقُّbeats
وقلبكَ لم يَزل فينا يَدقُّ
Farewell—you died only to live,
Farewell, you only died to live
And your heart still beats within us.
And your heart still beats within us
إذاif الدنياthe world بكتهُwept for him بكلّwith every عينٍeye
إذا الدنيا بكتهُ بكلّ عينٍ
فجنّاتُthen the gardens النعيمِof bliss بهِto him أحقُّmore entitled!
فجنّاتُ النعيمِ بهِ أحقُّ!
If the world has wept for him with every eye,
If the world cries for him with every eye
Then the gardens of bliss have a greater right to him!
Then the gardens of bliss are more deserving of him!