غضّ الشباب و أن تلن عذباته

غضّ الشباب و أن تلن عذباته

خلقت لإدراك المنى عزماته

خلقت لإدراك المنى عزماته

Tender is youth, though its branch-tips may bend;

The passion of youth, though tormenting, is meant for realizing ambitions

Youth is tender, and though its branches may be soft,

its resolves were created to attain its hopes.

God is greatest! Youth bears the cross

Its resolves were forged to achieve aspirations.

الله أكبر للشباب صليبة

الله أكبر للشباب صليبة

للغامزات من الخطوب قناته

للغامزات من الخطوب قناته

God is greatest! Youth possesses a sturdy

For leering eyes, their veil is modesty

God is great! What firmness youth possesses,

spear-shaft against adversity's probing blows.

God is greatest! Glorious is youth

Its spear-shaft withstanding the probing trials of calamity.

الله أكبر للشباب جلاله

الله أكبر للشباب جلاله

ملء العيون و حسنه و سماته

ملء العيون و حسنه و سماته

God is greatest! Youth's majesty

Filled with beauty, charm and grace

God is great! What majesty belongs to youth,

fills the eyes, as do its beauty and its bearing.

The nation relying on their right does not despair

Filling the eyes with its beauty and noble traits.

لا يجزع الوطن المدلّ بحقّه

لا يجزع الوطن المدلّ بحقّه

ألباسمون مع الشباب حماته

ألباسمون مع الشباب حماته

Let the homeland, proud of its right, not despair;

With youth, defenders wear their armor

Let not the homeland, proud of its rights, despair,

the smiling ones, alongside youth, are its protectors.

The honor of the nation's glory is in debt to the youth

For the smiling youths are its true protectors.

في ذمّة الفتيان رابة مجده

في ذمّة الفتيان رابة مجده

إنّ الشباب وفيّة ذمّاته

إنّ الشباب وفيّة ذمّاته

The [banner] of its glory is in the young men's keeping;

For the youth's loyalty fulfills all trusts

In the trust of the young men lies the banner of its glory,

truly, youth is faithful to its pledges.

Patience has gone, hasten to your goals

For the covenants of youth are ever loyal.

خلّوا الأناة و أسرعوا لمناكم

خلّوا الأناة و أسرعوا لمناكم

عار الشباب العبقريّ أناته

عار الشباب العبقريّ أناته

Set deliberation aside and hasten toward your hopes;

The genius of youth laments its slowness

Cast aside delay and hasten to your aspirations,

delay is the disgrace of brilliant youth.

Crown of the peninsula, cradle of your ancestors

The shame of brilliant youth is sluggishness.

تاج الجزيرة و هي مهد جدودكم

تاج الجزيرة و هي مهد جدودكم

نزل القضاء فنكّست راياته

نزل القضاء فنكّست راياته

The crown of the Peninsula, your forefathers' cradle,

Destiny has let its banners fall

The crown of the Peninsula, the cradle of your ancestors—

was struck by fate, and its banners were lowered.

It complains while you listen, so what ails it?

Fate has struck it, and its banners are bowed.

يشكو و أنتم سامعون فماله

يشكو و أنتم سامعون فماله

لا يستجاب ، و للشباب شكاته

لا يستجاب ، و للشباب شكاته

It laments, and you are listening; why, then,

Its complaints remain unanswered

It complains while you listen, so why is it

is there no answer, when its complaint is made to youth?

I weep for the peninsula and what the enemy desires

Left unanswered? It is to the youth its grievance is addressed.

إنّي لتبكيني الجزيرة . ما نوى

إنّي لتبكيني الجزيرة . ما نوى

عنها العدوّ و لا ونت غاراته

عنها العدوّ و لا ونت غاراته

Truly, the Peninsula makes me weep: never has

And my tears did not stop its raids

Truly, the Peninsula makes me weep. The enemy

the enemy withdrawn from it, nor have his raids slackened.

When the sorrowful cry and there is no poet

Has not turned away from it, nor have his raids ceased.

و إذا الحزين بكى و لم يك شاعرا

و إذا الحزين بكى و لم يك شاعرا

فالشعر ما نطقت به عبراته

فالشعر ما نطقت به عبراته

And when a grieving man weeps, though no poet,

Poetry articulates what their tears express

And if a grieving man weeps, though he be no poet,

poetry is what his tears proclaim.

The breezes of fertile Lebanon are sick

Poetry is what his falling tears speak.

نفحات لبنان الأشمّ عليلة

نفحات لبنان الأشمّ عليلة

و حمى الجزيرة عذبة نفحاته

و حمى الجزيرة عذبة نفحاته

The breezes of lofty Lebanon are gentle,

And the peninsula's protection is in its pleasant breeze

The breezes of lofty Lebanon are gentle and refreshing,

and sweet are the breezes of the Peninsula's domain.

