ما كانَ أَحوَجَ سورِيّا إِلى بَطَلٍ

ما كانَ أَحوَجَ سورِيّا إِلى بَطَلٍ

يَرُدُّ بِالسَيفِ عَنها كُلَّ مُفتَرِسِ

يَرُدُّ بِالسَيفِ عَنها كُلَّ مُفتَرِسِ

How sorely Syria needed a hero

How great was Syria's need for a hero,

Who wards off every predator from her with his sword,

To repel with the sword every ravenous predator,

وَلا يَزالُ بِها وَالسَيفُ في يَدِهِ

وَلا يَزالُ بِها وَالسَيفُ في يَدِهِ

حَتّى يُطَهِّرُها مِن كُلِّ ذي دَنِسِ

حَتّى يُطَهِّرُها مِن كُلِّ ذي دَنِسِ

And remains within her, his sword in his hand,

Who remains standing within her, weapon in hand,

Until he cleanses her of all who bear a stain,

Until he purges her of every defiled intruder,

وَيَجعَلُ الحُبَّ دينَ القانِطينَ بِها

وَيَجعَلُ الحُبَّ دينَ القانِطينَ بِها

دينٌ يُقَرِّبُ بَينَ البَيتِ وَالقُدُسِ

دينٌ يُقَرِّبُ بَينَ البَيتِ وَالقُدُسِ

And makes love the faith of the despairing within her—

And makes love the faith of her despairing souls,

A faith that draws the Sacred House and Jerusalem together,

A faith that unites the Sacred House and Jerusalem,

حَتّى أَرى ضارِبَ الناقوسِ يُطرِبُهُ

حَتّى أَرى ضارِبَ الناقوسِ يُطرِبُهُ

صَوتُ الأُذَينِ وَهَذا رَنَّةُ الجَرَسِ

صَوتُ الأُذَينِ وَهَذا رَنَّةُ الجَرَسِ

Until I see the church-bell ringer delighted

Until I see the ringer of the church bell enchanted by

By the sound of the call to prayer, and its caller by the bell’s peal.

The voice of the call to prayer, and the caller by the peal of the bell.