وعن حلب ما شئت من عجائبَ

وعن حلب ما شئت من عجائبَ

أحل بها يا صاح إن كنت تعلم

أحل بها يا صاح إن كنت تعلم

And of Aleppo, tell what you will of strange horrors

Of Aleppo's wonders, say what you will, my friend, if you know,

visited upon her, my friend, if you know.

One morn there came suddenly an army of foes like clouds swollen with hail,

غداة أتاها للمنية بغتةً

غداة أتاها للمنية بغتةً

من المغل جيش كالسحاب عرمرم

من المغل جيش كالسحاب عرمرم

On the morning when suddenly, bringing death, there came upon her

They came like the billows of oceans with ships

a vast Mongol army, like the clouds.

White and brown and blackness descending.

أتوها كأمواج البحار زواخرا

أتوها كأمواج البحار زواخرا

ببيض وسمر والقتام مخيّم

ببيض وسمر والقتام مخيّم

They came upon her like the surging waves of the seas,

They undid that happiness and confused

with bright swords and tawny spears, while battle-dust pitched its tent.

The nurses from what they had suckled, wandering in distress.

وقد عطلت تلك العشار وأذهلت

وقد عطلت تلك العشار وأذهلت

مراضع عما أرضعت وهي هيم

مراضع عما أرضعت وهي هيم

And those heavily pregnant she-camels were left untended, and distracted

Oh what a day of heavy clouds it was

were nursing mothers from their nurslings, themselves distraught.

When the mosques therein were demolished.

فيا لك من يوم شديد الغامة

فيا لك من يوم شديد الغامة

وقد أصبحت فيه المساجد تهدم

وقد أصبحت فيه المساجد تهدم

Oh, what a day of dreadful gloom!

Those schools crumbled and their Korans

And on it, the mosques were being torn down.

Lay torn atop the earth though they were thick.

وقد درست تلك المدارس وارتمت

وقد درست تلك المدارس وارتمت

مصاحفها فوق الثرى وهي ضخم

مصاحفها فوق الثرى وهي ضخم

And those schools lay in ruins, and down were flung

Every respected woman was dishonored and made captive

their massive Qur'an volumes upon the dust.

She who was once esteemed and venerated.

وكل مهاة قد أهينت وهي سبية

وكل مهاة قد أهينت وهي سبية

وقد طالما كانت تُعَزُّ وتكرم

وقد طالما كانت تُعَزُّ وتكرم

And every oryx-like beauty was humiliated, a captive,

She calls unto one who answers not her call

though for so long she had been cherished and honored.

And complains to one who neither cares nor pities.

تنادي إلى من لا يجيب نداءها

تنادي إلى من لا يجيب نداءها

وتشكو إلى من لا يرق ويرحم

وتشكو إلى من لا يرق ويرحم

She calls to one who does not answer her cry,

Oh Aleppo, how deserted are your meadows,

and pours out her grief to one who neither softens nor shows mercy.

And how dumbfounded, unable to speak.

فيا حلبا أنى ربوعك أقفرت

فيا حلبا أنى ربوعك أقفرت

وأعيت جواباً فهي لا تتكلم

وأعيت جواباً فهي لا تتكلم

O Aleppo, how have your dwellings fallen desolate?

I mourn your people in every house

And they can give no answer; they do not speak.

And weep through the night longing for them.

أنوح على أهليك في كل منزل

أنوح على أهليك في كل منزل

وأبكي الدجى شوقاً وأسأل عنهم

وأبكي الدجى شوقاً وأسأل عنهم

I wail for your people in every dwelling,

But to God belongs the will in this,

and weep through the night in longing, and ask after them.

He does with us as He judges and rules.

ولكنما للّه في ذا مشيئةٌ

ولكنما للّه في ذا مشيئةٌ

فيفعل فينا ما يشاء ويحكم

فيفعل فينا ما يشاء ويحكم

Yet God has a will concerning this,

so He does with us what He wills, and decrees.