The sands of fertile Syria yearn

And the sanctuary of the Peninsula breathes sweet airs.

تشتاق ناضرة الشام رماله

تشتاق ناضرة الشام رماله

و تحبّ خضرة أرزكم فلواته

و تحبّ خضرة أرزكم فلواته

Its sands yearn for verdant al-Sham,

And its peaks love your green slopes

The radiant Levant longs for its sands,

and its deserts love the green of your cedars.

It complains of its wounds to its enemies

And its desert wastes love the greenery of your cedars.

يشكو جراحته إلى أعدائه

يشكو جراحته إلى أعدائه

اين الشفاء و جارحوه أساته

اين الشفاء و جارحوه أساته

It complains of its wound to its enemies;

Where is the cure when the wound inflictors are the healers?

It complains of its wounds to its very enemies;

where is healing, when those who wound it are its physicians?

Alas! The claimant will not succeed in this cause

Where is the cure when its wounders are its physicians?

هيهات ينجح في القضيّة مدّع

هيهات ينجح في القضيّة مدّع

و خصومه يوم الحساب قضاته

و خصومه يوم الحساب قضاته

No claimant can prevail in a case

While the opponents are the judges on day of judgement

How impossible for a claimant to win his case,

when his adversaries are his judges on reckoning day.

The small homeland is lost with multitudes

When his adversaries on the day of reckoning are his judges.

واضيعة الوطن الصغير . تعدّدت

واضيعة الوطن الصغير . تعدّدت

أديانه و عروشه و لغاته

أديانه و عروشه و لغاته

Alas for the little homeland! So many are

Of religions, dynasties and languages

Alas for the loss of the small homeland. They have multiplied—

its religions, its thrones, and its tongues.

And for every arrogant person who forgot its misery

Its religions, its thrones, and its languages.

و لربّ مختال تناساه الرّدى

و لربّ مختال تناساه الرّدى

ووددت لو بكرت عليّ نعاته

ووددت لو بكرت عليّ نعاته

And many a swaggerer has been overlooked by death;

I wish the news of his death had come early

Many an arrogant man has been forgotten by death,

and I have wished the heralds of his death would hasten to me.

I pray for the dispersal of nations, so I hate

While I wished his mourners had come to me early.

صلّى لتفريق الشعوب فبغّضت

صلّى لتفريق الشعوب فبغّضت

عندي الديانة والتقى صلواته

عندي الديانة والتقى صلواته

He prayed to divide the peoples; thus

The religion and piety of his prayers

He prayed for the division of nations, and so

his prayers made religion and piety hateful to me.

Biting the shackles, does his escape not tire you?

His prayers made religion and piety hateful to me.

هذا أسيرك يا مذاهب ملّه

هذا أسيرك يا مذاهب ملّه

عضّ القيود ، ألم يئن إفلاته ؟

عضّ القيود ، ألم يئن إفلاته ؟

Here is your captive, O sects of a faith:

After today, no doctrine will demolish

Here is your prisoner, O sects, grown weary of it all;

he has gnawed his chains—is it not time for his release?

The shrine of Arabism which youth built

He has bitten his chains, has the time not come for his release?

هيهات بعد اليوم يهدم مذهب

هيهات بعد اليوم يهدم مذهب

صرح العروبة و الشباب بناته

صرح العروبة و الشباب بناته

Never again shall a sect tear down

I worshipped God, not His hell

Never again shall sectarianism destroy

the edifice of Arabism, while youth are its builders.

In my view, essence of piety is its secret, not its heavens

The edifice of Arabism, for the youth are its builders.

إنّي عبدت الله ، لا نيرانه

إنّي عبدت الله ، لا نيرانه

سرّ التقى عندي و لا جنّاته

سرّ التقى عندي و لا جنّاته

Truly, I have worshipped God; neither His fires

Reason led me to Him, not His Qur'an

I have worshipped God; it is not His fires

nor His gardens are the secret of piety for me.

Nor the verse of The Greatest nor His Torah

That are the secret of my piety, nor His paradises.

و العقل دلّ عليه لا قرآنه

و العقل دلّ عليه لا قرآنه

في آية الكبرى و لا توراته

في آية الكبرى و لا توراته

And reason led me to Him, not His Qur'an,

Religion is the religion of love, so it is my doctrine

Reason is what guided me to Him, not His Quran

in its greatest verse, nor His Torah.

Even if it has few worshippers in the East

In its greatest verses, nor His Torah.

الدين دين الحبّ فهو عقيدتي

الدين دين الحبّ فهو عقيدتي

و لو أنّه في الشرق قلّ دعاته

و لو أنّه في الشرق قلّ دعاته

Religion is the religion of love: it is my creed,

I read the horizons as a scripture descended

The true religion is the religion of love, and it is my creed,

though few in the East are those who preach it.

What a wonderful scripture its verses of stars

Even if its advocates in the East are few.

