لَنَقلُ الرِمالِ وَقَطعُ الجِبالِ

لَنَقلُ الرِمالِ وَقَطعُ الجِبالِ

وَشُربُ البِحارِ الَّتي تَصطَخِب

وَشُربُ البِحارِ الَّتي تَصطَخِب

Surely, moving the sands and hewing mountains,

Moving mountains of sand and breaking hills,

And drinking the seas that roar,

Drinking seas raging and churning stills,

وَكَشفُ الغِطاءِ عَن الجِنِّ أَو

وَكَشفُ الغِطاءِ عَن الجِنِّ أَو

صُعودُ السَماءِ لِمَن يَرتَغِب

صُعودُ السَماءِ لِمَن يَرتَغِب

And lifting the veil from the jinn, or

Unveiling ghosts or climbing the sky,

Ascending to the sky, for whoever desires it,

Are easier than asking a need from a guy.

وَإِحصاءُ لُؤمِ سَعيدٍ لَنا

وَإِحصاءُ لُؤمِ سَعيدٍ لَنا

أَوِ الثَكلُ في وَلَدٍ مُنتَخَب

أَوِ الثَكلُ في وَلَدٍ مُنتَخَب

And counting Sa'id's baseness for us,

Counting the faults of a happy man,

Or the loss of a prized child,

Or losing a chosen and favored son,

أَخَفُّ عَلى المَرءِ مِن حاجَةٍ

أَخَفُّ عَلى المَرءِ مِن حاجَةٍ

يُكَلِّفُ غَسّانَها مُرتَقِب

يُكَلِّفُ غَسّانَها مُرتَقِب

Are easier for a man than a need

Are lighter upon a soul to bear,

That an expectant petitioner asks Ghassan to fulfill.

Than asking a favor while hoping he'll care.

إِذا ما أَتَيناهُ في حاجَةٍ

إِذا ما أَتَيناهُ في حاجَةٍ

رَفَعنا الرِقاعَ لَهُ وَالقَصَب

رَفَعنا الرِقاعَ لَهُ وَالقَصَب

Whenever we come to him with a need,

When in need, should we ask him for aid,

We raise petitions and reeds to him.

He would make excuses and banners he'd raise.

لَهُ حاجِبٌ دونَهُ حاجِبٌ

لَهُ حاجِبٌ دونَهُ حاجِبٌ

وَحاجِبُ حاجِبِهِ مُحتَجِب

وَحاجِبُ حاجِبِهِ مُحتَجِب

He has a doorkeeper, with another doorkeeper before him,

He has excuses upon excuses,

And his doorkeeper's doorkeeper is hidden away.

And excuses over excuses undisclosed.