رَعى اللَهُ قَوماً في دِمَشقَ أَعزَّةً

رَعى اللَهُ قَوماً في دِمَشقَ أَعزَّةً

عَلَيَّ وَإِن لَم يَحفَظوا عَهدَ مَن ظَعَن

عَلَيَّ وَإِن لَم يَحفَظوا عَهدَ مَن ظَعَن

May God protect a people in Damascus, dear

May God protect a people in Damascus, honorable to me

To me, though they have not kept faith with one who departed.

Even if they haven't kept the covenant of one who has been wronged

أَحِبَّةَ قَلبي في الدُنُوِّ وَفي النَوي

أَحِبَّةَ قَلبي في الدُنُوِّ وَفي النَوي

وَأَقصى أَماني النَفسِ في السِرِّ وَالعَلَن

وَأَقصى أَماني النَفسِ في السِرِّ وَالعَلَن

My heart's beloved, in nearness and in separation,

The darlings of my heart in good times and in adversity

And my soul's highest hopes, in secret and in the open.

And the utmost desires of my soul in secret and openly

أُناساً أَعدُ الغَدرَ مِنهُم بِذِمَّتي

أُناساً أَعدُ الغَدرَ مِنهُم بِذِمَّتي

وَفاءً وَأَلقى كُلَّ ما ساءَني حَسَن

وَفاءً وَأَلقى كُلَّ ما ساءَني حَسَن

People whose betrayal of my trust I count

People whom I expect treachery from at my own peril

As faithfulness, and find all that hurts me fair.

Yet meet it with loyalty and turn all their evil toward good

وَكَم فَوَّقوا نَحوي سِهاماً عَلى النَوى

وَكَم فَوَّقوا نَحوي سِهاماً عَلى النَوى

فَأَصمت فُؤادي وَاِعتَدَدتُ بِها مِنَن

فَأَصمت فُؤادي وَاِعتَدَدتُ بِها مِنَن

And how often they aimed arrows at me across the distance,

How many arrows have they let fly at me with intent

So they slew my heart, yet I counted them as favors.

Yet my heart was silent and I count it as a favor from them

وَقَد وَعَدتني النَفسُ عَنهُم بِسَلوَةٍ

وَقَد وَعَدتني النَفسُ عَنهُم بِسَلوَةٍ

وَلَكِن إِذا ما قُمتُ في الحَشرِ بِالكَفَن

وَلَكِن إِذا ما قُمتُ في الحَشرِ بِالكَفَن

And my soul has promised me I shall forget them—

My soul had promised me relief from them

But only when I rise at the Resurrection in my shroud.

But when I rise on Judgment Day in a shroud

يُذَكِّرُني البَرقُ الشَآمِيُّ إِن خَفا

يُذَكِّرُني البَرقُ الشَآمِيُّ إِن خَفا

زَماني بِكُم يا حَبَّذا ذَلِكَ الزَمَن

زَماني بِكُم يا حَبَّذا ذَلِكَ الزَمَن

The lightning of al-Sham, when it flashes, brings back to me

The Levantine lightning reminds me if it glimmers

My time with you—oh, how lovely was that time!

My time with you, O how blessed was that time

وَيا حَبَّذا الهضبُ الَّذي دونَ عزَّتا

وَيا حَبَّذا الهضبُ الَّذي دونَ عزَّتا

إِذا ما بَدا وَالثَلجُ قَد عَمَّمَ القُنَن

إِذا ما بَدا وَالثَلجُ قَد عَمَّمَ القُنَن

And how lovely the rocky upland this side of ʿIzzata,

O how blessed were the highlands below your honored land

When it comes into view, its peaks already turbaned with snow.

When it appears and the snow has blanketed the meadows

أَأَحبابَنا لا أَسأَلُ الطَيفَ زَورَةً

أَأَحبابَنا لا أَسأَلُ الطَيفَ زَورَةً

وَهَيهاتَ أَينَ الديلَمياتُ مِن عَدَن

وَهَيهاتَ أَينَ الديلَمياتُ مِن عَدَن

O our beloved, I ask no visit from your dream-phantom;

My loved ones, I ask no specter for a visit in vain

And alas—how far al-Daylamiyyat is from Aden!

Alas, where are the tents of Deylam from Aden

وَهَبكُم سَمحتُم وَالظُنونُ كَواذِبٌ

وَهَبكُم سَمحتُم وَالظُنونُ كَواذِبٌ

بِطَيفِكُمُ أَينَ الجُفونُ مِن الوَسَن

بِطَيفِكُمُ أَينَ الجُفونُ مِن الوَسَن

And suppose you were generous—though such hopes are false—

I forgave you though suspicions are liars

With your phantom: how far my eyelids are from slumber!

With your specter, where are the eyelids from sleeplessness

وَكَم قيلَ لي في ساحَةِ الأَرضِ مَذهَبٌ

وَكَم قيلَ لي في ساحَةِ الأَرضِ مَذهَبٌ

وَعَن وَطَنٍ لِلنَفسِ مَيلٌ إِلى وَطَن

وَعَن وَطَنٍ لِلنَفسِ مَيلٌ إِلى وَطَن

And how often I was told: 'In earth's expanse there is somewhere to go,

And how often was I told in the field of the earth, it has perished

And the soul may turn from one homeland to another.'

And for a homeland for the soul, a leaning toward a homeland

وَهَل نافِعي أَنَّ البِلادَ كَثيرَةٌ

وَهَل نافِعي أَنَّ البِلادَ كَثيرَةٌ

أَطوفُ بِها وَالقَلبُ بِالشامِ مُرتَهَن

أَطوفُ بِها وَالقَلبُ بِالشامِ مُرتَهَن

And does it help me that lands are many?

And does it benefit me that many lands

I roam through them, while my heart is held in pledge in al-Sham.

I roam through while my heart is pledged to Syria

وَما كُنتُ بِالراضي بِصَنعاءَ مَنزِلاً

وَما كُنتُ بِالراضي بِصَنعاءَ مَنزِلاً

وَلَو نلتُ مِن غُمدانَ ملكَ ابنِ ذي يَزَن

وَلَو نلتُ مِن غُمدانَ ملكَ ابنِ ذي يَزَن

And I would not be content with Sana'a as a home,

I wouldn't be content with Sanaa as a home

Even if I gained, from Ghumdan, the kingdom of Ibn Dhi Yazan.

Even if I attained from Ghumedan the kingdom of the son of Dhi Yazan

عَسى عطفَةٌ بَدرِيَّةٌ تَعكِسُ النَوى

عَسى عطفَةٌ بَدرِيَّةٌ تَعكِسُ النَوى

فَأَلفى قَريرَ العَينِ بِالأَهلِ وَالوَطَن

فَأَلفى قَريرَ العَينِ بِالأَهلِ وَالوَطَن

May a kindness from Badr reverse this separation,

Perhaps a friendly glance will turn intention

So I may be found, eyes at peace, with family and homeland.

And I will find the delight of eyes with family and homeland.