و الأفق أقرأه كتابا منزلا

و الأفق أقرأه كتابا منزلا

نعم الكتاب نجوم آياته

نعم الكتاب نجوم آياته

And I read the horizon as a revealed book:

When prostrating towards the house of Arabism

I read the horizon as a revealed book;

how fine a book, whose verses are stars!

It is not its summit or plain I aim for

What an excellent book, whose verses are the stars.

بيت العروبة حين أسجد قبلتي

بيت العروبة حين أسجد قبلتي

لا طوره قصدي و لا عرفاته

لا طوره قصدي و لا عرفاته

The house of Arabism is my qibla when I prostrate;

Some names of Arabism: its cedars

The house of Arabism is my Qibla when I prostrate;

neither its Sinai nor its Arafat is my goal.

On days of pride: the Nile and Euphrates

Neither Mount Sinai nor Mount Arafat is my destination.

من بعض أسماء العروبة أرزه

من بعض أسماء العروبة أرزه

يوم الفخار و نيله و فراته

يوم الفخار و نيله و فراته

Among the names of Arabism are its cedars,

The grove brimming with beautiful wild plants

Among the names of Arabism are its Cedar

on the day of pride, and its Nile and its Euphrates.

Why would it mind variations in its flowers?

On the day of glory, its Nile, and its Euphrates.

كالروض ملتفّ الخمائل ناضرا

كالروض ملتفّ الخمائل ناضرا

ما ضرّه لو نوّعت زهراته

ما ضرّه لو نوّعت زهراته

Like a garden, verdant with entwined thickets—

It suffices me if I mention its chanters and people

Like a radiant, lush garden of dense thickets,

what harm would it suffer if its blossoms were varied?

The poetry of Shabab and Al-Ghoutah’s narrators

It is unharmed by the diversity of its blooming flowers.

حسبي إذا ذكر القريض و أهله

حسبي إذا ذكر القريض و أهله

شعر شباب الغوطتين رواته

شعر شباب الغوطتين رواته

Enough for me, when poetry and its people are mentioned,

I am an ember revived, my soul filled

It is enough for me, when poetry and its masters are mentioned,

is verse whose reciters are the youth of the two Ghoutas.

With the ambitions of youth stirred by whims

That the youth of the two Ghoutas are the reciters of my verse.

أنا جمرة الغمرات ، ملء جوانحي

أنا جمرة الغمرات ، ملء جوانحي

همم الشباب تثيرها نزواته

همم الشباب تثيرها نزواته

I am the ember of ordeals; my breast is filled

They were intoxicated as I recited the pride of my poems

I am the blazing ember of adversities; filling my ribs

with youth's aspirations, stirred by its impulses.

For it is the purified nectar of their first sips

Are the ambitions of youth, stirred by its passionate impulses.

سكروا و قد أنشدت غرّ قصائدي

سكروا و قد أنشدت غرّ قصائدي

فهي الرّحيق طهورة رشفاته

فهي الرّحيق طهورة رشفاته

They grew drunk as I recited my radiant poems;

They said “It is new!” I said “who are its supporters?”

They grew intoxicated when I recited my finest odes,

for they are wine, pure in every sip.

The pen of the wise one is its best critique

For they are a pure nectar, immaculate in every sip.

قالوا : الجديد فقلت : من أنصاره

قالوا : الجديد فقلت : من أنصاره

قلم الحكيم وزقّه ودواته

قلم الحكيم وزقّه ودواته

They said, 'The new!' I said, 'Among its champions

In it there is coquetry, I will not say something base

They said: 'The new!' I replied: 'Among its champions

are the sage's pen, his wineskin, and his inkwell.'

Some coyness makes beauty coyness

Are the wise man's pen, his parchment, and his inkwell.'

فيه هنات لا أقول ذميمة

فيه هنات لا أقول ذميمة

بعض الملاحة في الجمال هناته

بعض الملاحة في الجمال هناته

It has flaws I would not call blameworthy;

And I see the old turn its virtues

It holds minor flaws, though I do not call them blameworthy,

some of beauty's charm lies in its flaws.

So they are lost between its sins and virtues

For sometimes the charm of beauty lies in its imperfections.

وأرى القديم يحول حسناته

وأرى القديم يحول حسناته

 فتضيع بين ذنوبه ، حسناته

فتضيع بين ذنوبه ، حسناته

And I see the old transforming its virtues,

Do not leave women unsmoothed

And I see the old, whose virtues fade away,

so its virtues are lost among its sins.

A nation’s spirit is the mirror of its youth

So that its merits are lost amidst its sins.

لا تتركوا المرأة غير صقيلة

لا تتركوا المرأة غير صقيلة

الشعب روح شبابه مرآته

الشعب روح شبابه مرآته

Do not leave the [mirror] unpolished;

Do not leave the mirror unpolished;

the people are a soul; their youth are their mirror.

For a nation's mirror is the spirit of its youth.